Questions tagged [physical-fitness]
Use this tag for questions explicitly about health approaches that revolve around exercise and diet as a means to attain health.
53
questions
-2
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Can small amounts of exercise build muscle?
I have run across a number of exercise routines which claim individuals can lose weight and build muscle with very little exercise.
So, the question: Can an average person become ripped in three ...
- 235
8
votes
0
answers
261
views
Do belt massagers promote weight loss?
I recently bought a piece of exercise equipment to help counteract all the time I spend sat in front of StackExchange. I thought I got a very good price for the base unit alone, but I obviously didn't ...
- 132k
5
votes
0
answers
856
views
Does slapping parts of your body increase blood flow and help with physical activity?
I have believed for quite some time that slapping limbs is "good for blood circulation", without ever looking more into it. After getting curious about it, I found a lot of claims that it's ...
- 159
34
votes
3
answers
5k
views
Does ascending one step burn 0.1 kcal of energy?
The Tsukuba Express Akihabara station has 0.1 kcal markings painted on the steps up from the platform.
Is this accurate? Obviously it's going to depend on the person but broadly speaking do you burn ...
- 3,123
3
votes
1
answer
437
views
Does exercise trigger migraines?
Some people think that exercise triggers migraines.
This recent online survey demonstrates that the belief is widespread enough amongst women to make many of them avoid exercise for fear of ...
- 139
0
votes
1
answer
404
views
Are Carpal Tunnel Syndrome exercises effective?
There are numerous articles/videos on the internet talking about exercises that supposedly help with/prevent carpal tunnel syndrome. Examples:
https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/exercises-carpal-...
- 221
3
votes
0
answers
248
views
Can Flat Feet be "Corrected" through the use of Minimalist Shoes?
As stated in the title, I'm interested in the claim that flat feet, fallen arches, or other weaknesses of the feet can be corrected through the use of minimalist footware.
A visit to my local shoe ...
- 3,093
13
votes
1
answer
750
views
Is high intensity interval training an efficient way to improve your cardio?
HIIT has been very hot the last couple of years. A short exercise seems to have the same impact as longer same-speed exercise. Most research, Skeptics questions on the subject and news articles focus ...
- 1,078
9
votes
1
answer
433
views
Do many people die because of shovelling snow?
This is one of those "known truths" supported by what appears to be legitimate expert opinion on public media (see below).
But I couldn't find a scientific study of the issue, after all it could be ...
- 2,590
14
votes
0
answers
3k
views
Is it hazardous to bend one's head backwards to stretch the neck?
I've heard claims that it's bad to stretch the neck by tilting it all the way back, or by doing neck circles. Here is one such article
Research is showing a connection between extreme neck ...
- 2,584
23
votes
2
answers
8k
views
Do fitness trackers make you fatter?
The idea of using a fitness tracker is that you should pay more attention to the amount of exercise you get and, therefore, be more likely to get enough. This should support weight loss in people who ...
- 54.7k
13
votes
0
answers
523
views
Does exposure to cold make body fat easier to burn? [duplicate]
The Facebook pages Weird Facts and WTF recently posted this image.
Exposure to cold makes body fat easier to burn. Scientists found that putting ice packs on problem areas can burn extra calories. ...
- 375
8
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Does the body get rid of alcocol first before metabolizing food?
In her article The Top 8 Metabolism Myths, the nutritionist of Fitbit writes
Go easy on the booze, too; your body will focus on getting rid of the alcohol first, before metabolizing the food.
Is ...
- 81
2
votes
0
answers
198
views
Is exercise on a full stomach more effective at burning Calories?
This article makes a number of interesting claims about health and fitness, but I wanted to focus on this one:
In one International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism study, ...
- 418
4
votes
0
answers
276
views
Does over-training reduce muscle mass?
BodyBuilding.com and LiveStrong claim that over-training (training excessively/while being sore) reduces muscle mass.
LiveStrong says:
Over-training describes a state where your muscles are not ...
- 680
1
vote
1
answer
406
views
Does low-calorie/ high-protein diet + fitness regime allow simultaneous muscle growth and fat loss?
Does eating less overall (but high protein), in conjunction with weight lifting (4 days a week), have the effect of inducing fat loss while growing muscle?
On the CBC site it is claimed that a regime ...
6
votes
1
answer
422
views
Does lifting weights inhibit growth in kids?
