Contrary to popular belief, sweating is not really an indicator of how hard you’ve worked or how many calories you’ve lost. — dpa
Human beings are a gullible lot.
We readily believe things that we hear and read, especially forwarded messages on various platforms.
For some reason, no matter how educated and intelligent we are, rumours and juicy details tend to bypass the brain’s deception filters.
Scams aside, we also fall victim to many fitness myths just because so-and-so swears by it.
From consuming coconut oil to build muscles to drinking cabbage soup for quick weight loss and doing crunches to sculpt a six-pack, we soak up these myths and are often disappointed when we don’t see results.
Check out these helpful pointers to increase your awareness of what works and what doesn’t.
Myth 1: No pain, no gain
Pain is the nervous system’s way of signalling that something is wrong – it is not an indication of hard work.
Unlike fatigue, where your muscles are screaming because you’ve pushed them to work, pain can be a dull or sharp sensation that leaves you ... in pain.
Any exercise you embark on should not hurt while you’re doing it, as that means you’re either doing it wrongly, your alignment is off, or you already have an injury.
I like to advise my students to work at a pace where they feel low to moderate discomfort.
Stop and rest if an activity is hurting a body part, then try again.
If the pain goes off, you’re good to proceed; if it continues or increases after the activity, get yourself assessed by a doctor.
On the other hand, some people are prone to getting delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) 24 to 48 hours after an activity.
You’re most likely to experience DOMS when you introduce a new training stimulus (like a new activity), increased intensity or volume.
However, not everyone experiences achy muscles as there are many variables involved, such as genetics and different individual responses to stimuli.
DOMS isn’t the best gauge of how effective your workout was or who’s in better shape.
It also does not necessarily reflect muscle adaptation and growth because highly-trained athletes can also suffer from DOMS.
So if there’s pain, chances are it is not going to lead to gains.
Myth 2: Sweating equals a good workout
Have you tried running outdoors in winter?
I have, and even with layers of clothes on, I seldom sweat in cold climates, although I’m running at a moderate speed.
Sweating is your body’s way of cooling down – it doesn’t indicate how hard you’ve worked.
Some drip with sweat just by warming up, others stay dry even while doing intensive workouts.
You can still burn a significant number of calories without breaking into a sweat while exercising – just focus on effort and consistency.
In this current heatwave, people are also sweating in air-conditioned places, so do keep replenishing the lost fluids to rehydrate.
Myth 3: Muscles turn to fat once you stop training
This myth floats around all the time, even among some personal trainers.
Muscles are composed of contractile fibres that facilitate movement and provide strength, while fat serves as an energy store.
They co-exist, but one cannot morph into the other, like how oranges cannot become apples and vice-versa.
When you stop working out, the lean muscle starts to atrophy (shrink in size) due to reduced stimuli.
Thus, instead of being toned, it begins to “soften” because you’re not making demands of it, i.e. use it or lose it.
If you continue to eat and drink merrily while giving your muscles a vacation, obviously your calories are going to pile up.
And since they’re not being utilised, they prefer to settle down in your fat cells (they reckon it’s a luxury resort!).
With an increase in fat cells and reduction in muscles, you will look bigger.
Thankfully, muscles have their own memory.
This means that for regular exercisers, once you start working out again, these muscles will recall how to activate and get back to their former shape, thus, making it easier to regain your fitness than the non-exerciser.
Tai chi is touted as a mind-body exercise with plenty of benefits for all age groups, not only seniors. — Filepic
Myth 4: Cardio is the best way to lose weight
Yes, you will lose some weight with cardio (or aerobic) exercises, but it’s not enough.
ALSO READ: Which is better: Aerobic or anaerobic exercises?
This is as an overall drop in weight can be due to any component, including fat, muscle, water and others.
If you’re losing weight, but your body fat percentage stays the same, it’s probably a sign you’re losing muscle.
The cardio-only body may look slim, but the muscles will be soft (as stated in Myth 3).
To lose weight (fat) without losing muscle, you have to include strength training into your routine.
When you build lean muscles (hypertrophy), they then elevate your metabolism and keep burning fat for a longer period of time, even when you’re at rest.
Take a look at your diet (add in good sources of protein) and sleeping patterns as well.
Remember this simple equation: to lose weight, the calories you put into your body must be less than the calories you burn.
Myth 5: Ice baths promote recovery
Ice baths are becoming trendy.
While they’re invigorating and have multiple therapeutic benefits, including reducing muscle inflammation post-exercise, they don’t speed up recovery.
Many endurance athletes use this technique by doing a quick immersion in ice, but research on its effectiveness is mixed.
When you get out of an ice bath, your muscle tissues and your entire body will begin to warm up, which causes your blood circulation to increase and muscles to relax.
More importantly, you need to do some active recovery workout, such as low-impact walking or swimming, after a strenuous workout.
Eat, rest and sleep well to allow your body time to repair before the next workout.
ALSO READ: Ice baths don’t help repair muscle
Myth 6: Tai chi and yoga are for seniors
The younger generation used to dismiss these two mind-body exercises as “for old people only”, although these days, yoga classes have taken a different spin and are filled with youthful faces and admirable bodies.
Tai chi, however, hasn’t quite caught up with yoga’s popularity.
Both have tremendous benefits for all age groups, particularly when it comes to mind control, coordination, balance and battling stress.
Tai chi consists of a series of slow, flowing movements performed in a continuous, circular manner, with an emphasis on maintaining smooth transitions and cultivating internal strength.
Yoga involves a variety of physical postures (called asanas) that may be dynamic and challenging, or gentle and relaxing.
You should incorporate one or both practices into your fitness routine so that you can reap the benefits in the future.
Many studies show that practising tai chi or yoga long term keeps older adults functional up to their golden years.
We’ll explore more myths in my next column.
Revathi Murugappan is a certified fitness trainer who tries to battle gravity and continues to dance to express herself artistically and nourish her soul. For more information, email starhealth@thestar.com.my. The information contained in this column is for general educational purposes only. Neither The Star nor the author gives any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to such information. The Star and the author disclaim all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.
