Exercise items and intensity vary from person to person
At present, many people know little about scientific exercise, or have misunderstandings about exercise. They often adhere to wrong exercise habits for a long time, which makes it difficult to achieve the expected exercise effects and even causes damage to other aspects of the body.
Myth 1: Exercise on an empty stomach is harmful to health
Studies have proven that moderate exercise, such as walking, dancing, jogging, aerobics, cycling, etc., 4-5 hours after meals (i.e. on an empty stomach) can help lose weight.
This is because no new fatty acids enter the body at this time, making it easier to consume excess fat, especially postpartum fat. Therefore, moderate exercise on an empty stomach has a better weight loss effect than exercise 1-2 hours after a meal.
Myth 2: Only sweating is effective
There are two types of sweat glands in the human body: active and conservative. The secretion of sweat is closely related to genetics. Therefore, whether you sweat or not is not a measure of whether exercise is effective.
Myth 3: The greater the intensity, the better the effect
Research shows that body fat loss depends on the length of exercise, not the intensity. When exercise begins, the first thing that is consumed is glucose in the body, and then fat begins to be consumed.
Vigorous exercise often cannot ensure that the physical strength can persist to the stage of fat consumption, so fat consumption is not large and the purpose of weight loss cannot be achieved. Only slow, steady and sustained aerobic exercise can consume more calories and achieve the purpose of weight loss.
Myth 4: Keep exercising despite being sick
This is a most dangerous misconception. If you feel unwell, you should stop exercising or reduce the amount of exercise, otherwise it will aggravate the condition and prolong the duration of the disease.
If symptoms such as dizziness, chest tightness, chest pain, shortness of breath, etc. occur during exercise, you should stop all activities immediately and do not hold on or wait, especially middle-aged and elderly people, to prevent sudden death caused by exercise.
Misunderstanding 5: Exercise is enough, the form doesn’t matter
You should choose an exercise program that suits you based on your physical health and physiological stage. Patients with chronic diseases are best to consult a doctor before exercising.
People with osteoarthritis and degenerative changes in the knee joint are not suitable for mountain climbing, stair climbing, squatting and other activities; patients with high blood pressure and heart disease are not suitable for excessively strenuous exercise.
Myth 6: You will gain weight if you stop exercising
It’s true that some people gain weight after they stop exercising. But the key to gaining weight is to still eat the same amount of food after stopping exercise as when exercising. When the caloric intake is greater than the consumption, obesity will naturally occur.
After you stop exercising, reduce your food intake accordingly and you will not gain weight.
Misunderstanding 7: If you are thirsty during exercise, drink water quickly or hold back without drinking.
When you feel particularly thirsty, it means your body is already dehydrated. Even during exercise, you can properly replenish water to prevent physical exhaustion.
Drink water in small sips and swallow slowly, not too much at a time, and the water should not be too cold. Pay attention to hydration before, during and after exercise.
Misunderstanding 8: Stop and rest immediately during strenuous exercise
During strenuous exercise, a person's heartbeat speeds up and capillaries dilate. At the same time, the rhythmic contraction of muscles squeezes small veins, prompting blood to flow back to the heart quickly.
If you stop and rest immediately at this time, the rhythmic contraction of the muscles will also stop. The large amount of blood that originally flowed into the muscles will not be able to flow back to the heart through muscle contraction, resulting in a decrease in blood pressure, temporary ischemia in the brain, and causing palpitation, shortness of breath, and dizziness. Symptoms include dizziness, pale complexion, and even shock and fainting.
Therefore, to avoid stopping exercise suddenly, you can slowly reduce the frequency and intensity of exercise and do some stretching.
Misunderstanding 9: Take a bath immediately after exercising a lot
After strenuous exercise, in order to maintain a constant body temperature, the human body dilates blood vessels on the skin surface, enlarges sweat pores, and increases perspiration to facilitate heat dissipation.
