Let’s face it, everybody either wants to lose weight or gain
weight in order to achieve some form of fitness. You could be in either
category, it really doesn’t matter. What does matter is your motivation to
achieve your goals, and motivation is closely tied to the set of beliefs you
carry around with you as mental baggage when you work out. Unfortunately the
world of exercise and fitness is littered with a lot of beliefs that are
misguided and some patently false! Unfortunately a lot of people buy into these
beliefs and it negatively affects their efforts to achieve their goals be it
fitness, weight loss or muscle gain. These negative beliefs apart from limiting
you, can also act as a crutch to lean on and an excuse to not get off your ass
and give 100% effort. Today, I want to give your fat Ikebe a kick by destroying
some key myths that may be hindering your fitness progress or giving you an
excuse not to work out.
I want you to read this post and take a good, honest and
critical look at yourself, your motivation and your output. If you recognize yourself
as having fallen victim to any or all of these exercise myths, then now is the
time to reclaim your mind and shake off any mental baggage that might be
holding you back. I promise you that if you read this post, the five most
compelling yet false exercise ideas will be revealed to you and things can only
get better from there.
Thanks, and do have a lovely day!
MYTH 1: I can’t
afford to exercise
Reality: You don’t need
money to exercise
This myth really gets to me! A lot of people fall into the
trap of thinking they need money to get fit, well I have news for you my
friend, YOU DON’T! All you need to get fit is your two arms and legs and good
old gravity to help you. You do not need a gym membership or fancy equipment,
just put on your old trainers, and Jog! You can do pushups, abdominal exercises
and body weight squats with no other equipment but your own body, you can even
walk!(more on that later) Bodyweight exercises have been proven to be very
effective at burning fat, toning muscle and improving fitness and endurance,
all you need is the will power to start and sustain it.
MYTH 2: I will go to
the gym after I lose some weight
Reality: Stop being a
coward!
This is dedicated to the ladies; it’s good to be conscious of
your weight for fitness purposes. However when that leads to social fear and
paralysis, it has to go! Some people really want to go to the gym, they want to
lose weight and feel good, but they feel that they are so fat that they have to
diet and lose 10kg at home first before they head to the gym. Why? That’s what
the gym was created for in the first place! Friends, don’t let the media and
movies fool you into thinking that only sleek babes and muscular guys belong in
the gym. I’ve been there and done that, don’t be afraid that people will laugh
at you and judge you. It will surprise you that most will be friendly and
helpful, a few will laugh and that because they are stupid a**holes! Don’t let
them get to you, don’t worry about how large or skinny you are, just get in
shape. The more you work out, the better you will look and the more confident
you will feel and I assure you that no one will be judging you then.
MYTH 3: IF I’M NOT
SWEATING I’M NOT WORKING HARD ENOUGH
Reality: sweating is
not necessarily an indicator of exertion
Some people are under the false notion that you have to
sweat buckets to prove that you are really working out. While there is nothing
wrong with working up a good sweat, you must understand that you can actually
do more and sweat less. Case in point, try jogging when the weather is cold
i.e. hamattarn tor a very rainy day, chances are you will run faster, feel less
tired and sweat less while burning more energy at the same time. Research has
shown that the body burns more energy in a cold environment compared to a hot
one. If you are not convinced that sweating excessively is not a bad thing,
then try jogging at around midday, let’s see how it suits you!
MYTH 4: WALKING ISNT
GOOD EXERCISE
Reality: Walking is a
great form of exercise and can be effective at improving overall health
Back to the
walking issue as promised, some so called “experts” would have you believe that
walking is not an effective exercise because it lacks intensity of effort. While
walking may be at a slower pace than jogging or running, that does not make it
a bad workout. Walking provides numerous physical, mental and emotional
benefits. It is the oldest form of exercise and the ancients regarded it as “man’s
best medicine”. Walking has been proven to improve cardiovascular factors such
as cholesterol and blood pressure; protects against obesity and diabetes; and
protects against depression and dementia. The best part is that walking is low
impact, so is light on the joints and can be done any day and anywhere. It is
an excellent way to burn extra calories, and if you are not convinced its
exercise you should join my friends and I who walk 16km every Saturday! Calories
burnt; about 1100, time it takes; 2 hours.
MYTH 5: EXERCISE DOESN’T WORK FOR ME
Reality: that’s just rubbish!
Exercise has
been tried and tested and it’s an integral part of any weight loss, muscle gain
program. It works, it’s just that simple, however there are those individuals
who believe that exercise is not for them and that they can’t gain muscle or
lose weight no matter what they do. If that is you, you might be a victim of
unrealistic expectations. A lot of people, especially novices who have never
tried an exercise program, start with unrealistic expectations. They buy into
programs that promise 10kg weight loss in one month, or abs in 6 weeks and when
this doesn’t happen discouragement sets in. some start too hard, to fast, get
injured or burned out and just give up. There is a final group that’s works out
diligently without result, if you are in this group check your lifestyle
choices outside the gym. What you eat, drink or do could be having a negative
effect on your efforts. A bucket of ice cream after working out will not help
you develop abs of steel my friend!
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