As a person who pays particular attention to diet, and figure, of course, I spend much time finding out how to make my diet and workouts more effective. The amount of information I am exposed to is unbelievable! I guess it is the case for anyone like me. I do not personally mind venting through the huge amount of information to find the right one. However, what I find annoying sometimes is all the fitness myths I come across! Most of them do not make any sense to such an extent that I end up asking myself how people even came up with those theories.

1. Running on treadmill is better for the knees

This might not even have ever occurred to you, but surprisingly, this is quite a popular belief. Many people believe that running on a treadmill is somehow better for their knees than running on asphalt or a pavement. WebMD clearly debunks this myth by quoting an explanation from a clinical instructor. The later says that running will impact the knees, no matter where you do it because of the force which the body weight exerts on the joints while running.

2. Spot Reduction of Problem Areas

The only way for spot reduction to work is liposuction and that does not qualify as a workout by any means. When you exercise, you lose fat all over your body. There is fat loss from the different areas at different rates. The rate depends on your genetic makeup. Think about it. If spot reduction were indeed possible, why would people who work out still have lower-body fat or abdomens with big guts? It does not make sense.

3. Weight Training Is For Women Who Wish To Get Bulky

This only holds true for women on steroids. Otherwise, it is never going to happen. To get bulky, you need a huge amount of testosterone and as a matter of fact, no woman can reach the required level unless she takes steroids. But that is not the point. The fact is that the testosterone production by the average man is ten times more than the amount produced by the average women. This is why men can indeed get bulky through weight training, but not women. If your arms are heavy, it is an indication that you need to lose more fat.

4. Working Out More Will Make You Lose More Fat

Although this theory makes more sense than the previous ones, the whole picture is still blurred out. Only working out more will never make you lose more fat. You cannot even expect to lose more fat if you are working out more but at the same time consuming more calories than what goes out. Weight loss requires a balance between physical activity and calorie count. As long as you spend more calories than you consume, even a shorter and less strenuous workout will make a difference.

There are several other fitness myths which you must have come across. If you happened to believe any one of them, now is the time to check again. Men’s Fitness debunks seven of the biggest myths in fitness. Another place to discover more fitness myths, especially if you are a woman, is the Women’s Health Magazine- 13 Biggest Fitness Myths.