Top 5 myths that may be messing with your workout

Everyone has different ideas about the best ways to exercise and stay healthy. However, if you feel like your frequently dieting and exercising yet seeing no results, check out Fitsugar.com's top myths that may be holding you back from reaching your potential.

Walking a mile burns the same as running a mile
If you're used to walking as exercise, running may seem an impossible, daunting task. But, if you never bump up your walking workout to a run it may take much longer to accomplish your fitness goals. According to a study by ACE Fitness, "running requires 40 percent more energy than walking, which means major calorie burn." So next time, try to gradually add a few minutes of running into the beginning and end of your walk.

Muscle weighs more than fat
A pound is a pound is a pound – which means a pound of fat weighs exactly the same as a pound of muscle.  But, since muscles are dense and compact, you may gain weight when you start working out and your muscle mass increases.  However, you'll most likely notice that your clothes fit better and you feel slimmer because muscle takes up less space than fat in your body.

You exercise, so you can eat whatever you want
We all feel a little more justified ordering that dessert after a hard workout, but you may be overestimating how many calories you actually burned. If you are trying to lose weight, be sure to monitor the calories you burn in relation to calories and nutrition of the foods you eat. Fitsugar.com's Assistant Editor Leta Shy suggests wearing a heart rate monitor or fitness tracker to gauge how many calories you're burning during the day.

You shouldn't exercise with sore muscles
You tried a new class at the gym and now you can barely sit down, so it's ok to skip your workout today right? Wrong. Certain exercise will not only help your sore muscles feel better, but also will help you recover faster. An important rule of thumb is to focus on a different area of the body, if yesterday was an upper-body workout, try to focus on a lower-body work out today. You can also try a yoga class to stretch out your muscles, or a try a less-intense cardio session.

Heavy weights make you bulk up
It's an age old myth that the more weight you lift, the more you will start looking like the Hulk. According to Shy, "you can get the results you want in half the time by increasing your weights."  The experts suggest saving time by doing fewer reps with heavier weights, more specifically, choose weights that fatigue your muscles within 90 seconds.

For the full list of workout myths, visit Fitsugar.com.