Conquering the Fitness Myths: Ditch The Garbage Bag!

I’m convinced that most of the ridiculous things people do in this world, in their lives and in the gym is because they don’t have better information. Most of the time, people just go off of what they’ve heard or seen and run with it. Literally. So, being the natural-born teacher that I am, I want to be sure that everyone is knowledgeable about fitness and taking care of their bodies. When you’re dealing with your health, it’s too important not to know the facts. Knowledge is power! (No, really it is.) So…here goes!

The ever-famed "Sauna Suit".

We’ve all seen them. I think they even sell them at the dollar store. Two-piece “sauna suits” made of nylon or vinyl that promise if you wear them, you’ll lose weight. I’ve even seen folks cut arm holes into plastic garbage bags and wear them to jog or workout in. Here’s the deal folks: DON’T WEAR THOSE! (Sorry to yell.) They will NOT, I repeat, WILL NOT help you reach your weight loss goal.

Now…Here’s why: There are lots of things that happen to your body once you start exercising. You can feel the changes that happen on the outside, but you, of course, can’t see what happens on the inside. When you begin to exercise your body heats up and begins to try to cool itself down. Your sweat glands secrete water onto the skin where it evaporates and cools the blood that has rushed to your skin. When you wear plastic or vinyl or whatever it may be that isn’t “breathable”, your skin can’t breath. When that water on the surface of your skin can’t evaporate, your body gets hotter and you produce more and more water (sweat).

But…the more I sweat, and the harder I work, the more weight I lose. <–Nope!

Yes, you will lose weight, but not the right kind of weight. When you wear a “sauna suit” you lose water weight. You need water to supply oxygen and energy to your working muscles as you workout. When all of that water is rushing to your skin to cool you down, it’s not going to where it needs to go. Losing large amounts of water causes dehydration and that’s dangerous. And I hate to break it to you, but… *whispers* you will gain back all that “weight” you lost once you start drinking water and eating again. Sweating excessively has no useful purpose in weight loss and can cause heat stroke, kidney damage and cardiovascular emergencies.

Bottom line: Ditch the garbage bags!

If you want to lose weight, remember it should be a slow and steady race. You should be burning fat and calories, not water. I hope this has helped some of you.

Have you ever used a “sauna suit” to workout? What are some other myths you may know of?

Be Renewed