Misinformation is everywhere, and the health world is far from immune from it. These are the top five myths that could be keeping you from success in your healthy lifestyle goals:

You need to do a high-intensity workout every day to see results. 

Super false! Your body needs rest to recover and get stronger. Have you ever felt sore after a workout? That soreness you feel comes from torn muscle fibers as a result of a tough exercise., You could end up injuring yourself if you don’t give those muscles time to heal. Adults should get at least two and half hours of moderate-intensity, one hour and fifteen minutes of vigorous intensity exercise or a combination of the two per week. 

You can lose fat in specific parts of your body by doing certain exercises. 

No, doing endless amounts of crunches every day won’t get rid of belly fat! Vary your workouts instead to see results.

When you lose fat, you lose fat all over your body. Some of us may see results in some places first, such as the arms or the midsection. Exercising a part of your body often will build more muscle, but you can’t choose to lose fat from that area. This is because your metabolism gets a boost from any kind of physical activity, which causes your body to use up more energy. 

You can exercise your way out of a poor diet. 

Your body needs the proper nutrients to thrive, no matter how much you’re exercising. A balanced diet plus movement is the best way to reach your health goals. Your diet has a much greater impact on weight loss than exercise. You may burn 200 calories jogging around your neighborhood, but if you choose a salad instead of fries with your lunch, you could cut 400 calories from your meal. 

Lifting weights will make your muscles bulky. 

Low weight and high repetition exercises are great for toning your muscles, while high-weight, low repetition exercises build strength quickly. For example, doing 20 reps of bicep curls with three-pound weights versus 10 reps using eight-pound weights will encourage your muscles to grow at a steady rate. Try these bodyweight exercises if you’re new to strength training or want to switch up your routine. 

Carbohydrates and fat are bad for you. 

Whole grain bread contains complex carbohydrates and fiber, which help your body use energy more efficiently.

Your body needs these nutrients to survive. For example, your brain needs carbohydrates to work. So, if you’re severely restricting your carbohydrate intake, your brain (and the rest of your body) is not getting enough fuel. You should, however, swap out refined carbohydrates for complex carbohydrates. An easy way to do this is to swap out white bread for whole grain. The whole grain contains fiber, another nutrient your body needs, so your body breaks the grain down slower and more effectively. 

It’s true that there are types of fat that aren’t great for you, such as saturated fat found in red meat and processed foods. You should limit your consumption of saturated fats and instead focus on healthy fats found in foods such as avocados, olive oil and fish. Try this homemade Italian dressing, which includes heart-healthy olive oil.

Which myth surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments!