That Stair Stepper is not a psychic. Sure it does its best to assess the calories you’re burning, but these machines don’t know your body composition (some don’t even ask for weight or sex). What you’re seeing is a guesstimation that is subjective and can differ from machine to machine.
Myth #2: Women should stay away from weights because they’ll get all beefed up like a professional bodybuilder.
Strength training can benefit women as well as men. Muscle growth depends on the training stimulus, nutrition, recovery and individual factors. Becoming a professional bodybuilder requires much more than including ordinary strength sessions in your week.
Adult activity guidance includes strengthening the major muscle groups on at least two days a week. Additional muscle does use energy, but adding a few pounds of muscle does not justify promising hundreds of extra calories burned each day or several pounds of fat loss every week.
Myth #3: Heart rate monitors know exactly how hard you’re working.
A heart-rate monitor can be useful, but readings and their interpretation have limits. Combine the information with how you feel and, where appropriate, the talk test: moderate activity usually still allows conversation, while vigorous activity makes it harder. Neither a watch nor subjective effort is a perfect measurement of energy use.
Myth #4: Your weight says everything.
Step away from the scale. Weight is not the ultimate measure for fitness. Whether you see a change in the lb’s right away or not, a few months of increased exercise reduces risk factors such as spiked blood sugar and blood pressure. Working out makes you a healthier person overall.
Myth #5: Low-intensity exercise burns more fat.
Low-intensity and higher-intensity activities can both contribute to fitness. The proportion of energy coming from fat during a session is not the same as long-term body-fat loss. Total activity, food intake and a routine you can sustain matter more than chasing a single fat-burning zone.
Myth #6: No pain, no gain.
Who’s pleased to hear this one’s a myth? Um, that would be us. Feeling a bit of discomfort during a workout is good, but you shouldn’t feel like you’re in actual pain … ever.
Myth #7: Stretching totally prevents injuries.
Unfortunately sometimes injuries happen but you should always aim to warm up before you exercise and try to focus on some dynamic stretching also, which is where you practice a range of motions to help encourage movement.
Sources and further reading
The editorial corrections draw on the following public-health guidance.