Hi guys! How’s your week going so far? I’m glad you enjoyed the 10-minute booty blaster workout yesterday!

Luckily my luck’s turning around as the week’s gone on.

I survived a trail run without running into a rattle snake or shattering my iPhone! Hooray!

I also stopped by Runners Roost, in Louisville, CO to drop them off the lovely gift of KINDness.

Runners Roost is a Colorado running store with 7 locations, and on Wednesday evening, they have drop-in group runs, followed by beer and snacks. How cool is that?! Oh, they also have pretty awesome gear. I picked up a couple NUUN’s for electrolyte powah.

In between outings, I got a lot of desk work done. Yesterday I was chatting with an online client, answering several questions she had about weight loss. Like so many others, she had been believing several fitness myths, and wanted some clarification. I can’t blame her – with the media, late night infomercials, and “fitness guru” bombardment of false information, it’s hard to know what’s up and what’s down in the fitness industry. At best, these myths can leave you frustrated in your fitness or weight loss journey, and at worst, can harm your health or leave you injured!

After talking with her, I thought of a couple additional popular fitness myths I’d like to debunk for you lovely people.

Before I go on, I want to emphasize that I’m being honest in the myths below; my goal is not to come across rude. If your numbers and doctors indicate you’re in a healthy weight range, trust them. And if your numbers don’t indicate that, please know that I’m not saying anyone needs to lose weight. That’s a very personal decision and most definitely not my call. I’m simply trying to help those who are trying to lose weight, and might be a little frustrated.

Myth #1

I’m overweight because the rest of my family is overweight.

AKA – it’s genetic. I hear this one a lot. This excuse is great because it takes the person saying it completely out of the equation. Their mother was overweight, ergo they’re overweight, too. Might as well not make it harder by eating a good diet and exercising, right?

Truth: Genetics determine the shape of your body. My mother is tall and has somewhat broad shoulders, and slim waist. So do I (I’m still unsure who I got my backside from!) You may have a tendency  to gain weight in the hips, but that doesn’t mean you have to.

People also have different genetic propensities than others do, meaning some people have a tendency to be more athletic or put on muscle more easily, while others have to work a little harder.

That said, bottom line is this: genetics don’t determine overweight-ness, lifestyle (and how many calories you eat) does.

Myth # 2

I need a great ab workout to get a flat belly.

Having a strong core is so very important and does so many things for a person. It gives you stability in the trunk to provide mobility in the distal joints. It improves posture. It prevents back and hip injuries. It’s the pathway to having good form on almost every other exercise. What it won’t do, however, is give you a slim or flat tummy.

Truth: to get rid of belly fat, examine what you’re eating first, and then seek out a workout program that will both cardiovascular and strength training components to decrease body fat.

Myth #3

I’m obese because I have a slow metabolism.

You’ve probably heard someone say that all they have to do is look at a donut to gain 5 pounds, blaming their metabolism.  However, it’s not that simple. While a slow metabolism could possibly make it more difficult  to lose weight – especially for a person who doesn’t have much weight to lose in the first place – a slow metabolism isn’t the reason they would be overweight.

Truth: NEAT, or non exercise activity thermogenesis is where the biggest portion of our energy is expended throughout the day. Examples of NEAT include cleaning, walking to and from places, cooking, running errands, etc. It’s basically any movement that isn’t a formal workout. Yes, workouts factor in there too, but NEAT is where we burn the biggest portion of calories throughout the day.

Additionally, a slow metabolism means something is off in the way hormones are communicating in the body, and it’s not something to be taken lightly. If you think you have a slow metabolism, I advise you to talk to your doctor.

Myth #4

Tough workouts are the best way to decrease obesity.

You spend a lot of time on your workout each day, with every workout ending with a red face and a good amount of sweat going on. You feel great – and like you just burned so many calories. Since you were able to check your workout off the list, that means the pounds should be shedding right off, right?

Truth: Think about what you do after your workout. Did your workout wipe you out so much that you’re just chilling and hanging out the rest of the day, barely moving? Refer to the Truth #3 above and NEAT. Additionally, it always comes down to what’s 100% backed by scientific data – which is the law of thermodynamics. You might be burning 500 calories in your workout, but if you’re inadvertently eating those calories back because of the raging hunger from your workout – or whatever reason – body weight will be maintained, or even increased.

Myth #5

I’m otherwise healthy and active, so being overweight won’t affect my health.

People who are overweight and active – whether it be through formal exercise or “playing outside” – move well and don’t let being overweight slow them down. A common misconception is that the extra body fat doesn’t affect their health at all. However, although it’s much better to be active than to be inactive, there have been a multitude of studies that have shown carrying excess weight affect the body’s hormones, organs,  bones and joints,  and sleep cycles.

On that token, those who are underweight (via calorie deficit) can also have disruptions in the symptoms above. If you think you might be underweight (or have malnutrition) please see a doctor or specialist.

-I’m going to end it here since this post is getting a little wordy, but man do I have more! Maybe a Fitness Myths Debunked part 2 post coming soon?

Do you hear any of these fitness myths often?

Any other fitness myths that you once believed?