I have a teenager at home, who is itching to pull weights in a gym. He is training to be a sprinter, so I see the benefits of power and strength training, but am worried, as these are his growing ...
- 1,003
2
votes
1
answer
309
views
Are elliptical trainers the least accurate cardio equipment for estimating calories burned?
I find that seemingly equivalent workouts on my treadmill and my elliptical trainer results in the latter device reporting that I have burned almost twice the calories as the former. However as I tend ...
- 21
1
vote
0
answers
231
views
Will stretching help me have lean, shapely muscles? [duplicate]
I read that after exercising, we should stretch our muscles so that they won't be bulky but instead be long and lean. Is this true?
Edit: The question is more about aesthetics than whether stretching ...
- 525
5
votes
1
answer
421
views
Does exercise affect the number of muscle cells?
Washington.edu reported that:
Muscle cell number is affected by exercise level while young
and elitefitness.com said:
a trainee in the early stages of training would increase cell number
...
28
votes
1
answer
4k
views
Does exercise make you healthier?
It is widely believed that regular exercise helps people become fitter, stronger and healthier. For example, from Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans:
Regular physical activity is one of the ...
- 289
2
votes
0
answers
115
views
Can joints withstand greater compressive forces than shear forces without injury?
It is a widespread proposition on multiple fitness websites that joints are better able to withstand compressive forces than shear forces.
For example: Precision Nutrition
and Boot Camp Military ...
- 233
29
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Does heavy exercising increase beard growth?
The claim that exercise promotes beard growth is common around the Internet. The explanation that is the most common is that heavy exercising increases the testosterone levels in the body and that in ...
- 491
1
vote
1
answer
316
views
Is mentally practicing a skill more effective than physically practicing?
I saw this video in which Tony Robbins claims practicing mentally can be more effective than practicing physically.
He refers to a study where basketball players struggling with free throws were ...
- 193
8
votes
1
answer
772
views
Does running, short or long distance, cause muscle loss?
I often hear the claim that running promotes muscle loss. To what extent is this true? If a person is a triathlete don't they need both cardio and muscle? Does it matter what distance is run and the ...
- 2,584
24
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Can the body never lose fat cells?
There are various articles online quoting studies (or even loosely referring to "studies" without reference) claiming you can only gain fat cells but not loose them. Some examples include Calorielab....
- 663
5
votes
0
answers
184
views
Do maximalist shoes reduce injuries?
Maxmimalist shoes (i.e. running shoes with oversized foam midsoles) were the subject of a question at Fitness Stack Exchange, which I answered, but I had to rely on anecdote.
Advocates of the shoes ...
user16797
6
votes
1
answer
275
views
Does taking more steps lead to better health outcomes?
There are currently various products on the market that allow people to track, among other things, how many steps they take every day. For example:
The FitBit®
The Nike+ FuelBand
The M7 chip in the ...
- 276
9
votes
1
answer
5k
views
Do situps and crunches cause lower-back pain?
There seems to be a lot of buzz in the fitness community recently about how situps and crunches are bad for people's backs.
For example, Harvard Medical School makes the claim, but they don't cite ...
- 2,584
21
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Does working at a standing desk consume more calories than sitting?
src
I've heard conflicting claims:
Site that claims it maks a crap load of difference
Site that claims it doesn't make a shred of difference
What does science say?
You may find this question ...
- 78k
4
votes
1
answer
351
views
Did Diana Nyad swim from Cuba to Florida?
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57601879/diana-nyad-team-becoming-sensitive-to-skeptics/ says:
Diana Nyad's 110-mile swim from Cuba to Florida has generated positive publicity and adoration for ...
user5582
12
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Do running shoes prevent injury?
One common question among runners is when to replace your shoes, with the popular advice ranging anywhere from 300 to 600 miles (482 to 966 kilometers). The justification for doing so is not that the ...
- 16.7k
3
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Does a burger require an hour of jogging to burn off?
According to this site, one needs about 1 hour and 5 minutes to burn off the weight gain from a Big Mac.
However, I've eaten about two Big Macs a night, with two similar sized meals during the day. ...
- 2,321
2
votes
2
answers
6k
views
Do the number of myofibrils increase with exercise?
According to this website, the number of myofibrils in a muscle can increase with exercise:
Thus, the muscle cells’ myofibrils will increase in thickness and
number.
