There are many myths out there about what works and what does not as far as fitness is concerned. What is the most ridiculous myths you have heard with regards to diet and exercise?
The most ridiculous for me is when overweight people say they have to do more exercises for their gut in order to get the six pack they want around their midsection - wrong! Try losing some fat around the midsection and then you will see the six pack. This can be proven with people that do not even lift weights but are slim - you can usually see their abs.
Concerning myths about dieting, I love those infomercials that tell you that you can eat anything that you want and will still lose weight, all that you have to do is buy and take their 'magic' pill(s). Also, I once heard of a diet where you were supposed to eat protein most of the day, except for 1 hour every day, you could eat anything you wanted to, anything, and still lose weight. Ha! That defies the laws of biology, chemistry, and nutrition, in my opinion.
As far as myths about exercise, I find the infomercials that advertise a certain piece of exercise equipment which should change your entire body, even though it only targets certain areas, hilarious. The fit and tone bodies, also muscular at times, that are shown that demonstrate the results from using the equipment are obviously completely false advertisement, in my opinion. It is so unreasonable to think that those people got those bodies from the sole use of the product, but rather from a variety of training and hard work aside from the use of the piece of equipment. The folding lounge chair that assists someone in doing sit-ups is a great example of this. If you haven't seen it, it looks like a lawn recliner that you lay down on. It has handles on the side of it by your head that you hold on to and use to do sit-ups. The abs of the women shown are clearly not obtained through the use of the equipment alone. I will concur that any exercise is better than no exercise, though.
My favorite is the one that my mother used to tell us as children. You cant go swimming until 15mins after you ate. I always asked her why, but she could never tell me a good reason. Definitely, this one was a urban legend.
Just a thought,
Vincenzo
Well actually there is some truth in not going swimming after you eat...
1. It takes a lot of motion to stay afloat which could lead to upset stomach or improper digestion
2. Since digestion takes the most resources from your body, including blood you do not want to be caught in a precarious position while swimming where you do not have your body's full potential.
However, the recommended time to approach any vigorous activity after eating is at least one hour to one and a half hours.