With health and fitness being so accessible nowadays, it’s almost impossible to know what’s accurate and what’s just feeding into the hype. If you happen to be one of the people who still believe any (or all) of the common diet myths and exercise myths below, don’t feel too bad. After checking out the percentages, you’ll come to realize quickly that you’re not the only one. Hell, most of these had us fooled too! The infographic below, provided by FitRated, will help you understand some of the biggest diet and exercise myths out there today. They surveyed over 1,000 people across the United States about what they’ve tried, what they believe, and what might be confusing them.
You might find yourself rolling your eyes at a few of them, like diet soda being healthier than regular soda, but others? Man, they’re pretty shocking! For example, we’ve been under the impression our entire lives that it’s important to stretch before working out. Apparently, that’s all a bunch of smoke and mirrors. Take a look!
As you saw, 82% of Americans had heard that it’s important to stretch before working out and a whopping 57% believe it! FitRate explains that more recent studies suggest that stretching can actually impede performance rather than elevate it. Who knew? OK, how about running on a treadmill being better for your knees than running on pavement? Surely that has to be true. Nope, not in the least! FitRate insists that running anywhere can have its risks and should be approached with both caution and variety.
As far as the diet myths were concerned, it seemed more people heard them versus actually believing them, which, is a good thing! It’s one thing to have your workouts be put under a microscope, it’s another to have your dietary habits being picked apart. For example, while 3 in 4 Americans told us they’d heard both carbohydrates and fats could be bad for them, less than 1 in 4 actually believed it. That’s right, people, eat those avocados! They’re the good kind of fat, after all.
To read the full study, head on over to FitRated.
