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Fitness Myths Debunked! Five Myths Everyone Believes

By Mandi Mellen

Posted on May 10, 2017

There are a ton of fitness myths out there. It’s so easy to believe them, especially if your favorite celebrity, blogger, or even someone you respect, touts them as truth! I’m always surprised how many people still believe these fitness myths!

Myth: Running is bad for your knees. As a runner I hear this one all the time. Honestly, I just ignore it most of the time. People have always run! Sure, thousands of years ago it was to get places, to hunt, and for survival. A recent Stanford University study found that older knees of runners were just as healthy as those who don’t run. There was no difference! You do want to ensure that you don’t neglect the muscles around your knees, therefore strength training is important. Do it twice a week to build muscle around your knees.

Myth: You need to sweat for 45 minutes to get a health benefit. I think people believe this one because it gives them an excuse to not workout. Thirty minutes of cardio will give you great health benefits, as well as even 10 minutes. Short power workouts are all the rage. You really want to shoot for 250 total minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise a week. That is a great goal and extremely doable for anyone!

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Myth: Lifting weights will bulk you up. I’m still amazed when I hear women still buying into this. It is so false! Lifting weights is great and even if you work your way up to lifting 15 pound dumbbells, you’re not going to look like a female bodybuilder. You’re going to get lean and toned.

Myth: The more you sweat, the more fat you burn. Sweating and burning fat or calories has nothing to do with one another. Sweating is how your body gets rid of heat! Just think about how you sweat more if you’re working out outside during the summer, as opposed to the winter. Sweating really doesn’t have a correlation to the fat or calories you’re burning.

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Myth: You can crunch your way to good abs. This one surprises me. People still have not learned that crunches alone aren’t going to give you amazing abs. Sure, they’re good and they’ll strengthen your core, but there are so many other factors to getting good abs. You need the right balance of carb intake, interval training, as well as the right core training exercises. I love working in plank to my fitness routine. It really works your core and when working on your abs, you want to work your whole core, not just the surface.

There are so many more fitness myths! These are just five that I find to be completely ridiculous, but that people still believe. I love educating myself about fitness and my body. I also think that when you’re working toward your fitness goals, it’s always a great idea to re-evaluate why you do certain workouts and why you think certain ways. I’ve totally been guilty of believing fitness myths in the past!

Educate yourself and always question people’s fitness tips. What works for one person doesn’t always work for another. Remember, there is a lot of false information out there! Always do your homework before you tout something as truth!

Mandi Mellen is Lead Editor, Staff Writer, and Featured Vlogger at BuzzChomp. She’s an actress, writer, and producer. Get lost in her youtube comedy channel PillowTalk TV. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or Instagram