Welcome to our first ever Wellness Wednesday post !!
Every Wednesday we will be posting some wellness content on our blog in hopes of providing you with some value as we work towards becoming the best versions of ourselves. This week we are going over 5 Fitness Myths, check them out below:
Myth #1 - Lifting weights will make you bulky.
WRONG. Not really sure where this myth came from but it's totally wrong. Women are not designed the same way as men. We have way less testosterone than men do and so we can't build muscle the same way they do. Lifting weights has so many benefits for women and in terms of just physical appearance, weight-lifting is the best form of sculpting your body while helping to reduce weight. Here are a few benefits weight-lifting has for women:
1. Can increase bone density. This is especially important for women, as we age our bone density decreases over time.
2. Better sleep. Who doesn't need some more quality sleep in their lives? We sure do !!
3. Increases energy and mood. Working out releases endorphins, this helps boost mood and energy.
4. Improves heart health. A good heart is a healthy heart. You only get one so let's take care of it !!
5. Lowers stress. We all know the impact stress can have on us. Weight-lifting helps reduce stress
6. Helps with weight loss. Weight-lifting burns calories, but unlike cardio training we experience something called 'excess oxygen consumption' aka EPOC when we strength train. This means that the body continues to burn calories even after we're done working out.
We can sit here all day and go over the benefits of lifting weights for women. If you doubted switching your fitness regime to strength training, hopefully this convinces you that you need weight-lifting in your life !!
Myth #2 - Carbs will make you gain weight.
Nope, not true. You can enjoy your carbs and not stress about them making you gain weight. The misinformation surrounding carbohydrates mostly has to do with the different type of carbs we consume. Here is a quick breakdown of carbs:
There are two different type of carbohydrates:
Simple carbs - These are usually processed foods such as cookies, chips and white pasta. The molecule chains in simple carbs are a lot shorter meaning that the body digests them faster causing a spike in blood glucose. This spike results in short-term energy.
Complex carbs - These are food such a whole grain pasta, sweet potatoes, quinoa and oatmeal, just to name a few ! The molecule chain in complex carbs are longer therefore they get digested slowly and result in more longer lasting energy in the body.
Carbohydrates are converted into glucose which the body uses for energy. In addition to glucose complex carbs also have fiber which helps keep the digestive system healthy. This doesn't mean we should go and label simple carbs as 'bad' food and complex carbs as 'good' food. No, they each have their purpose. For example, fruit is considered a simple carb but it also has minerals and nutrients that are beneficial to our bodies.
You should be mindful of the TYPE of carbohydrate you are consuming and aim to eat more complex carbs while enjoying some simple carbs in moderation.
The takeaway here is that carbs are not the enemy and they are actually very necessary for your body to function properly. If you overeat simple carbs such as cookies, cakes and chips then of course you might gain weight. Ultimately, weight loss or gain comes down to calories-in and calories-out. Simple carbs usually have more calories per volume of food than complex carbs.
Myth #3 - You can spot reduce.
Despite what your favorite influencer or celebrity has told you, you cannot spot reduce. The way your body stores and loses fat comes down mostly to genetics, and there isn't much you can do to alter your genetics. The good news is that you can focus on different areas of your body through strength training, again within your genetic make-up. If you want to grow your glutes you can focus on exercises that help build those muscles. However, if you are looking to keep your glutes but reduce the fat around your stomach you might not have much luck depending on your genetic composition. Fat loss happens as a whole, so once again this idea of spot reduction is just not true.
Myth #4 - You have to workout and eat 'clean' 100% of the time to see results.
Nah, despite popular belief this is wrong. We like to adhere to the 80/20 rule, 80% healthy, nutrient-dense foods and 20% indulgent foods. Fitness goes beyond just physical, it also includes mental and emotional. It is well-known that diets are usually not sustainable. You can make small changes to both your diet and workout routine and see results. Same goes for indulging, you will not lose your progress if you go out for pizza with your friends one night, if anything allowing yourself that room for indulging gives you the freedom and helps with your mental and emotional wellbeing. You are less likely to binge when you aren't restricting yourself and allowing yourself to enjoy all foods.
Myth #5 - You only have to workout to see results.
Unfortunately, this myth is just that, a myth. Of course there are some people that have been blessed with amazing genetics and seem to be able to eat whatever they please without any consequences, but that just isn't the case for most of us. Let's take it to the simple concept of calories-in and calories-out. No matter how much you work out, if you are in a calorie surplus it won't make a difference. If you spend an hour working out and burn 200 calories but you end up going over your calorie intake by 500 calories, you are still in a surplus of 300 calories. So if you are looking to lose weight then you have to combine food with workout.
Now, if we take it beyond the physical... not everyone works out to lose weight or alter their appearance and that is totally fine. Maybe you workout to stay healthy and active, to reduce your risk of heart disease or injury. If health rather than appearance is your goal then you should care about what you put into your body. If you workout to maintain your health but you go home and eat processed, unhealthy food majority of the time then chances are you aren't going to achieve the same level of health as someone that incorporates movement and focuses on the majority of their food being healthy, nutrient-dense foods that fuel their body.
Eitherway, food and exercise or movement go hand-in-hand.
Those are our 5 fitness myths busted. We hope you enjoyed this post, leave a comment down below if you did and be sure to stay tuned for next week's post !!
xx