As we head into winter, we all know that post-Chrismas and early in the new year, thousands will decide to lose weight and get healthy following the glut of the festive period. Many will be successful, and others will not. Mindset and preparation are crucial, but what is critical is getting the right advice.
This article will provide examples of why it is vital to source your advice from reliable people and why it is still essential to always query sources and change things up or test alternatives if required.
Five reasons good fitness advice is critical.
One – It can be dangerous to your health.
A primary concern is that bad advice can be dangerous if you get information from someone who is not qualified and does not know you or your background, underlying health conditions or family history. You are putting a fishing rod in the air amid a lightning storm and hoping for the best. Get good advice from professionals or find trustworthy sources for your information. It is essential to double-check information and remember everyone is different, so the advice might be partly right or designed for a man or a woman – Just take information and then draw your own conclusions. Question everything and use your own body to help judge the recommendations.
Two – It can cause injury.
Doing something because someone you know told you it was right is as much of a risk as playing football without shin pads. You won’t know when, but the chance is high that it will end painfully. Overworking a muscle or area of your body can lead to weakness in that muscle or other areas, increasing the chance of tears and injury. The best way to avoid injury is to develop and increase exercise at a controlled rate. This puts your muscles and soft tissue at less risk and allows your joints to strengthen and support your musculoskeletal system.
Three – It can lead to bad habits.
Bad advice can lead to bad habits. If someone has told you to do something in a particular way and you have always done it, then this habit is the norm, but what if the advice was initially wrong? This is the risk of unsolicited advice. Habits can be changed, and you can fix them, but it is worth considering this when you take advice at face value.
Four – Can be passed on.
Bad advice can be passed on if you have been doing an exercise a particular way and have yet to question it or see conflicting advice to challenge it. The result is that you could be giving bad advice to your family, friends and children. It is worth remembering that what works for one person may not work for another; other things, such as environmental factors, health and age, can affect the advice you give or receive. You should not tell someone they should be able to do 40 press-ups to be average fitness when that advice is for 28-35-year-olds, and they are 43. Advice like this skews perspective and expectations and could also seriously injure them.
Five – Hinder your development
Questionable advice can impact your development. What do we mean? Well, lousy advice may see you overworking muscles and could hinder your development. Advice like you don’t need rest days if you change your workout zones. Many lose focus when they do not see change, so getting advice that provides no physical improvements can be very negative.
How to Identify bad advice
- The workout is significantly more strenuous than expected, and you are uncomfortable.
- The workout is significantly easier than you expected. You find it too easy.
- Other trusted sources mention a different approach
- It goes against your better judgment.
- You have picked up a niggle.
- You feel indifferent about the exercise or challenge.
- There is no secondary dimension or progression with the advice.
So, what makes a person fit?
In simple terms, what makes a person fit is their ability to perform tasks with ease. Functional fitness is popular because it helps to support typical daily movements and centres around important muscle groups designed to support your body and joints. The purpose of training is to work your muscles to a similar point so that the activity is much easier when you are playing a sport or exercising. If you want to adopt healthy living, and if you want to know more, we cover it in this article.
How do I start getting fit?
Increase your activity. This is the first step to getting fit. Do not think that change will be fast; it is better to take your time. It gives you a smoother journey, and fitness takes time and effort over an extended period. If you are older, then you must also factor this in too. The best thing to do is to commit to getting out and about, walking, and running. Consider a home gym. You could attend a fitness class or get a taster at your local gym—anything to encourage change and interest in fitness.
Who to trust for fitness advice?
It is imperative to choose your sources well. Industry leaders like Men’s Health and Women’s Health are exercises and equipment; UK Fitness Company Mirafit is an excellent source for tips, videos and equipment how-tos; they show their equipment, but their approach is attractive, engaging, and well-established.
What did we find?
We outlined why you should use trusted sources for tips, information and advice. We looked at how bad advice can affect your fitness and what to look out for. We provided some information for potential sources and a few ways to increase your fitness. Remember that there are physical training Instructors trained to provide advice, so if you are worried, remember some consultation. If you like to give advice and are interested in becoming a Physical Training Instructor, online and in-person training is available from companies around the UK. We also helped you to identify bad advice, so this should leave you more prepared to avoid dodgy advice. Good luck, and enjoy learning about fitness.
