{"id":15643,"date":"2023-01-06T10:31:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-06T15:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vacayou.com\/magazine\/?p=15643"},"modified":"2025-02-03T05:04:31","modified_gmt":"2025-02-03T10:04:31","slug":"yoga-fitness-myths-debunked","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vacayou.com\/magazine\/yoga-fitness-myths-debunked\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10 Yoga & Fitness Myths Debunked"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We dispel some pesky myths around yoga and fitness to help you stay on track with your health goals.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a teacher of yoga for over nine years and a life-long fitness fanatic, I\u2019ve heard it all when it comes to excuses and myths. Many of these are stories told in our heads of limiting beliefs. You know, why we \u201ccan\u2019t do something\u201d or why “it\u2019s simply not for us.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m not immune to such stories. However, it is a long list of excuses more than they are reasons with rationale. On the flip side, there is also a slew of information out there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yoga and fitness information inundates us now more than ever with multiple streams of content and social feeds at every turn. Meaning, on top of our personal stories and limitations as to why not, it\u2019s increasingly difficult to decipher what is truth, useful or just plain click-bait and marketing hullabaloo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ten Biggest Yoga & Fitness Myths <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Below, we\u2019re determining some truths behind the top 10 yoga and fitness myths. No excuses anymore!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. You have to be flexible to do yoga <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m jumping in here to put the kibosh on this one. The intention of practicing yoga is to connect your mind and body creating inner balance and perhaps a spiritual connection with oneself.  Yoga, in essence,  has more to do with breathing than it does with your ability to put your foot behind your head. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aside from this fact, one starts yoga to become more flexible in their body, gradually building up to a healthy limber. Not start from the skillset of an acrobat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To debunk this yoga myth, stay focused on your breath, each footstep and movement as it builds. Allow each practice to be gradual, find breath in your postures and transitions and sync your movement with your inhales and exhales. Make time on your mat for even 20-30 minutes and you\u2019ll notice the difference in both your mind and your physical flexibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2. Workout at least five days a week for results <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ever heard the phrase or hashtag \u201cNo Days Off\u201d and thought, well that\u2019s too time-consuming and exhausting for me? Working out daily doesn\u2019t have to be the case to see benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, your body can benefit from a rest day or restorative practice instead of hitting the hard muscle grind on the daily\u2014overusing some of the muscles and groups of muscles in the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To debunk this fitness myth, trainer Melissa Kendter suggests adding yoga to the mix. \u201cYoga, stretching\u2026 an important part of progressing in your workout is keeping your hard days hard and your easy days easy, so that your body isn\u2019t being taxed.\u201d Believe it or not, working out is technically a stressor on the body. Hence, recovering from the stress requires a pause, break or \u201ceasy day\u201d to build itself back up to become stronger. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Exercise to burn off food <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The idea that you work out to burn off calories alone is one of the most strangled mindsets more around food and self-love than anything. That you earn food by burning it off simply isn\u2019t the way calories and your body composition work alone. There are so many factors that go into your weight, structure and build, including genetics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kendter shares, \u201cThere are so many things going on today that state \u2018you should do this, you should do that.\u2019 Nutrition is huge and it\u2019s so individualized\u2026eat what the Earth gives you: water, hydration, food. I try not to do any processed foods and avoid inflammatory foods.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a mindful tip: focus on the feeling of exercising during and after your workouts and adopt a mindful eating approach. Meaning, you\u2019re present in the moment nourishing your body rather than punishing or looking to earn food as a reward. It\u2019s healthier for the long-term. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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4. No pain, no gain <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Feel like you have to put yourself into torture mode to gain a benefit? Not so fast. While there are benefits to going slightly past your comfort zone to increase your physical and mental strength, feeling pain to any extreme doesn\u2019t equal success. For example, a strain on a muscle, tendon or ligament can set you back months or even years if a part of the body is overworked or not given proper recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think of the long-term effects and approach to this mindset as well. A sustainable workout that creates balance and works as a lifestyle habit is far more likely to maintain a routine over time, let alone your safety and being far less prone to injury. