Myth 1: To stay in shape, you only need to work out once or twice a week.
Truth: Once or twice a week won't cut it for sustained health benefits.
"A minimum of three days per week for a structured exercise program" is best, Shawn Arent, an exercise scientist at Rutgers University, recently told Business Insider.
"Technically, you should do something every day, and by something I mean physical activity - just move. Because we're finding more and more that the act of sitting counteracts any of the activity you do."
Myth 2: The best time to work out is first thing in the morning.
Truth: The best time for a workout is whatever time allows you to exercise most consistently. Ideally, you want to make physical fitness a daily habit, so if late-night trips to the gym are your thing, stick with it. If you prefer a morning run, do that instead.
Don't have a preference? Some research suggests that working out first thing in the morning might help speed weight loss by priming the body to burn more fat throughout the day.
Myth 3: Exercise is the best way to lose weight.
Truth: If you're looking to lose weight, you shouldn't assume that you can simply 'work off' whatever you eat. Experts say slimming down almost always starts with significant changes to your eating habits.
"In terms of weight loss, diet plays a much bigger role than exercise," University of Texas exercise scientist Philip Stanforth tells Business Insider.
That said, being active regularly is an important part of any healthy lifestyle.
And when it comes to boosting your mood, improving your memory, and protecting your brain against age-related cognitive decline, research suggests exercise may be as close to a wonder drug as we'll get.
Myth 4: Sit-ups are the best way to get six-pack abs.
Truth: As opposed to sit-ups, which target only your abdominal muscles, planks recruit several groups of muscles along your sides, front, and back. If you want a strong core -- especially the kind that would give you six-pack-like definition -- you need to challenge all of these muscles.Sit-ups or crunches strengthen just a few muscle groups.
Through dynamic patterns of movement, a good core workout helps strengthen the entire set of core muscles you use every day.
Myth 5: Running a marathon is the ideal way to get fit.
Truth: Not ready to conquer a marathon? No problem. You can get many of the benefits of long-distance running without ever passing the five-mile mark.
Running fast and hard for just 5 to 10 minutes a day can provide some of the same health outcomes as running for hours can.
In fact, people who run for less than an hour a week - as long as they get in those few minutes each day - see similar benefits in terms of heart health compared to those who run more than three hours per week.
Plus, years of recent research suggest that short bursts of intense exercise can provide some of the same health benefits as long, endurance-style workouts - and they also tend to be more fun.
常见的健身误区
流言1：为了保持体形，你只需要一个礼拜锻炼一次或者两次。
事实：一周一到两次的锻炼不会给身体健康带来持久的回报。
罗格斯大学的运动科学家肖恩·阿伦特近日告诉商业内幕网说：“对一个结构合理的锻炼计划来说，一周至少要锻炼3次”才是最佳的。
“严格来说，你每天都要练点啥，也就是说要活动一下。因为我们越来越清楚，久坐是会抵消掉你的锻炼成果的。”
流言2：早上锻炼是最好的。
事实：锻炼没有最好的时段，无论什么时候都行，只要你能坚持。理想的情况下，你要让健身成为你的日常习惯，所以如果你喜欢晚上去健身房，那就坚持晚上去。如果你喜欢晨跑的话，那就晨跑。
对时间没啥特别的偏好？有一些研究指出，早上起床后锻炼能让身体在一天中燃烧更多的脂肪，加速减重。
流言3：锻炼是减肥的最佳方式。
事实：如果你想要减肥，你就不要用“我吃下去的卡路里都能燃烧掉”来自我催眠。专家表示，瘦下来主要靠明显改变自己的饮食习惯。
得克萨斯州立大学的运动科学家菲利普·斯坦福斯说：“在减肥这方面，饮食比锻炼重要得多。”
即便如此，定期锻炼在任何健康的生活方式中都是很重要的一部分。
当谈到改善情绪、增强记忆力以及预防大脑因年老产生认知衰退时，研究人员表示，锻炼可能是我们最唾手可得的“灵丹妙药”。
流言4：想要六块腹肌，就做仰卧起坐。
事实：仰卧起坐只能针对你的腹部肌肉，而平板支撑则要用到你侧面、正面和背部的几组肌肉。所以如果你想拥有强壮的核心肌肉，尤其是想要练出6块腹肌，你需要锻炼到所有的这些肌肉。仰卧起坐只能锻炼到少数几个肌肉群。
通过有活力的运动模式，一组高质量的核心肌肉锻炼有助于增强你日常会用到的整个核心区的肌肉。
流言5：跑马拉松是健身的理想方式。
事实：跑不了全马？没关系的。就算你跑不到8公里，长跑也是好处多多。
每天高强度地跑上5到10分钟所带来的某些好处和连续跑上数小时是一样的。
实际上，每周跑不到一小时（只要他们能每天都跑几分钟）给心脏健康带来的益处和每周跑三小时以上的差不多。
此外，持续数年的近期研究也表明，短时间的高强度训练能带来和长时间的耐力训练一样的健康益处，而且也更有意思。