Health Misinformation 101

There are many myths and misinformation related to exercise. Over the next few weeks we are going to help you sort through some of this information.





1. Running on a treadmill puts less stress on your knees than running on the ground.
a. Running is a great workout and will affect your knee through the impact and ground reaction forces wither it be on the treadmill or not. The best way to help your knees is to vary your workout. Switch between the bike, elliptical and treadmill.

2. Crunches on an ab machine will help to reduce belly fat.
a. These machines will strengthen the muscles around you abdomen; however, are not the greatest at protecting your spine during the exercise. Also the body is not specific to areas in which you loose fat. The place where is first arises is usually the last to go.

3. Swimming is a great weight loss activity
a. Swimming is a great exercise and has been shown to increase lung capacity and strength; however, to effectively loose weight swimming you would have to swim for hours compared to running.

4. Yoga will help with all back pain
a. Yoga will help for certain types of back pain. The truth is that you should consult a therapist or qualified medical professional to see if yoga is right for you.

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/top-9-fitness-myths-busted?page=3

For more reliable health information, or to schedule a consultation for physical therapy, feel free to contact us at 518-690-4406 or visit our website at www.empirehwc.com or email us at ehwc7@nycap.rr.com.

William Milhizer, PT, DPT