Fitness
Fact or Fiction

Fact: Exercise doesn't have to be strenuous to be beneficial. Studies show that moderate physical activity - such as half an hour of brisk walking, swimming and even gardening – on most days of the week can help fight off heart disease and lower your risk of diabetes and some cancers, among other health benefits.

Fiction: Even if you wanted to get bodybuilder-type muscles, a woman's genes make it nearly impossible. The average women does not typically gain size from strength training because females don't have the amount of hormones necessary to build massive amounts of muscle. Even men have a tough time gaining muscle and it’s something you have to work very hard to achieve, male or female. However, weight training is one of the best ways to stay slim. Strength training burns calories post-workout, and as you build muscles, you burn more calories throughout the day. Also, muscles work miracles on your metabolism. For every pound of muscle you add, you automatically burn an extra 35 to 50 calories a day.

Fiction: First, there is no such thing as "lower abs". Actually there’s only one long muscle called the rectus abdominis that extends from below your chest to your pelvis. To work your abs, you should do exercises to target all four muscles: the rectus abdominis, internal and external obliques and the transverse abdominis. Second, spot-reducing doesn't work. If there's a layer of fat over your abdominal area, you must reduce the fat to see the muscles. Spend more time burning fat with a cardio activity such as running.

Fact: Intense exercise can actually suppress your appetite, at least for awhile. Exercise also helps you control your appetite by making you more aware of how your body feels. You can focus on giving your body what it needs – not more than it needs.

Fiction: Many people use muscle soreness as a gauge of how effective their workout is. However, muscle soreness is caused by tiny tears in the muscle fibers and, while some soreness is expected if you regularly change your program, being sore for days after your workout most likely means you overdid it. If you're sore after every workout, you're not allowing your body time to recover, which is when you experience the most muscle growth.

Fiction: Building muscle involves using enough weight to challenge muscles beyond their normal levels of resistance and eating more calories than you burn. According to the American Dietetic Association, muscles work on calories so you need all three types of nutrients – carbs, protein and fat. For muscle mass, you should incorporate a healthy eating plan as well as a workout that combines cardio exercise as well as strength training.

Fact: They are two completely different forms of tissue. The origin of the myth lies in what actually does usually occur if you stop exercising. When muscles are no longer regularly asked to work at an accustomed level, they atrophy or shrink. Meanwhile, without the fat-burning attributes of cardio-vascular exercise, if you increase your caloric intake, you'll gain body fat.

Fiction: Any exercise is better than no exercise, even if it's only a 15 minute walk. The general rule for weight loss, however, is to do cardio 5 times a week for 30-45 minutes as well as weight training 2-3 times a week. If you simply don't have the time to workout that much, do as much as you can. Strive to do something active each day. Have fun with your workout by joining a YMCA to incorporate group exercise into your daily routine.

Fact: Don't wait until you're thirsty before you drink water. Parched mouth, dark urine, lightheadedness, fatigue, cramps, loss of co-ordination—the symptoms tell you when you're dehydrated. Serious dehydration can be dangerous, even deadly. To prevent dehydration, drink 8 oz of water just before starting your workout and 8 oz roughly every 15 minutes during. Then top off with another 8 oz afterwards.

Fiction: This is what happens when you starve yourself - your metabolism slows down; you become lethargic; you have no energy to do anything. Your body actually will recognize this as a famine situation and will start to store fat. Try and eat several (5-6) small meals (small, healthy snacks are considered meals) a day. This will keep your metabolism high and you will also continue to burn fat throughout the day.