Working out and taking care of your body is always recommended for physical and mental health. Doctors, family and friends would always advise you to monitor how you treat your body by watching your eating habits and gatekeeping any strain that you might put on your body.
There are a lot of theories that people believe about exercising and not all of them are true. People have techniques that they think are the only way to exercise effectively and that nothing else works, and some people believe that not everything works for everyone.
Happiful, a health and wellbeing online publication debunked five myths that people believe regarding exercise. Here are they:
1. Exercise is an extreme sport
People have been made to believe that exercising means making a huge sacrifice of dragging yourself to the gym seven straight days a week and spending many hours there. It does not need to be that deep. According to the publication, at least 2.5 hours of moderately intense exercise per week is recommended, which can include a fast walk, biking, dancing, hiking, playing doubles tennis, or even pulling a lawnmower. It is also advised that 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity action each week can provide the same advantages, which can include jogging, swimming, aerobics, and sports such as football, rugby, netball, and hockey.
2. Exercise only works out your body.
As mentioned before, staying active is an important aspect of physical health, but it’s not limited to that. Long before you notice any visible physical benefits, such as muscle toning and weight loss, you will experience mental benefits, such as increased mood and manageable anxiety levels, alertness, high self-esteem, as well as stress reduction. These advantages are noticeable immediately and you may detect them from day one.
3. You need to look a certain way to be considered healthy
‘Healthy’ looks very different from person to person, and there is no valid way to assess a person’s health based just on their appearance. Many of us have assumptions about what a ‘healthy’ physique should look like based on chosen pictures in the media, which makes us conclude that there is only one way to look healthy.
Not only is this false, but it can also discourage people from seeking a healthy lifestyle since the image they have in their minds appears completely unrealistic. The truth is that two people can perform the same exercise and consume the same food and still look extremely different. We all come in many forms and sizes, and what is considered healthy by one person might be different for another.
4. Only heavy exercise is effective
Working out is not a one-size-fits-all. Intensive exercise is not suitable for everyone, especially people with impairments, mobility limitations, and chronic illnesses. The good news is that many workout routines can be altered, such as sitting yoga and low-impact programs.
You may even discover that going slowly is more successful for you since you’ll be able to fit it into your schedule and stay consistent, rather than burning yourself out with hard, demanding workouts that you’re not always up for. Furthermore, even if you only accomplish a 10-minute exercise, you are much better than someone who did nothing at all.
5. No pain, no gain
Not everything good you do for yourself should come with pain, especially exercising. The less pain there is, the more you are motivated to continue further and longer. You don’t want to break your bones and tear your muscles in the process of getting healthy. Find an activity and exercise that you truly enjoy. This might include anything from watching dancing tutorials online to playing playground activities with friends. Creating a healthy connection with exercise based on nourishment rather than punishment is critical.
Also see: Is drinking okra water healthy?
