A myth is a widely held but false belief or idea. There are many myths when it comes to health and fitness. These include:
- Carbs are bad for you
- Fat is lost through sweat
- The longer the workout the better
- Weights make women bulky
- Workouts are better in the morning
The worst one I came across was in an online article titled ‘Top 10 fitness Rules’ and the first rule was you must work out on a Monday. I found it so funny because your body doesn’t know what time or day of the week it is. It only responds to your activity (or lack of it). This rule is part of the wider narrative of society that Mondays are the worst day of the week and are to be dreaded.
The reason these myths thrive is because people want to believe there is a secret shortcut to their goals.
The truth is there is no shortcut to your fitness goals. But that’s the point: goals are there to challenge you; to bring out the best in yourself in order to reveal your real talents that you may not have known you had. And above all, these challenges are to be enjoyed.
Throughout all the gimmicks and gambits in the industry, fitness will always remain honest. You get out what you put in. If you put true effortin, you’ll be rewarded. But it takes time and you must be patient. Therefore, it’s important that we are pace ourselves.
Therefore, it’s important to avoid the Monday Myth because it can lead us to a burnout. It’s okay to take a rest when you need it. The week comes around quick and sometimes we haven’t rested or ready for it. So, you have a lie in or take a Monday off the gym. Because it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. And there is plenty other days in the week to get on track.
The main message is not to be hard on yourself but recognise and reward your efforts. In doing so you might just dispel another myth of society:
Monday’s aren’t so bad.
Fitness in Your 30s 