11 fitness 'truths' that are doing more harm than good

Whether you want to tone up, slim down, or give yourself a mood boost, you've likely taken a stab at tweaking your fitness routine.Unfortunately, there's a lot of "fitness" advice out there that won't help you meet your goals and could actually be doing you more harm than good.For example, which matters more for weight loss: exercise or diet'Are marathons the best way to get fit'The answers to these questions might surprise you.Have some we missed' Send them along to science(at)businessinsider.com.UP NEXT:Here's the best time of day to work out to lose weightRELATED:We talked to an exercise scientist about whether diet or exercise is more important for weight loss, and his answer surprised usExercise is all that matters when it comes to losing weight fast.Wrong.In the short-term, the bulk of research shows us thatdiet is far more importantthan simply upping your workout regimen if you want to startshedding pounds."Studies tend to show that in terms of weight loss, diet plays a much bigger role than exercise," Philip Stanforth, an exercise scientistat the University of Texas and the executive director of the Fitness Institute of Texas, told us.Over the long-term, though,research suggeststhat regular workouts do become more importantfor staying fit. "When you look at people who've lost weight and are also managing to keep it off, exercise is important," said Stanforth.Weight training will turn fat into muscle.Nope. Lifting weights won't magically make your flab lean. Unfortunately, body fat cannot become muscle. But weight training will help you build muscle tissue, which will thicken underneath any fat above it.Early morning is the only time you should work out.The afternoons or evenings are likely nearly as good for you as early-morning workouts, according to several studies.But some research suggests that working out first thing each day helps speed weight lossand boost energy levels by priming the body for an all-day fat burn.Plus, getting more daylightmayplay an important role in shedding pounds.By making sure wealign our internal clocks, or circadian rhythms, with the natural world, we may help give our metabolisms a boost. One recent study showed that people who basked in bright sunlight within two hours after waking tended to be thinner and better able to manage their weight than people who didn't get any natural light, regardless of what they ate throughout the day.See the rest of the story at Business Insider NOW WATCH: 5 scientifically verified ways to appear more attractive
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