The Biggest Myth About Exercise

On a recent BowFlex Breakfast Club Facebook Live broadcast, Fitness Advisor Tom Holland spent some time discussing the topic of "exercise myths." As the comments rolled in, it became quite clear that one myth stood above all others; a myth that has stuck around for a very long time.

What is the biggest myth about exercise?

You have to do an hour of exercise for it to count.

There is a myth out there stating that you must do an hour, or even a half hour, of continuous exercise for it to count.

This is untrue. Science tells us that 3 ten-minute periods of exercise has exactly the same benefit as one continuous thirty-minute period of exercise. 2 minutes here. 5 minutes here. A 20-minute bike ride there. It ALL adds up!

We don't necessarily need to carve out a full hour, or even a full half hour, every day for exercise. For those of us with incredibly busy lives, it's okay to give ourselves permission to chop our workout into bits and pieces when needed. We can build and add exercise in throughout the day rather than waiting and waiting to find that perfect window for a full hour of "free time."

Another major benefit of incorporating shorter workout intervals into your routine? High intensity. Longer workout intervals tend to make us deviate toward low intensity energy output. By adding shorter workouts into our schedule, we're able to commit to higher intensity in our workout — maximizing results. The shorter the interval? The harder you go. Make it count!

Allowing ourselves to be more flexible with the way we view exercise will make us ALL more successful in reaching our fitness goals.

So there you have it — myth diffused. If you don't have time? Make time!

Tune in to the BowFlex Breakfast Club LIVE on Facebook every Wednesday, 8AM PST.