Using the right information to guide your fitness program can make the difference between reaching your goals and giving up in frustration.

If you work out with misguided information fueling your efforts, you’ll increase your risk for injury and undermine your motivation.

“You’ll take time and energy trying to accomplish fitness goals that just never happen,” says Michael Applebaum, M.D., a Chicago-based physician and master of fitness sciences. “That’s frustrating and can ultimately convince you that working out is futile.”

Here are some common fitness myths that can hold you back from getting in shape—and the facts that can help you reach your fitness goals.

• Exercising twice a week is enough. A modest goal, such as “I will exercise two or three days a week for 30 minutes,” is better than nothing and can improve your general health.

  “But to really get in shape and improve physical fitness, endurance, and strength, you must work out at a training level,” says Applebaum. That means really pushing yourself by overloading your muscles and revving your cardio routine more often.

  Fitness Fix: Think athlete, not exerciser. Instead of one or two days a week, “aim high and plan to train every day,” says Applebaum.

  Alternate between aerobic exercise and weight training because your muscles need a day of rest between weight-training sessions. The more you do, the more you’ll want to do.

  “Making training a regular part of your daily routine will increase the chance that it will become a lifelong habit,” he says.

• Doing lots of leg lifts will thin your thighs. In fact, by strength training any area of your body in an attempt to get rid of the fat that’s there (otherwise known as spot reducing), you might make the “spot” more muscular, making it look larger.

  “Your muscles will stockpile glycogen (the stored form of carbohydrate) where you’ve been working them most,” says Applebaum.

  So, although you can’t intentionally “spot reduce” fat, you can “spot grow” muscles, he says.

  Fitness Fix: To slim down your thighs or any other part of your body, use your diet to get results by eating less. Go slow by cutting just 125 to 250 calories per day, or 10 percent of your normal calorie intake, whichever is less.

  “If you keep it up long enough, eventually the fat will come off from the desired area,” says Applebaum.

  And that’s another myth: That exercise/training is the best way to lose weight. The fact is, you burn relatively few calories with exercise. It takes hours, for example, to burn off the 300 or so calories in one doughnut. It’s much more effective not to eat it in the first place.

  “Making training a regular part of your daily routine will increase the chance that it will become a lifelong habit.”

  “Cutting calories is the most efficient way to lose weight. To burn fat and less lean tissue, you have to lose weight slowly,” says Applebaum.

• Women will bulk up if they lift weights. “Women generally are not likely to increase their lean muscle mass to the point of appearing bulky,” says Applebaum.

  Fitness Fix: “Don’t shy away from strength training, especially as you get older,” he says. “It can not only make muscles stronger, but protects joints and reduces risk for bone-weakening osteoporosis.”

Sandra Gordon spoke with Michael Applebaum, M.D., a Chicago-based physician and master of fitness sciences with seven fitness certifications. For more information, visit www.fitnessmed.com.

© StayWell Custom Communications. Information is the opinion of the sourced authors and organizations. Personal decisions regarding health, diet, and exercise should be made only after consultation with the reader's own medical advisers. This material may not be reproduced for redistribution without written permission from StayWell Custom Communications.