People are encouraged to pay closer attention to their fitness. One’s optimal health and overall wellbeing is important and it can be achieved through diet, exercise, sleep and good lifestyle habits. As individuals go along their fitness journey, they are bombarded by several myths that seek to derail them, whether it be from the internet, media, family or friends. Some of these myths really put a spoke in the wheels of those who believe them and negatively impact their choice to live a healthy life. Well, what you will read here is sure to debunk five misconceptions you may have. 

1. Using A Fat-Burning Belt Gives Amazing Abs

Many people struggle with belly fat and look for a quick fix by wrapping a belt around this problem area and waiting for the fat to melt away. Some belts are worn for a couple minutes every day, while others have to be worn during exercise. These belts shrink your body cells by removing water from them, giving the appearance of temporarily flat abs or stomachs. However, the fat is still in the body. With time, the cells rehydrate and take on their previous form. The abdominal area sweats with the belt on because of the loss of water, not because the fat is melting away.

2. Exercising On Evenings Interrupts Sleep Patterns

It is believed that exercise at night causes the body to release adrenaline which keeps the brain active and this should be avoided as part of good sleep hygiene. However, researchers have found that nighttime exercise did not have a negative effect on sleep. Rather, it made people fall asleep more quickly and spend an extended time in deep sleep. It is recommended that strenuous physical activities late in the evening about one hour or less before bedtime be avoided because some people take a while to fall asleep.

3. Exercise Can Result in Preterm Labor

During pregnancy, many women are apprehensive about exercising and maintaining a fitness routine since they believe the myth that exercise can induce preterm labor. Several athletes train and compete while they are expecting and carry their babies to term. In fact, studies have found that healthy pregnant women who engage in physical activity during their pregnancy carried them to term and had normal deliveries. It is recommended that expectant mothers engage in aerobics at a moderate level for a minimum of 150 hours per week. They can also engage in brisk walks, water workouts and modified Pilates.

4. Eat Whatever You Want But Work Out

Many people are of the misconception that they can eat whatever they want as long as they hit the gym. These people eat lots of junk food and unbalanced meals while holding on the fallacy that they will burn out all those extra calories. The truth is that oftentimes, people consume more excess calories in a day than they can burn at the gym. Those calories stick around for a while and they begin to believe that the bathroom scale tells lies.

5. Running Can Cause Osteoarthritis

Many people believe that long-distance running wears down the cartilage in the knees and may eventually result in osteoarthritis. This degenerative disease causes persistent discomfort and causes mobility restrictions. While running is a high impact activity that places some pressure on the knees and ankles, researchers have revealed that runners didn’t have a higher incidence of knee osteoarthritis than non-runners. Running decreased the incidence of osteoarthritis, according to research looking at the relationship between osteoarthritis and running.