Summer is here and with it comes the widespread desire to get as “bikini ready” as possible, whether we plan to sun ourselves on the beach this summer or not. When lunch time rolls around at work you’ll likely see your colleagues eschewing their deli rolls for couscous salads and even hitting the gym for a short blast of high intensity interval training. While getting in shape, taking control of our bodies and taking our health and fitness into our own hands is a noble goal, it can be a difficult one to achieve when going it alone. The trouble is not that there isn’t enough health, advice and support out there in the digital realm… there’s way too much. Anyone getting in shape right now faces an embarrassment of riches when it comes to help and support online. The trouble is that so much of the information out there is self contradictory, based on myths and pseudoscience or just plan inaccurate.
If you’re setting out on the journey of health and fitness, pay not heed to these persistent myths that could impede or even derail your journey…
If you want to lose body fat, you need to do lots of cardio
No, no no! Sure, cardio is helpful in burning body fat and it’s essential in maintaining heart health. But trying to get in shape using only cardio is like trying to build a house using only mortar. Cardio is just one component to getting in shape. In order to change the shape of your body and boost your metabolism, you need to build the muscles beneath your fat. This will not only improve your shape, it will boost your metabolism to help you burn more calories while at rest.
If I you want to lose body fat, carbs have got to go
Keto and Atkins enthusiasts will tell you that carbs are evil and must be destroyed. But carbs are vastly misunderstood. If you eliminate carbs from your diet your body will start to burn your deposits of stored fat… that much is absolutely true. But depriving yourself of an entire food group is unsustainable and will inevitably lead to cravings. Plus your muscles will be deprived of the essential starch glycogen which they need for proper growth so they won’t develop properly.
There’s nothing you can get from the gym that you can’t get at home
While most people can work on their fitness from home, whatever their goals without investing in a home gym or expensive equipment, there’s really no substitute for joining a gym. Head on over to Club Fitness and search our gym locations to find one near you. A gym will not only have the equipment to help you achieve your goals, but knowledgeable professionals who will help you to separate the facts from the myths and come up with a diet and exercise plan specifically for you.
If I want to lose weight I need to drop my caloric intake right down
No, no, no, no, no! You can’t starve yourself healthy. In fact, denying your body the calories it needs is more likely to slow your metabolism to a crawl and prevent you from processing the energy you consume in your food efficiently. Remember that not all calories are created equal. Keep your diet whole foods and mostly plant based and you’ll find counting calories becomes way less important.
Once you’ve separated the facts from the fiction, getting in shape is so much easier!
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