KUALA LUMPUR, May 15- Muscle building powders are a must if you are gymming. Exercise can bulk up women. Sports drinks are a healthy option for those who want to remain fit. These are some half truths doing the rounds in the fitness market. The idea of healthy exercise is being marred by such myths which are driven by marketing gimmicks and pseudo science. When it comes to exercising, people are just bombarded with a lot of misinformation.
Many of the health claims are made to allure people who are desperate to lose weight quickly. “Exercise should be a lifetime routine. There are no shortcuts. Its sustainable workouts that help keep you healthy in the long run and improper exercise can only fuel your troubles,” says wellness expert Kiran Sawhney.
While a person who exercise often and vigorously has the lowest risk for heart disease, any amount of exercise is bound to be beneficial. One should get at least 30 minutes of moderate activity on most days of the week, according to guidelines by the US based Centre for Disease Control. Certain basic rules like drinking enough water before the exercise, warming up and cooling down, and scheduling the fitness routine early or late in the day when the weather is the coolest could help you get the best of the benefits. People who fall into the high risk category like those suffering from certain medical conditions should avoid strenuous exercise.
Here experts debunk some of the most common myths surrounding fitness.
Myth: Supplements are a must-have
Fact: Supplements and muscle building powders are not required for most people who do weight training few times a week. Natural foods are enough.
Expert take: “Supplements are absolutely unnecessary. You can easily source the protein required to bulk muscles through proper diet. Going overboard with protein powders can lead to increased body fat levels and it can escalate the health woes for people with kidney diseases. Higher protein intake has also been linked to calcium loss,” says wellness expert, Kiran Sawhney.
Bottom line: If you are onto a low intensity exercise routine, make it a point to eat nutritious food and sleep well. It is possible to build muscles without supplements. Eat the right combination of foods containing both protein and fibrous carbs like milk products, nuts, fruits (apple, banana, watermelon) and vegetables (potatoes, beans, spinach).
Myth: Weight training makes women bulky
Fact: Women should not fear those dumbbells as they cannot produce as much testosteronethe male hormone that increases muscle size.
Expert take: “First of all, muscle is difficult to build. Even the most dedicated male bodybuilders spend their lives struggling with weight training to grow their muscles. Secondly, testosterone plays a major role in building muscles which women lack,” says Neeraj Mehta.
Bottom line: Focus on how good exercise makes you feel than how you look. And remember, that it’s actually the body fat over the muscles that make a woman look bulky. It isn’t enough to exercise, you need to do your part at the dinner table as well.
Myth: Guzzle down sports drinks for best results
Fact: You don’t need that high-calorie energy drink unless the exercise routine is really vigorous and lasts beyond an hour.
Expert take: “For most people who do moderate exercises, ordinary water, lemon juice or coconut water is good enough. That’s because you would need to run for at least two hours before you run low on your carbs store. So unless you’re doing an extensive exercise like running a marathon, plain water is all that you need. In fact, if you intend to lose weight, the calories in sports drinks might offset the calories that are burnt during the exercise. High caffeine content in them is another cause of worry,” says Neeraj Mehta, fitness expert.
Bottom line: Sports drinks contain two main ingredients : sodium, that helps the body retain water, and sugar, which the body burns for energy. Very few people exercise hard enough to sweat away much sodium or use up their carbohydrate reserve. So most people don’t really require them.
Myth: Stop exercising and you will gain weight
Fact:Lack of exercise makes muscles shrink, reducing the body’s calorie-burning rate. So it is likely that people who stop working out gain fat.
Expert take: “One of the many reasons that drives people away from exercising is this worry. When you discontinue exercising, there is no spending of calories but what you eat is the same so you are bound to gain weight. You also need to alter your diet accordingly. With increased body fat and smaller muscles, people assume that the muscle has turned to fat,” says Ryan.
Bottom line: When you gain weight after you stop exercising, donât blame it on the change in the routine alone, it could be the result of your unhealthy eating habits.
Myth: Exercise is risky for the old
Fact: You are never too old to start exercising. However, you have to keep in mind certain precautions if you suffer from health problems.
Expert take: “People who start late think it’s unsafe to get on the treadmill because they have heart disease or diabetes or because they are way too unfit to start. Exercise can only be more helpful as it reduces pain and increases range of motion, strength, and mobility, among all age groups. In fact, physical inactivity can worsen your health condition. Workouts using small weights can help the elderly rebuild muscles,” says Neeraj Mehta, fitness expert.
Bottom line: You can begin on a regular schedule of exercises by doing simple stretches while seated or going on short walks. Walking, jogging, squats, leg, lifts are exercises that are both simple and safe.
Myth: Sweating can help you lose weight
Fact: How much you sweat is no indication of fat loss.
Expert take:“Some people tend to sweat profusely due to heavy body weight, poor conditioning, or just because of hereditary reasons. You shouldn’t be exercising at high noon to burn more calories as you can end up with energy loss, dizziness, headaches and fatigue,” says Ryan Fernando, fitness expert.
Bottom line: Losing weight due to sweating is dehydration; the pounds will return when you restock your fluid levels by drinking water after the workout. Further, you could develop heat exhaustion if you push yourself too hard in extreme heat or in plastic clothes which prevent sweat from evaporating.
Myth: Without pain, there is no gain
Fact: While you should go that extra mile to build endurance, any workout that leaves you feeling unwell is definitely a bad one. The key is to exercise smart, not hard.
Expert take: “Exercise should be fun. Muscle pain during or after exercise could suggest an injury. While discomfort is acceptable, pain is not. If you experience pain, it is a warning to ease the intensity of the exercise. Resisting this could damage the tissue and aggravate the injury. Pain can also indicate underlying health problems,” says Neeraj Mehta.
Bottom line: The way out is to make sure that the exercise is of moderate intensity, which equals a medium paced walk. A fast paced workout does help you burn more calories in a lesser time. For example, you would burn more through a jog than a walk, for the same duration.
