“Exercise culture is riddled with misconceptions, due to the constant evolution of science andInfluencers who share advice based on anecdotes and knowledge of the gym,” he said. Brad Schoenfeld, professor of exercise science at Lehman College told The New York Times and added: “Once those opinions spread to the public and become entrenched, they are difficult to change.”
In a report from the New York media, a compilation of popular myths of the world of physical activity and its corresponding demystification. With the participation of numerous specialists, the writer Danielle Friedman, author of “Let’s Get Physical: How Women Discovered Exercise and Reshaped the World,” a US bestseller on fitness training, developed a journalistic note about the main prejudices in the field of exercise and the gym.
Recent research has found that doing stretching before exercising is ineffective to prevent injuries and can even be counterproductive. This is because stretching a muscle for more than 90 seconds temporarily decreases its strength. The most effective way to exercise is to perform a dynamic warm-up; That is, a series of active exercises that get the blood flowing and tighten the muscles a little. Experts recommend leaving stretching for another time.
Weight is not always the most important thing. A significant body of research has shown that lifting relatively light weights for 30 repetitions is just as effective at building muscle and strength as lifting heavier-feeling weights for 5 to 12 repetitions.
Other investigations already disproved the idea that running increases the risk of osteoarthritis and even suggest that they can protect the knees against this disease. In fact, not moving increases the risk of developing osteoarthritis, along with age, weight and genetics.
“Walking is not enough to stay fit as you age”said Anne Brady, associate professor of exercise science at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, adding: “Beginning in your 30s, muscle mass progressively decreases, so you also need to focus on strength training. ”.
Finally, there are myths established even after physical activity. “Soaking in an ice-cold tub after a hard workout can seem like a savior against injury, as it helps reduce inflammation. But this has a problem. Not all inflammation is bad”, said Josh Goldman, associate director of the Center for Sports Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine, and concluded: “If you get into a cold tub after every workout, you could delay or stop the repair process. “When you exercise, you create helpful inflammation by strategically straining your muscles, and as your body recovers, it gets stronger.”
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