Weight Loss and Exercise Myths- Separating the Truth from Fiction

There are so many myths regarding weight loss and exercise that it is sometimes hard to know what is true and what is not. To shed pounds you need to get to the truth of the matter!

Many people believe that spot reduction- which is to say targeting specific areas of the body for weight loss works. In truth it does not work. If you think doing 100 sit-ups and leg lifts will get rid of the flab on your belly and get rid of the extra weight on your thighs then you are sure to be disappointed.

When your body loses fat it drops it from the total of the fat reserves that you have. You have absolutely no control over what area of your body the stored fat will come from. Aerobic exercises such as brisk walking, jogging, dancing or cycling will offer the best options for burning fat. It is worth noting however that spot exercises are capable of strengthening and toning muscles in specific places once the fat has been lost.

Have you ever heard anyone say that if a little exercise is a good thing then doing a lot must be even better? If weight loss is important to you that does not mean that you can go crazy all of the sudden and push yourself to all sorts of extremes! If you have led a very sedentary existence for quite some time you cannot just get up off the couch and decide to start walking, running, cycling or working out at the gym for two hours a day. Being drastic in this manner can be overwhelming to the body and can cause damage to your body and your health.

Former inactive individuals need to ease into physical activity slowly and take it one step at a time. Weight loss will come with effort but it is not worth it to put your body in jeopardy! Be gentle with yourself and start small and gradually work up to more physical activity. In particular you need to go easy on your spine and your joints. The extra weight that you are carrying can lead to more health problems if you push yourself hard from the very start.

Resistance training and toning, such as working out with weights, is not beneficial for those who want to shed pounds. Is this true or false? It is false. Resistance training and toning is useful for everyone regardless of their fitness level. Resistance training increases muscle mass which we all need because it leads to the strengthening of bones.

When you work out with weights, resistance bands or a gym machine this facilitates faster weight loss and will tone you up quicker than if you just did aerobic exercise on a frequent basis. Muscle is capable of burning calories at a more rapid rate than fat does. This means that calories are burner faster which is what you want for reducing your weight.