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Physical activity and associated myths – here’s everything you shouldn’t believe

July 10, 2018

If I feel pain it means that I’m training well; the sweatier, the slimmer; to waste away the bacon I just have to make many abdominals; at a certain age it is better to refrain from physical activity: All false. The Istituto Superiore di Sanità wanted to warn Italian citizens against the so-called “myths” regarding physical activity. Professor Daniela Lucini, Head of the Section for Exercise Medicine and Functional Pathologies in Humanitas, also spoke on the subject.

 

Age doesn’t count

Moving is good for older people in particular. Physical activity is not a matter of age and you are almost never too old to do it. Of course, it is important to calibrate the quantity, duration and correct level of fatigue. Movement is the best way to guarantee quality and quantity of life at any age: it not only distances stress and depression, but it also helps memory and keeps you awake and receptive. What if there are pathologies in progress? “It depends on pathology to pathology and patient to patient, – explained Professor Lucini – the exercise is like a drug: if used well and with the right prescription it helps, otherwise it risks being harmful. Those who suffer from pathology, must understand their situation with the doctor and consequently the right type and amount of physical activity: it is demonstrated by many studies that physical activity is therapeutic, provided it is the right one. In this sense, the alliance with the family doctor is fundamental, we need to evaluate the patient, establish the correct clinical objectives and define the type and amount of exercise needed.

 

The important thing is to be constant

“Exercise must make you feel good,” said Lucini, “if you feel pain after physical activity, something is wrong. It is normal that the first time you resume physical activity, after a period of sedentariness, there is some muscle pain, but in the rule physical exercise should not be associated with pain. This contradicts the mistaken belief that in order to benefit from physical activity you must feel pain or that it is important to get tired so much but that, at the same time, staying inactive for long periods, is not a problem. Sweating is no guarantee of slimming, just as making so many abdominals does not reduce your belly. The abdominals are used to strengthen the muscular wall and can be useful, but if you want to lose the belly, which is adipose tissue, you must devote to aerobic activity (walking, running, swimming and cycling) that helps to dispose of abdominal adipose tissue and regulate nutrition. To lose weight in general, it is necessary to dedicate yourself to an endurance aerobic activity (walking, running, swimming and cycling) initially at a moderate intensity, to which you must add an activity that strengthens the muscles (small weights, abdominals, bending, cars in the gym). “Sweating in itself only means losing liquids and if you do physical activity of a certain type and a certain intensity you sweat a lot – concluded Lucini – However, it should be kept in mind that to lose weight you don’t need to do too intense activity, because doing so does not necessarily mean that the metabolism starts to use fat. Keep in mind that proper physical activity makes you sweat a bit, but not in an exaggerated way. The secret, however, lies in constancy: it is necessary to do activities almost every day for a sufficiently long period: about an hour and continuity is required rather than excessive fatigue once in a while”.

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