Fitness Tips Or Fitness Myths?

Written by Invictus Martial Arts on March 5, 2022. Posted in Blog, Health

There’s no shortage of fitness tips out there. Don’t believe me? Just scroll through social media. It’s common for well-meaning people to innocently spread misinformation when it comes to fitness. While it may seem harmless, buying in to false fitness tips can lead to physical burnout or even injury. So, how do we avoid falling for fitness myths?

We’re debunking three of the most popular fitness myths to keep you focused and well-informed as you work towards your fitness goals.

1. “No pain, no gain”

When it comes to fitness, ever hear the phrase “no pain, no gain”? This phrase is commonly used to push an athlete harder during their workout. Don’t get us wrong, challenging yourself occasionally is a great thing! But, doing it too often can lead to potential soft-tissue injuries and even set you back when it comes to making progress towards your fitness goals. In fact, training too hard can make it more difficult for your muscles to recover properly. It can also effect your mood, your sleep cycle, and even hinder your immune system. The best approach is to slowly increase the intensity of your training, rather than over-doing it all at once.

2. “Fasting before your workout helps you loose weight faster”

The idea of doing fasted cardio, or exercising on an empty stomach, is that you’ll burn more fat because your body is using stored fat as energy instead of glucose.

While you may initially burn more calories by doing fasted cardio, at the end of the day, it doesn’t make a huge difference. This is because weight loss really comes down to your total daily caloric intake. If your goal is to lose weight, being in a caloric deficit is far more important than whether you exercise fasted or not. In fact, research has shown that there is no significant difference in weight loss between those who fasted before their cardio workout and those who did not.

The best bet is to listen to your body. If you discover you feel better when you exercise on an empty stomach and are in good health, there’s nothing wrong with doing fasted cardio. However, you may find that fueling up before some types of training, like strength training, is a better option to prevent you from experiencing fatigue during your workout. Always check with your primary care physician first, especially if you’re pregnant, have diabetes, high blood pressure, or other underlying medical issues.

3.” If you’re sore, then you had a good workout”

A common misconception is that being sore after a workout means you had a good training session. Typically, when we experience muscle soreness, it’s because we’ve tried a new exercise or pushed ourselves harder than normal during a workout. This type of soreness is called delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS. DOMS leaves our muscles inflamed, tender, and tight. This discomfort typically lasts 24 to 48 hours after your workout. While DOMS can generally resolve on its own, using a foam roller can aid in faster recovery.

So, what’s the best way to gauge if you had a good workout? Experts agree that evaluating your performance during your workout sessions is a much better indicator. So, if you’re able to lift more or do more reps during your next workout session, you’re on the right track. Even better, as you adapt to a workout routine, the soreness you experience will lessen which will keep you on track with your training and progress.

Ready to bust the fitness myths and start training smarter? At Invictus, we help you do just that! And it’s easy to GET STARTED.