Debunking Health and Fitness Myth’s and Trends
05.09.2016

Debunking the Myths and Trends

Health and Fitness Myths and Trends

Do you find it hard to keep up with what’s good or bad for your health? Do you ever think you’re finally exercising enough only to read an article that says you’re not? Are your once favorite healthy foods now bad for you? Health and fitness is a big industry these day. Sometimes it’s very obvious when marketers have had a say in what lifestyle choice is being pushed down our throats on a given week. We’ve taken a look around and came up with three trends that may not stay around forever and three myths that are still doing the rounds.

Health & Fitness Trends

• Wearables & Biometric Monitoring Technology – Health and fitness trackers really seemed to blow up in 2014 and 2015. At one point, it seemed like there was no point in caring about your well-being unless you were wearing a FitBit, Jawbone, Vivosmart or a smart watch tracking your stats. Depending on the device worn, a person can track everything from their step taking to heart beat rates and sleep tracking as well as get reports on their pace, body temperature or respiration rate.Will this trend last? Maybe. Some wearables are expensive so users are unlikely to just stop using them after spending $100+. However, 50% of users lose interest within months of making their purchase because wearables don’t offer a lot of benefit, they can be cumbersome to wear or easy to lose. Plus, most people have smartphones which provide many of the same services.

• Boutique Fitness Classes – The truth is that exercising just doesn’t appeal to a lot of people. Going to the gym, the pool or pounding the pavement is a lot of work or simply boring for many. This is why classes and activities that are advertised to seem “exciting” or “communal” gain popularity. Often, these classes will be marketed as the “best form of exercise” or something similar. Examples include trampolining, aerial yoga and indoor surfing to more mainstream classes like spinning, Zumba and Pilates.

Will this trend last? There will always be a new hot sport or fitness craze but the ones listed above will likely fizzle. In fact, some already have. In 2015, Zumba dropped in popularity on the worldwide fitness trends list. Indoor cycling and Pilates disappeared from the list altogether. We can think of a few reasons why this happens: the people that tend to join these classes are not interested in a long-term commitment and these activities are eventually replaced with something new. When we make a fashion or a trend out of exercise, its popularity will only last a few seasons before people are on to the next thing.

• Paleo Diet – Over the past few years, the Paleo diets has been one of the most popular, finally reaching peak mainstream status in 2015. Celebrity advocates include Matthew McConaughey, Kobe Bryant, Miley Cyrus and Megan Fox. A Paleo Diet consists only of foods our cavemen ancestors had access to.

Will this trend last? Paleo Diets have been around for decades and there are apparent benefits including stabilized blood sugar, high energy levels and improved sleep quality. However, many followers drop off due to the restrictive diet’s lack of many essential nutrients. Many experts consider it one of the worst diets to follow. The diet will probably stick around but with an ever-changing follower base.

Health & Fitness Myths

• Only eat fresh fruit and veggies – Only produce bought fresh from the market or store is worth eating. Anything else lacks nutritional value.

Fact – Frozen produce is generally packed as soon as it’s harvested. This means nutritional values are at their highest. Fresh produce often has to contend with long journeys in poor conditions which can damage the food. Canned produce also retain high levels of nutrients. Fresh produce is best when it’s bought local and in season. However, frozen and canned produce with added salt, sugar or syrups should be avoided!

• No sweat means you’re not working hard enough – Your workout only provides a health benefit if you break a sweat.

Fact – Your heartrate is a better indicator of how beneficial your workout is. Not everyone sweats and not everyone sweats a lot whereas others get very sweaty from little exertion. Sweating is not an indication of how good your workout is.

• Crunches get rid of belly fat – Exercises that focus on one area can fight fat in that area.

Fact – Targeting one area or spot reduction does not work. Crunches alone will not get rid of belly fat. A combination of cardio exercises, lean proteins and healthy fats will burn belly fat faster. No harm in doing some crunches too though!

Feeling better about your health or fitness shouldn’t be a chore. If you ever need some extra support, come by BEFIT to speak with one of our trainers or simply fill out a Free Consultation Request by clicking the link and a fitness professional will reach out to you within 24 hours.