MYTHBUSTERS

Three Experts unpick common Health and Fitness Myths

Coach Brian Vogue Fitness, Yas Marina vfuae.com

The good news for members of the over40 club is that a few extra orbits around the sun doesn’t mean you’re too old to gain muscle. In fact, studies conducted by the University Of Oklahoma show that people aged over 40 can have comparable strength gains to 18 to 22 year olds on an identical strength programme. At Vogue Fitness & CrossFit on Yas Island, we regularly have new members who are in this age group – and we whip them into the best shape of their lives. So how do you do it? The key is to listen to your body by being more responsive to physical cues such as pain and inflammation. What’s more, you have to ensure you maintain consistency in your training, always work on your mobility, control your diet and train smarter.

Paul Cheetham GCC Brand Manager, High5 and VeloChampion veloclubuae.com

I’m a cyclist and I meet many people who ride who love the idea of fat burning sessions: doing exercise at a low intensity so you burn calories from fat instead of carbs. It certainly seems appealing but the thing is, your body is a clever machine that adapts to what you throw at it, and it finds ways to be more efficient. If you only train in the fat burning zone your body sees this as a challenge so becomes more efficient, storing more fat to then burn more slowly. High-intensity interval sessions on the other hand usually take up less time and ramp up your metabolism and heart rate, so increase the calories you burn, and this even continues after you have finished exercising. So you can replace your slow plod with a vigorous workout that actually works and takes up less of your precious time? Win-win as they say.

Amadu Senessie Personal trainer, Marriott Hotel Al Forsan marriott.com

It’s a balance between eating healthy and training well but a healthy diet plays a major part. Changing what you eat can be a big commitment but the benefits are invaluable. Small changes can have such an impact on weight control, energy levels and can help to combat diseases and improves your mood. My advice would be to try and include green vegetables in every main meal – they are loaded with nutrients but not calories and they keep your body functioning at an optimal level when losing weight. If you have high cholesterol levels, kale is rich in antioxidants, loaded with vitamin A and has cancer-preventing properties. Broccoli also has key health benefits as it is packed full of vitamins and nutrients that helps to maintain healthy and glowing skin, strengthens the immune system and also is believed to hold anti-cancer properties.