Mar 29, 2018
Today's episode is all about the
5 fitness myths that just won't die. After 30 years in the fitness
industry, I keep shaking my head how the same old questions keep
coming up. How many times I’ve heard, "Heike, this is the latest
and the greatest. What do you think of this? I just read about it
on the internet."
So, today I compiled the 5 top fitness myths that just won't die.
#1 The corset/waist cincher
Now it’s called the waist
trainer, and when you guys tell me about these things that you come
across, of course, you ask, "Is this really
working?"
I didn't know what the waist
trainer was to tell you the truth. I had never heard of it. I've
written, a couple of years back, a blog on the waist cincher
because the same question had come up. So first of all, the waist
trainer is not shapewear (like the slips you wear under dresses to
make everything look smooth).
It's a thing that cinches you
in, like a corset. The promise of the waist trainer is that it will
make your waist inches smaller and support your back. It trains
your body to get the “hourglass figure.”
I just want to take my head and
just shake it violently, because all these claims are baloney. Now,
the fact is, if you suck it in, and somebody ties it in, of course,
you will look smaller. Now apart from appearing smaller, there are
medical issues that come with using a waist trainer. Christopher
Ochner who is a weight loss and nutrition expert at Mount Sinai
Hospital, and he says if you keep wearing these waist trainers for
extended periods of time it can cause crushed organs, compressed
lungs, and fractured ribs.
So ladies, please do not fall
prey to those celebrity claims, and buy into these weird
contraptions that some of them sell. Here's my fit tip for the
waist trainer or the lack thereof. You want lasting results, and
you want to look slimmer, fitter, trimmer? Here's what you do. Fit
tip number one. Spot training doesn't work, so start training all
over.
Diet and exercise. Exercise and the right diet will produce results in the long term and are sustainable. No fractured ribs or compressed lungs.
#2 Lifting weights will make you bulky
This one keeps coming up all the
time. Many women shy away from weights because somebody told you
that you'd get big muscles. Yes, there are a few exceptions for
women when they lift weights, they will get bulky because of their
body type.
Women our age can hit the weights, and it doesn't have to be big weights. Hormones play a significant role in muscle building, and women have much lower testosterone levels than men mean it is really hard to get “big.”
You also would have to eat mega amounts of
protein and lift extremely heavy. You know how I know that? I used
to be a bodybuilder. Yep, you heard correctly.
About 20 years ago, my friend decided that it would be a great idea to compete in a bodybuilding competition. We both were personal trainers at that time, and we knew how to train somebody to get fit and in shape, but we decided that, "What would we do if somebody came up and said, 'Hey, I want to be big. Show me how to get big bulky muscles?'"
I trained seven days a week for an hour and a
half lifting heavy weights. I also had to eat lots of broccoli,
tuna, beans, a little bit of rice, and lots of
water.
I got big muscles. I got compliments on my six pack. I dedicated my life to bodybuilding for three years. My kids can tell you about it, how I stood in the living room posing for hours, eating clean, bringing Tupperware to parties.
If you are intentionally lifting
and eating to gain significant muscle mass, then it is possible.
However, lifting weights with the idea to gain strength will
increase your metabolism and help you burn more calories. Strength
training also increases bone density and will help reduce the risk
of osteoporosis So, don't shy away from the weights,
ladies.
#3 Stretching before your workout will make you more flexible
The simple answer is no. This
debate has been going on forever since somebody coined the term
stretching I'm sure. There is one camp that says stretching is not
necessary. We should definitely not stretch before we work, and
some swear that stretching is the best thing ever, and others
totally ignore it.
But do we need to stretch at
all? Most of my clients stretch a little bit here and there. Some
more than others, but you need to know that there are two types of
stretches. A dynamic stretch and a static stretch. When you
stretch, you should feel the stretch, but you should not feel pain.
That's very important to know.
One of my friends is a physical therapist, and she always cautions about overstretching. Picture this: taking one of your fingers and bending it away from the palm of your hand. If you do this with me right now, you can feel a little bit of a stretch, but it's not like you're ripping out your finger. This is how your stretch should feel. It shouldn't be really, really hard and really, really bouncy, and aggressive.
