On Campus

Top five fitness myths for students

Is there really a freshman 15? Will diet soda help me lose weight?

Photo courtesy of Rance Costa on Flickr

Myth #1 — The  freshmen 15

Does university make you fat? Well, not as fat as you might think. The freshmen 15 (that legendary amount of weight gain from eating all those cafeteria meals) is really more like the freshman five, according to dietitians from the University of Guelph. Between high school and the end of their first year of university, female students in their study had gained only five pounds on average.

Myth #2 — Diet pop helps you lose weight

Diet pop won’t help you lose weight, according to a 500-person study from the University of Texas in San Antonio. The study compared diet soda drinkers with those who avoid the stuff over a period of 10 years and found that the diet soda drinkers had a 70 per cent bigger increase in waist circumference than the control group.

Myth #3 — Exercising on an empty stomach burns more fat

Contrary to the popular belief among many fitness advocates, exercising on an empty stomach doesn’t burn more fat, according to the New York Times. A report published in Strength and Conditioning concluded that regardless of what someone eats or doesn’t eat directly before a workout, the body will burn about the same amount of calories.

Myth #4 — Exercise can’t help rid the body of toxins

That yoga instructor might be right that exercise helps rid the body of toxins, at least according to new research from a graduate nursing student at the University of New Brunswick. An article about the results appeared the Daily Gleaner last week.

Myth #5 — Only exhausting workouts help

In fact, small bursts of exercise can help make you fitter. It all adds up, according to research written about in the Vancouver Sun. A study at Queen’s University showed that walking to the photocopier or tapping your feet to music can improve heart and respiratory fitness. Forget waiting until you have a block of time to get to the gym — if you want to get fit, start moving throughout the day.

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