I had a look on google ...
- 3,178
9
votes
1
answer
994
views
Can excessive exercise cause long term heart damage?
I always thought that exercising was good for preventing heart disease. I recently read an article that claimed that long distance running (> 1 hour of maximal/near maximal running) can be harmful to ...
- 3,178
2
votes
0
answers
239
views
Does stretching before exercise raise the risk of injury?
Robert McLeod: Pulling on a muscle for a long time doesn't make it longer, doesn't make it more pliable, and doesn't improve athletic performance. There's lots of scientific literature that shows that ...
- 32.4k
5
votes
1
answer
656
views
Is it a healthy habit to walk after having food?
Particularly after lunch, I feel a bit sleepy and I love to take a nap. But many of my friends insist that I take a bit of a walk after my lunch. They recommend it as a healthy habit that helps with ...
- 153
8
votes
1
answer
752
views
Are push-ups beneficial for alleviating sagging breasts?
From here: http://www.livestrong.com/article/98061-benefits-pushups-women/
Chest muscles also receive a workout during push-ups and can help to
alleviate sagging breasts.
From: http://www....
- 1,105
19
votes
2
answers
12k
views
Is electric muscle stimulation (EMS) training safe and effective?
Electric muscle stimulation (EMS) is touted as having the ability to
strengthen muscles, reduce weight, minimize body fat and improve local
blood circulation. During physical activity, your brain (...
- 32.4k
4
votes
0
answers
254
views
Does Pavan Mukta Asana help releasing gastrointestinal gas?
Pavan Mukta Asana
As mentioned above, practicing the purvana-mukta-asana will help to release gastrointestinal gas. It is also improves other gastrointestinal problems like upset stomachs and ...
- 1,105
1
vote
1
answer
787
views
Does performing an additional weightlifting set not increase progress by more than 5%?
Exrx, a widely-known exercise resource site, claims in its article Low Volume Progressive Intensity Training:
By performing an additional set (50% to 100% more sets) only 0 to 5% more progress will ...
- 21
4
votes
1
answer
9k
views
Is taking capsaicin in pill form safe and does it speed up metabolism or help you lose weight?
I see ads for numerous supplements and all of them seem to be a scam. Except I have noticed when I am eating a lot of spicy food and hot sauce I tend to lose weight. I have found capsaicin in pure ...
- 41
20
votes
1
answer
4k
views
Cardio vs. weight lifting for weight loss
There are a lot of people who either claim that cardio or weight lifting is the key to losing weight. For example an article questioning the need for cardio or an article claiming that cardio is the ...
- 493
14
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Does exercise make you smarter?
Does exercising your muscles also increase your intelligence like the daily mail (and many others) report:
Exercise makes you smarter 'by boosting energy levels in the brain
...
Now a team from the ...
- 18.6k
16
votes
2
answers
887
views
Does regular exercise improve how you feel?
It's a common claim that regular exercise makes you feel better.
Walking Of The Weight
Not only does exercise make your body work better, it makes you feel better too.
More examples (out of ...
- 132k
20
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Do saunas burn significantly more calories than just sitting idly?
There are a bunch of sites claiming this, with the most disparate theories: that saunas directly melt fat, that saunas burn calories because your body needs to maintain the normal temperature, that ...
- 78k
5
votes
0
answers
1k
views
Does push-ups on finger tips affect eyesight negatively?
Some time ago I've been told that push-ups on your fingers (instead on fists) can affect eye-sight. The explanation was not clear (something about a lot of nerves in fingertips and pressure on them).
...
- 836
11
votes
1
answer
867
views
Is the Shake Weight more effective than just using dumbbells?
On the Shake Weight website, they claim:
Shake Weight® Utilizes New Workout Technology Called Dynamic Inertia,
which can increase Muscle Activity to nearly 300% compared to a
Standard Dumbbell.*...
user6327
9
votes
0
answers
520
views
Does training while wearing weights improve body performance?
Everybody has heard about training while wearing weights in different parts of your body: ankles, arms, torso, etc.
There are many references in cartoons that treat about Martial arts like the ...
- 1,171
12
votes
2
answers
725
views
Does physical exercise control diabetes?
I've heard from many people that physical exercise controls or prevents diabetes. Is there any studies that confirm or deny this?
Does physical exercise control diabetes?
- 121