I am also a running coach and my clients, my
friends when we run together; we warm up with dynamic stretching.
We're not just running around the track and warming up. We
reproduce similar movements that we will be using in the running
part of our training, but at a lower intensity.
So you start walking, and as you’re walking
faster, you start to do walking lunges or leg swings. This helps
warm up your hips, so you’re more prepared to run. This is the best
thing to do before you exercise, but if you like stretching before
you workout then keep doing it if it makes you feel good. But
always make sure to stretch after exercise. That's the best time to
gain flexibility. You're warmed up, and you have increased
circulation in your muscles and joints, that’s the best time for
static stretching to increase your flexibility. Hold them for about
45 seconds and definitely don't forget to breathe.
#4 All women gain weight during menopause
The simple answer is no. But
there are several factors to consider why many women do. For years
you've been working out and stayed on top of your nutrition, and
you’ve stayed lean and in shape. Then, out of the blue, those
strategies just aren't working anymore. I hear it all the time, "I
start gaining weight especially around my
midsection."
I have to agree that what I have
done is not working anymore, so over the years, I had to learn that
I needed to change my workouts. I was no longer a bodybuilder or an
ultra marathon runner, but I was working out, despite the fatigue,
the sleepless nights, the night sweats, or day
sweats.
The weight just kept creeping up
around the midsection, so I made changes to how I exercise, and how
I eat. Your body is now super sensitive to carbohydrates, and
fluctuation in blood sugar levels does occur. Your body uses
protein less efficiently than before, and building and maintaining
muscle is harder.
So, go back to myth number two
about weight training and lifting weights. It will not make you
bulky, because we're here now in menopause or perimenopause, and
you go, "I just can't keep the muscle mass on my body. I am getting
rounder in the midsection.”
Here's what I'd like you to
consider. Increase the amount of time you exercise from the
recommended 150 minutes per week (or 22 minutes per day) to one
hour per day instead. Your body will thank you for
it.
Eat a variety of vegetables that will keep you full. Kale, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, you name it. There's a ton of vegetables out there that are easily available, that you can throw into your diet, that will help with keeping the weight gain down during menopause. Eat high-quality protein. You have chicken, fish, beans, eggs, and protein powder.
It is a struggle; I give you that. We are all
in this together, but we can find a solution, and we can live
better with less weight gain, less sluggishness, and feel a lot
healthier.
#5 Walking with weights will burn more calories
Every couple of years, somebody
happily tells me, "Heike, I just got hand weights for my walking."
Oh, you know what? At the yard sale, they just sold those wrist
weights that I can now use when I'm walking.
The weighted backpack, or a weighted vest, has also become very popular. Here's what I was just asked recently. "But don't I work harder, burn more calories, and get more toned if I added just 3 pounds of weight in each hand to my walk?"
For every 10 pounds you add to your body weight while walking, so if you hold the 3-pound weights in each hand (6 pounds total), you only burn 5-8 calories per mile.
If you compare that to walking a quarter of a
mile, a 150-pound person burns about 20 calories. That's if they're
using the 10 pounds, but most of us don't.
Reality check, a glass of wine
has 125 calories. Do the math. How much more you have to walk with
weights, to get in a glass or two of wine. Now, what is most
concerning about this to me, is the risk, the load, and what stress
is caused by holding the weights on the different parts of the
body. Swinging the extra weight is wear and tear on the
muscles.
Instead try to walk faster, walk longer, walk up stairs or hills.
So, there you have it. The 5
fitness myths that just won't die. I'm sure they’ll keep coming
back over and over. Did you happen to come across other fitness
myths that just won't die, that I haven't thought
of?
Thank you for listening to the show. If you’re interested in more content like this, you might be interested in joining my private Facebook group, The Art of Igniting Your Spark, to continue our conversation of fitness, nutrition, and mindset.
So, thanks for being here and I'll see you next time. Ciao!