Just Do It (Differently) – 5 Fitness Myths Holding You Back and What to Do Instead
Everyone keeps saying just do it, but no one says how to do it. With the overload of information and misconceptions, a fitness journey can be hard to start. Here are some fitness myths holding you back and what to do instead.
Fitness doesn’t have to be rocket science. These fitness myths holding you back only hurt you in the long run and can prevent you from truly enjoying a good old-fashioned fitness journey. Remember, there is no one size fits all for fitness, so finding out what works for you, your body and your schedule is the most important thing at the end of the day.
Fitness Myths Holding You Back and What to Do Instead
Jumping right into it, here are five fitness myths holding you back and what to do instead. Find out what silly misconceptions may be preventing you from truly enjoying a fitness journey. Plus, find out what change and habit or mentality can help you feel better both physically and mentally.
1. Walking is Worthless
There’s a weird misconception floating around that you can’t walk your way into health and fitness. This fitness myth states that while walking is good for you, you are definitely not really exercising or working out when you walk. It’s just some nice movement, but it is not good exercise.
Instead Think: Walking Rocks.
Walking is an amazing exercise that we can include in our daily lives with ease. Walking is a low-impact movement that gets blood flowing, helps improve mood and mental clarity, and helps you expend energy. Movement matters, and walking is a beneficial movement that is super easy for beginners, but just as helpful for advanced fitness people.
Walking can help you since it is a moderate exercise. Higher-intensity workouts that last a long time can actually reduce your metabolism since overworking the body tends to make your system conserve more energy. Walking on the other hand helps you move and gain cardiovascular benefits while not causing you to become incredibly hungry and tired.
2. Exercise is Normal
Yep, this is a huge fitness myth that is holding you back. The common thought nowadays is that exercising is a given. Everyone in the world should be exercising because if you aren’t you’re losing health rapidly. Exercise is normal and everyone should be doing it.
Instead Think: Exercise is Extra.
The reality is that extra exercise is extra movement and physical activity you do for the purpose of health. Is it healthy? Yes, but it is at the end of the day, it is extra. Way back when our ancestors needed to hike miles a day to find food or hunt or move their bodies a lot. Nowadays, we try to force ourselves to do extra work to maintain health.
Modern society demands that we exercise as a voluntary activity just for the sake of health and fitness. This is different from needed physical activities such as grocery shopping or fun activities such as playing and dancing. Exercising for the sake of health is a relatively new concept, so don’t feel bad if you don’t intrinsically have the habit of exercising. It’s something we all have to develop One step at a time.
3. Moving Less is Lazy
So, some fitness tips include doing things that force you to move more. This can be something like parking far away or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. In fact, this tip can be found in this guide here on how to seamlessly incorporate more movement into your day. So it stands to reason that if you try to move less, you are lazy.
Instead Think: Conversing Energy Makes Sense.
This is a wrong mentality on fitness. Wanting to conserve energy is human, and it’s our default. For example, the reason why a lot of diets fail is because our bodies don’t actually want to lose weight. They want that storage of fat just in case it’s needed in times of famine or if food is scarce. Along that same vein, mentally and physically, it makes sense for us to want to move less in order to conserve energy.
That’s why it’s important for us to be kind to ourselves on days when we are feeling a bit low energy. Every day does not have to be a take the stairs kind of day. It’s okay to reduce physical activity when you need to. Fitness is about finding what works for you and does not need to include generalizations. Working with yourself and finding ways that you feel good and motivated to exercise and work out matters. If that means taking the elevator and working out for 30 minutes later in the day, then do that!
4. Running is Bad
So, this fitness misconception is about running. Running is bad, it is hard on the joints and can be detrimental to your metabolism. Earning makes you hungry, and exhausted and weakens your knees and ankles.
Instead Think: Running is Hard.
Not all true. Research has found that habitual running can actually strengthen knees and other joints. Runners are less likely to develop knee osteoarthritis and other such injuries. Much of the worry of running may come from injuries of runners since knees are the most common location of injury. That is where a guide such as this one here can help you start running in a safe
Running has amazing benefits on cardiovascular health. While running is work, there are ways to start out slowly and train yourself to become faster or run for longer. As long as you don’t jump into it all at once, running can be a gradual habit you develop and improve with time. That way, it’s not a huge shock to your body when it comes time to run a 5k.
5. We Get Less Active as We Age
When you’re old, it’s time to call it quits. People above 60 at the gym? Nope, go home. That’s what this misconception is all about. As we get older, it’s very normal to become less active. In fact, we should be less active to preserve our physical body and reduce wear and tear.
Instead Think: Stay Active Always.
That cannot be farther from the truth. Our body works on a use it or lose it mentality. If we aren’t using our muscles, then we are going to lose them. Losing muscle mass is one of the leading causes of injury for individuals who are older. If we lose strength we lose our ability to move through life without pain and increase our risk of injury.
It’s important to always stay active. Always move your body, always train strength to at the very least maintain muscle mass, and always look for ways to include fitness into your daily life. There is a woman who is in her seventies who has a fitter body than half the people I see at the gym. She’s living proof that you can be strong, be healthy, and be active no matter what your age is.
The Takeaway
Just do it is a mentality we can all appreciate, but we need to know how to do it, and more importantly how to do it right. Fitness myths holding you back hurt you while knowing the truth and facts only help you. Check out your misconceptions and make sure to get the right information in order to progress on your fitness journey!
Remember that health comes from within. Eat healthy, nutritious meals, exercise daily, and take care of your mental health. Daily habits become the building blocks for emotional, mental, and physical health. Take care of your gut health too! Learn everything you need to know about gut microbiota today for free here.
