Women and Lifestyle

We’re constantly bombarded with reports of studies that have very little basis in fact. This is not always the fault of the researchers but in many cases of the reporters writing the stories. Many of these myths and fallacies have perpetuated because very few of the researchers take the time to debunk or dispute what has been reported over the years.

In this brief article I’m going to uncover facts and myths about diets, exercise and fat burning. Some of these closely held beliefs will shock you while others will make you shake your head and wonder how we ever thought that these beliefs were logical in the first place.

Popular myth: exercise makes your heart healthier.

While exercise does strengthen the heart muscles it does not make it any healthier because it’s beating slower. There’ve been many cases over the years in which athletes in top physical condition have suffered strokes and heart attacks. There have also been quite a few octogenarians with lifelong rapid heartbeats.

Popular myth: vigorous exercise improves your circulatory system.

This idea regarding exercise was based on an early 1950s study done with dogs under very artificial conditions. There were no tests done on humans to validate the study. As a matter of fact, exercise didn’t stimulate the growth of collateral blood vessels around the heart at all. What does stimulate the growth of more blood vessels is actually the clogging of your original arteries.

Popular myth: exercise reduces your risk of heart attack.

In truth we know that high cholesterol and high blood pressure are the risks that exercise is supposed reduce. A California study of trained distance runners found that they have the same range of blood pressure as non-runners. The myth stems from the idea that lower heart rates mean lower blood pressure; the truth is, one has nothing to do with the other.

Popular myth: exercise makes you live longer.

The fact is no one really knows what makes some people live longer than others. There are so many contributing factors; from genetics, lifestyle and also emotional disposition. Most of the studies done in this area have been flawed based on their original premise. What we have found to be true is based on the analysis of 1200 centenarians. The common denominator amongst them is a uniform desire and success in avoiding excess stress in their lives.

Popular myth: vigorous exercise makes you feel better.

Quite a few people will swear that they feel much better after intense exercise. The problem is an equal number of people will attest to feeling lousy after intense exercise. Studies have been inconclusive regarding the elevation of serotonin levels after intense exercise. Several studies have indicated that a simple 30 minute walk of moderate intensity will work just as well if not better at leveling off your mood; decreasing your stress and giving you the necessary physical activity to stimulate your body.

Popular myth: you need to restrict your caloric intake significantly to burn fat.

The biggest myth regarding diets is that you need to lose weight. What actually needs to be reduced is excess body fat. Diets unfortunately will reduce muscle mass along with body fat if exercise is not incorporated into the program. Losing body fat requires an increase in metabolism and the stimulation of hormones to initiate the body’s thermic effect. Diets on the other hand, slow your metabolism and in many cases will actually make you fatter.

The biggest myth regarding diets is that you need to lose weight. What actually needs to be reduced is excess body fat. Diets unfortunately will reduce muscle mass along with body fat if exercise is not incorporated into the program. Losing body fat requires an increase in metabolism and the stimulation of hormones to initiate the body’s thermic effect. Diets on the other hand, slow your metabolism and in many cases will actually make you fatter.

You may think after this myth busting session that I don’t believe in vigorous exercise. Just the opposite, but a program including vigorous exercise should be done steadily and consistently in order to be effective. It does very little good to exercise vigorously every so often. By varying your activities, eating small protein rich meals throughout the day and executing a combination of aerobic and strength training several days a week, you’ll be able to reduce your body fat, maintain or build muscle and stay fit and healthy.