If you take a cold bath at this time, the blood vessels will immediately contract due to sudden stimulation, the blood circulation resistance will increase, and the body's resistance will decrease at the same time, making people prone to illness.
Taking a hot bath will continue to increase the blood flow in the skin. Excessive blood flow into the muscles and skin will lead to insufficient blood supply to the heart and brain. In mild cases, it will cause dizziness, in severe cases, collapse and shock, and it can easily induce other chronic diseases.
Therefore, after exercise, it is more appropriate to give your body some time to relax before taking a shower.
Myth 10: Drinking alcohol after exercise to relieve fatigue
After strenuous exercise, people's body functions will be at a high level. Drinking alcohol at this time will cause the body to absorb alcohol into the blood faster, and the harm to the liver, stomach and other organs will be more serious than usual.
Ethanol requires the liver to break down and consumes a large amount of vitamin B1, aggravating muscle soreness after exercise. Drinking alcohol after exercise is never advisable.
Myth 11: Taking a walk after a meal will prolong your life
The old man often said, "If you walk a hundred steps after a meal, you will live to be ninety-nine." If you move more after meals, your digestive system will run more smoothly, which will help with digestion and better absorption of nutrients.
However, people with liver disease or other gastrointestinal diseases should lie still for at least half an hour after meals before moving around. Even healthy people should rest for a while before exercising.
Myth 12: You should replenish water after exercise
You sweat a lot during exercise, and your body's need for water increases accordingly.
When replenishing water after exercise, you should pay attention to: drink between 150-200 ml each time, replenish every 20-30 minutes, and the total water intake per hour should not exceed 600 ml.
Myth 13: Doing a lot of high-intensity exercise from the beginning
Sudden large-volume, high-intensity exercise makes it difficult for the body to adapt, causing severe fatigue and body aches. It can also cause tendon and muscle strains, and even sudden death during exercise.
The correct method of exercise is: start with a small amount of exercise, a small amplitude, and simple movements, let the body adapt to it for about half a month, and then gradually increase the amount of exercise and enhance the intensity of the exercise. The movements should also proceed from easy to difficult, step by step.
Myth 14: Morning exercise is better than evening exercise
People's blood cohesion is high in the morning, and the risk of thrombosis increases accordingly. It is the peak period for heart attacks.
On the contrary, dusk is an ideal time for physical activity. At dusk, a person's heartbeat and blood pressure are most balanced and are most adaptable to changes in heartbeat and blood pressure during exercise; the sense of smell, hearing, vision, and touch are the most sensitive, the human body's stress capacity is at its best throughout the day, and the body's ability to resolve blood clots is also at its highest. Best level.
Therefore, evening exercise should be better than morning exercise.
Myth 15: Muscles will not atrophy even if you stop exercising
A few weeks after stopping exercise, the tissues in the body begin to change, muscles gradually atrophy, and fat begins to grow due to reduced caloric consumption. Therefore, exercise is not a one-and-done thing.
Myth 16: One type of shoe fits all sports
When choosing sports shoes, you should pay attention to their functionality. Different shoes should be worn for different sports. Shoes should fit well and be comfortable. The anti-shock air cushion of sports shoes can reduce joint pressure and provide safety protection for the body.
Myth 17: Exercise accelerates knee joint degeneration
It is natural for the knee joint to undergo degenerative changes as we age, but it would be a mistake to stop moving completely as a result.
People who do not exercise are prone to osteoporosis, muscle atrophy, lack of agility and coordination, and reduced physical fitness. Just choose the appropriate exercise program based on your own knee joint health.
People with knee joint disease should try to reduce weight-bearing, long-distance walking and long-term standing, and should not practice running, jumping, squatting, etc.; it is best to choose sports that do not damage the knee joint, such as swimming, cycling, walking, mat movements, etc. .
In fact, no matter how long you exercise or what kind of exercise you do, as long as you can achieve your exercise goals, exercise is successful.
