Information about the proper way to exercise is everywhere, so separating the exercise myths and facts can be a little tricky. You may have heard a few things about exercise that just aren’t true and may make your exercise routine less effective overall. To help with your weight loss efforts after bariatric surgery or during your medical weight loss program, here are some common misconceptions about exercise and some facts to help you lead a healthier, happier life.
- It’s best to stretch before your workout:Research has shown that this isn’t quite correct. In fact, stretching after your workout, when your muscles are warm, will give you greater increases to your flexibility than stretching cold, which could actually cause injury to your muscles.
- Exercise before bed can help you fall asleep: Because exercise elevates your body temperature and stimulates you, exercising close to bedtime can actually make it harder for you to sleep. Sleep experts insist that exercising in the three hours before you hit the hay is a bad idea—you should try to work out earlier in the day, as the fall in body temperature five to six hours after exercising can make it easier to sleep.
- Fat can be lost from individual parts of the body: Don’t try to focus on the one area of your body that you’re hoping to slim down the most. Just focus on burning calories, which will reduce fat everywhere. Targeting specific spots doesn’t work, and concentrating on one area of your body can cause you to neglect other important areas.
- If you aren’t losing weight, your exercise isn’t working: It can be hard to see the effects of exercise in the short term, but that doesn’t mean your workouts aren’t helping. Regular exercise strongly contributes to overall health and a lower risk of stroke and heart disease. Don’t give up on an exercise routine just because the numbers on your scale aren’t dropping dramatically each and every day.
- As long as you get your workout in, being lazy the rest of the day is fine: Even if you get your ideal amount of daily exercise, research shows that being sedentary for long periods of time can increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and even cancer. Try to spend less time on your butt, regardless of how long you spend working out. This could mean getting up to walk around more at the office or even just cutting down on how long you stay parked in front of the TV each night.
After your weight loss surgery, or during your medical weight loss program, exercise can boost your weight loss results and improve your overall health and wellbeing. Do your research and talk to your doctor about the best ways to exercise.
Call us today to learn more about exercise myths and facts that may be impacting your exercise routine. Reach our Guntersville office at 256.571.8734 and our Albertville office at 256.840.5547.
If you are just beginning your weight loss journey visit our Bariatric Surgery Guide page.
