Does sweating help burn calories?

Is there a way to reduce fat from a specific part of the body?

Is running better than lifting weights?

The answers are in this report.

Author Oscar Granados said in a report in Spain's Consumer magazine, that there is a torrent of information about what to do and avoid when engaging in physical activity.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the practice of people exercising at home, recommendations emerged that had no scientific support that only frustrated and discouraged people.

We review the myths that the author refuted:

Myth 1: There is a way to reduce fat from a specific part of the body, such as doing a lot of abdominal exercises to melt the fat accumulated around your stomach.

Wrong, to melt fat from the body or a certain part of it, you must make a change in the level of the diet, in addition to the necessity to combine aerobic and non-aerobic exercises during the day.

Besides, you have to be patient.

Myth 2: The more you sweat, the higher the level of fat burning

Sweating is the body's natural way to regulate its temperature and get rid of toxins.

According to experts, our bodies typically produce a little more than one liter per day in resting conditions, as opposed to one liter per hour during some exercise.

But elite athletes, such as boxers or soccer players, can produce up to four or five liters of sweat per hour.

But we hardly burn fat through sweating.

Once your body gets rid of fluids, it restores them back when hydrated.

The amount of sweat does not indicate the level of effort expended in the activity.

There are people who tend to sweat more due to genetic or environmental factors.

Undergarments or activities such as going to the sauna, which have high levels of sweating, also do not help get rid of the needed fat.

The only effective way to lose body fat is to burn more calories than we consume.

This is generally done through a balanced diet and an appropriate exercise routine.

Myth 3: Aerobic exercise is only for youth

The World Health Organization confirms that regular physical activity improves the functional state of the body and the quality of life in the elderly as well, who recommend practicing at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five days a week.

Therefore, exercise is not just limited to young people.

Performing regular physical activity helps prevent diseases common to the elderly, such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, high blood pressure and degenerative arthritis.

It has also been shown to improve mental health and cognitive skills in older adults, and help treat disorders such as anxiety or depression.

 Myth 4: Running is better than lifting weights

Weightlifting has been associated with the world of bodybuilding for years, but today it has been proven that those exercises associated with weight lifting are beneficial for losing weight, not just building muscle.

According to experts, this type of activity improves heart health, contributes to maintaining the flexibility and health of tendons, joints and ligaments, as well as burning calories.

In conclusion, the author stated that half of the population over the age of 18 in Europe does not engage in any kind of exercise.

Also, some figures are very worrying in some countries, such as Romania or Bulgaria, where the percentage exceeds 80%, according to a survey conducted by the European Statistical Office (Eurostat).

In Europe, only about 20.4% of the population dedicate two and a half hours per week to physical activity, 14.2% between two and a half hours to five hours, and only 16.4% exercise more than five hours per week.

Among the countries whose population practices large proportions of sports are Denmark, Finland, Switzerland and Austria.

In Spain, more than half of the population does not practice sports.

The World Health Organization recommends at least two and a half hours of physical activity per week.