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Lifting weights will bulk you up <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAbsolutely not! Strength training should be the base of a well-built plan. What you eat and how you plan your strength sessions will determine the progress of your body,\u201d confirms Los Angeles-based Diego Calvo, creator of Nucleus Core Pro. Muscle does weigh more than fat. Yet muscle burns calories quite differently than fat in the body, or the lack of muscle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are different kinds of toning as well, including creating a lean muscle mass and build. This would differ in each body based on your current fitness regime, food consumption and genetic disposition. On the whole, lifting weights will not make you bulk up, especially if you\u2019re combining restarting stretch and proper rest and nutrition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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6. Yoga doesn’t burn calories <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Honestly, this was my mindset when I first started practicing yoga. I was bored and thought that it didn\u2019t burn calories like cardio and weights did so what was the point? Over time, I had proven myself wrong for having this rigid judgment and approach toward yoga. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Slowly, I noticed my body had more tone than ever before doing yoga alone for five days a week than when I was doing cardio and weights just about daily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another shift I know aided in debunking my personal yoga myths: mindfulness. Yoga helped me become more mindful in the exercises I was doing, paying attention to form and flow. I was more intuitive with the food I was eating, from true hunger and intuition compared to emotional eating and boredom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Always eat before a workout <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is a doozy of a fitness myth. Get your energy in before you work out! Or, not so fast.\u00a0 Poignantly stated by Miami-based Business Coach and Marketing Agency Owner, Anthony Mendez<\/a>, \u201cThis really depends. Number 1 is to always listen to your body. Is it hungry or not hungry?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Going back to that concept of mindful eating, checking in with yourself before eating on auto-pilot is crucial here. I prefer to always have something small in my stomach before working out. My choice picks are banana, peanut butter, yogurt or other fruit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Timing is another big factor in this, too. Are you working out in the morning, afternoon or nighttime? There\u2019s also consideration for food consumption and timing from a caloric level. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs long as you ingest as many calories as you need within 24 hours, you will be fine,\u201d adds Calvo. He goes on to say, \u201cThe way you structure the plan may change from individual to individual. A 2,500 calories split into four meals may have the same effect as a 2,500 calories split into three meals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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8. You can target certain areas of the body <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Contrary to fitness myth belief, you cannot single out one area of the body to tone and nix the rest. For example, doing abs every day and forgetting any cardio, glute exercises or upper back won\u2019t get rid of any love handles.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, try a total body approach working various areas of the body at once. And, switching up your days of doing upper body one day (say, arms and upper back), abdominals and cardio another, or lower body (glutes and legs) another\u2014switching off in the week to create an overall balance of the areas you\u2019re working to keep the entire system optimized and strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. You have to change up your workout routine <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

My number one recommendation for changing up your workout routine has little to do with efficiency. It has everything to do with keeping consistent. When you enjoy what you\u2019re doing for fitness, you\u2019re more likely to stick with it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Compare this to getting bored with exercise, where you\u2019re more prone to give up the habit after day 21 into the new year. Mendez wholeheartedly agrees, \u201cKeep in mind your muscles need a new stimulus, challenge and adaptation to grow. You\u2019ll want to change your program up after 4-6 weeks. This will allow your body to grow efficiently.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Try a new class, incorporate a new machine, join a group or enroll with a partner. Actually, why don\u2019t you sign up for an app that lets you take fitness routines with you no matter where you are in the world? This is ideal especially if you\u2019re a frequent traveler and would like to stick with your healthy lifestyle habit of a daily yoga or fitness routine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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10. Running is terrible for your knees <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s worse for your knees than running? Improper form. \u201cIf you know how to run properly, it won\u2019t affect your knees at all,\u201d says High Performance Master Life Coach and Former Professional Running Athlete, Chad Weller<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019ve been running 26 years and I\u2019ve never had anything happen to my knees.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Form is everything when it comes to exercise\u2014including yoga, weights, classes and especially running. Weller shares a helpful hint to adopt a healthy running form: increase your cadence, which refers to the number of steps per minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weller says, \u201cThe ideal cadence per minute is 180 steps. This means landing on your mid-foot, striking underneath you. Not landing on your heel first.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than limit yourself because of a fitness myth, start gradually with your running routine, scaling from 10 minutes or one mile per day to 30 minutes or 20 miles and beyond. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bonus tip: you need absolutely nothing to run, and it happens to be one of my favorite activities when visiting cities, hitting the pavement, getting lost and exploring while doing my body some serious cardiovascular good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overcome These Yoga & Fitness Myths<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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