| Tired of hearing confusing and misleading | | | | what you want. |
| advice from your friends or buddies in the | | | | |
| gym? Get the facts by reading this article | | | | "Some beginners - in their zeal to make up |
| and discover the truth about these | | | | for 20 years of neglecting their bodies - vow |
| long-cherished fitness myths. This will help | | | | to exercise everyday for the next 20 years. |
| you weed out worthless advice so you can make | | | | This is not a good idea. If you're trying to |
| the most out of your workouts. | | | | get fit, your workouts are only part of the |
| | | | equation; rest is just as important," said |
| 'Excessive sweating while exercising means | | | | Suzanne Schlosberg and Liza Neporent in |
| you're not fit.' | | | | "Fitness for Dummies." |
| | | | |
| If you're fit, the more you'll sweat. | | | | 'To build muscles, eat high-protein foods.' |
| Sweating is the body's way of cooling itself. | | | | |
| This mechanism improves as you exercise | | | | This myth appears to have originated with the |
| regularly. | | | | ancient Olympics. Early athletes thought they |
| | | | could acquire great strength by eating the |
| "As you get in better shape, your body learns | | | | raw meat of lions, tigers or animals with |
| to cool itself more efficiently. Blood is | | | | great fighting skills. |
| shunted to the skin's surface more quickly | | | | |
| via tiny blood vessels that dilate and | | | | While meat is a good source of protein, |
| radiate heat away from the body. At the same | | | | loading up on it won't make your muscles |
| time, the sweat glands increase their output | | | | bulge since the latter actually contain 72 |
| of a fluid-and-sodium mixture, which cools | | | | percent water and only 22 percent protein. |
| the body as it evaporates. While fit people | | | | Besides, most of us consume adequate amounts |
| produce more sweat than sedentary folks, they | | | | of protein from daily meals. Getting more |
| lose less salt, because more of it is | | | | from foods, powders or supplements won't turn |
| reabsorbed by the body's cells as it travels | | | | you into Arnold Schwarzenegger and may even |
| from the sweat glands to the skin's surface. | | | | damage your kidneys and liver. |
| The result: More copious and diluted sweat, | | | | |
| and more rapid cooling," said Royce Flippin | | | | "There is no scientific evidence supporting |
| in American Health magazine. | | | | the popular belief that athletes require |
| | | | massive amounts of protein-rich foods or |
| 'You should exercise everyday to stay | | | | protein supplements. Surveys show that |
| healthy.' | | | | athletes often consume four to five times |
| | | | their actual requirements. Yet there is |
| If God Himself rested on the seventh day | | | | absolutely no health or performance benefit |
| after creating the world, we mortals deserve | | | | from high-protein eating," according to Dr. |
| a break too. You don't have to exercise | | | | Ellington Darden in "The Health Robbers." |
| vigorously everyday to stay fit since even | | | | |
| minimal physical activity like gardening or | | | | To build more muscles, you have to lift |
| housecleaning can work wonders on your body. | | | | weights or perform some kind of |
| | | | weight-bearing activity religiously. In |
| In fact, experts say you can cut your risk of | | | | short, you have to work out instead of |
| heart disease, diabetes, and other ailments | | | | relying on the promises of protein drinks and |
| by 60 percent just by working out three times | | | | pills. |
| a week for 20 minutes. In between this, do | | | | |