6 Myths that Hurt Your Health Rather Than Help It
| 2 min read
We love a good health tip, but there are many popular ideas that aren’t actually true. Instead of making you better, these misconceptions could actually be hurting your health. Here are a few of the major ones you might be guilty of believing:
- The more you’re in the gym, the better. Rest days are critical to an effective workout schedule. Take off every other day if you’re a beginner and once a week if you’re an experienced exerciser.
- Skip meals to lose weight. Skipping meals actually makes most people hungrier throughout the day, leading to overeating. Periodic snacking or a light meal spaced throughout the day is the most nutritionist-approved plan for weight loss and overall well-being.
- Crunches are the exercise to shape up your abs. Newsflash: Crunches aren’t the best way to get a six pack. If you’re looking to shape up your midsection, try planks or bridges instead.
- Sleeping less will boost your metabolism. A recent study from the American Journal of Epidemiology showed that women who slept less than seven hours per night were more likely to gain weight because exhaustion triggers hunger hormones.
- A custom diet, not exercise, will help you drop pounds. Crash diets aren’t the best method for getting healthy and staying that way. Just because you’re losing weight doesn’t mean your body is functioning as it should. Exercise and healthy activities need to be equal parts of the process.
- Prescription medications are the most efficient way to alleviate stress. While some people require prescription-strength medication to deal with stress and anxiety, the average person does not need to pop a pill on a regular basis. Other alternatives are yoga, breathing techniques or other hobbies that help you work up a sweat (boosting endorphins, which make you feel better).
Want to learn some real health hacks that deliver results and others you should steer clear of? Keep reading:
Photo credit: vanhookc
