Truths about Exercise: Dispelling Myths and Misconceptions by: Dwayne Wimmer

 Kelly McCauley, Assistant Manager at Vertex Fitness Personal Training Studio, explains the drive and passion of the education process at Vertex Fitness " We, at Vertex Fitness, believe the most important part of helping people achieve results is through the education we provide and dispelling the myths and misconceptions about exercise."

Myth #1 - It takes many hours of exercise to get results.

Truth – Science shows us that as little exercise as a few minutes a week will make noticeable and positive changes in the body, if done with enough intensity.  Exercise is a stimulus to the body, an overload to create change.  Any overload will cause the body to change. 

The Principle of Overload - The exercise science principle of overload states that a greater than normal stress or load on the body is required for training adaptation to take place. What this means is that in order to improve our fitness, strength or endurance, we need to increase the workload accordingly.

In order for a muscle (including the heart) to increase strength, it must be gradually stressed by working against a load greater than it is used to. (www.sportsmedicine.about.com)

Based on the principal of overload, one needs to do more work, or work at a higher intensity, then one’s normal workload to see benefits from the work being done.  There must be and increase in intensity, duration, frequency or volume.  If one increases the intensity, the duration, frequency and volume MUST decrease.

The new minimum exercise standards put out by many different governing fitness bodies state that to get benefit from exercise one must perform minimum of 30 minutes of low to moderate level exercise 5-7 days a week to see benefits.  The overload in this standard is increased duration, frequency and volume. We don’t have that much time to dedicate to our health.  So, people are not exercising.  If we look at exercise from the reverse point of view and overload our bodies by increasing the intensity, which demands that we lower the duration, frequency and volume, we can exercise fewer times a week and not as long and yield the similar results.

So, if you exercise (do work) even once a week for a few minutes as long as it is progressive (always increasing the intensity or work load) you would continue to see benefits from the work being performed.   

Spend less time exercising by working harder and smarter, get the results you are looking for and have more time for you.

Myth # 2 - Exercise alone will be an effective tool to lose weight!

Truth – This is one of the biggest myths, that exercise is an effective weight loss tool. It is not!  First, we have to know that body fat is the storage of extra energy that we have consumed.  Energy in the body is measured by calories.  There are 3,500 calories in one pound of body fat.  To reduce one’s body by one pound of fat, there must be a deficiency of 3,500 calories.  This means that a 130-pound person would have to walk or run over 35 miles to expend as many calories that are in one pound of body fat. That is over five miles a day for seven days.  Compare that to eating 500 calories less then you need to maintain your body weight every day for the same seven days.  As far as the reduction of body fat, the result is the same.  You will reduce your body fat, in both scenarios, by one pound.  The assumption is that the person doing the walking or running had been consuming a balance of calories to maintain their body weight, and continued so for the seven days they were walking or running. If the reduction of body fat is your goal, eating a balanced reduced-calorie diet is the most effective tool you have.  Adding exercise to the mix is excellent as well, as it burns a few extra calories, but is not the primary source of the deficiency.

Remember, this is only about the reduction of body fat, not about any of the many other health benefits of exercise.  Exercise is EXTREMELY good for us, but understanding the benefits and limitations of what we are doing is also very important.

Dwayne Wimmer is the owner of Vertex Fitness Personal Training Studio in Bryn Mawr. www.vertexfit.com.

When choosing an exercise program, most people decide to try a particular program or exercise because they heard of it on television, in a magazine article, or from a friend.  They hope it will help them get the results they want, but after doing it for awhile, they realize it’s not working.  Like the cliché, this is putting the cart before the horse.  

When I took a “Bait and Fly Casting” class in college in the Midwest where I was a Physical Education major, my teacher told me there are two kinds of flies: the kind that catch fish, and the kind that catch people.  When you go to the store or make your own flies (like we did in class), some look pretty and fancy to you or I, but to a fish they look as appetizing as a twig, and not like anything they would ever want to eat.  The fancy kind would not catch a fish, but it would get someone to spend money on them.  If you know what kind of fish you are fishing for, and understand the eating habits and environment in which those fish live, you can buy or make just the right fly to catch one.  The fitness industry is very similar.  There are many things out there that catch people’s attention and get them to spend money, but they are not the right thing for getting results necessarily.  Some, like our flies, look fancy, and are in an attractive package; but they really don’t do what is needed to change your body, and are not what exercise is all about.  If what you really enjoy is being outdoors in nature, then buying the fancy flies will work for you because catching fish is not your goal.  But if your goal is to catch fish, know what it is you need to get the job done.  If you like to socialize and have fun, doing the fancy things will also work for you.  However, if changing your body is what you are truly looking for, then choose what is proven to be most effective. 

Before deciding on and starting an exercise program, ask yourself a few questions: “What results do I want to achieve?”  “What will it take to get the results I am looking for?” “Are the results I want realistic?”  “Am I willing to do what it takes to get those results?”  “What limitations do I have that might keep me from getting the results I desire?” “What kind of commitment am I willing to give (time and effort)?” These and other questions that determine your motivation for starting an exercise program need to be asked before picking up a weight or buying your new pair of sneakers.

Some exercise is very productive; others are more recreational and fun.  Some take a lot of time while others are more efficient.   Know what you want out of a program and what it can offer before you decide on what to do.  The thought you put into doing that will make all the difference in what you get out of your exercise regimen.