Unfortunately, there are a lot of myths about exercise that can cause people to work out ineffectively at best, and unsafely at worst. But not to fear \u2013 we\u2019re here to bust some common exercise myths to help you work out smarter during your gym sessions!<\/p>\n
Lifting weights makes women bulk up.<\/strong><\/p>\n Many women may stay away from the free weights in a gym because they\u2019re afraid that their muscles will get too bulky. However, this just isn\u2019t true! Strength training is an excellent exercise option for women, and because women have large amounts of estrogen (as opposed to testosterone), it\u2019s difficult for them to amass a lot of muscle bulk, even when they\u2019re lifting weights.<\/p>\n Your weight is the only indicator of success.<\/strong><\/p>\n This couldn\u2019t be farther from the truth! There are plenty of reasons why the number on the scale shouldn\u2019t be the only metric you\u2019re paying attention to when you start a new exercise regime. For example, risk factors such as high blood sugar levels decrease after a few months of increased exercise \u2013 and those are numbers you\u2019re not going to see on a scale.<\/p>\n If you exercise intensely, you won\u2019t burn as much fat.<\/strong><\/p>\n According to an article from CNN, the more you exercise, you burn a higher proportion of carbohydrates \u2013 but you\u2019re still burning fat, too, contrary to popular belief. Low intensity workouts are a great option if you\u2019re looking for a low-impact exercise, but you shouldn\u2019t opt for low-intensity because you think you\u2019ll burn more fat.<\/p>\n You should focus on improving individual body parts.<\/strong><\/p>\n According to the CNN article, there\u2019s not much point in doing a zillion crunches in an attempt to reshape your abs, or doing any exercise to target a specific body part for that matter. You should instead focus on all-over body workouts to decrease the layer of fat that rests on top of your muscles.<\/p>\n