Fitness
Why Fitness Advice Is So Confusing (and What to Do About It)
Learning about exercise can be overwhelming. One YouTube channel tells you what to do, and you think, OK, I’ve got that. Then you see an Instagram post that tells you something else entirely. Stop by the gym and ask a trainer, and they’ll let you know that both of your sources are overthinking it and instead you should do things their way. Why is it all so complicated? I have some thoughts on that, and some tips for navigating the confusion.
One of the biggest reasons is that there are many good answers for each of your fitness questions. So you don’t have to find the one true correct answer before doing your workout, any more than you’d need to identify the unquestionably best restaurant in town before going out to eat. Let’s dig in to some of the types of confusion that you’re probably running across, and what to do about each.
Not everybody is talking to you
First I’d like to address the biggest reason we see conflicting advice in any subject: Different experts are talking to different audiences. You, the reader or viewer, are not in all of those audiences at once.
For example, if you search for “how to squat,” you’ll find a variety of answers to the question. One expert might have advice for bodybuilders to build as much leg muscle as possible. Another might be telling powerlifters how to get strong and move the most weight in competition. Yet another might be introducing beginners to the idea of exercising at all. It makes sense that they would all say different things, right?
How to navigate this: Decide on a type of advice to follow. If you want to learn the basics of powerlifting, for example, there are books and videos and real life human coaches who will teach it to you. And if you’re a beginner, don’t seek out advice for advanced lifters; it won’t be helpful to you yet.
If you can’t decide what direction you’re doing, it’s fine to check out different sources and see what they each say. But don’t expect them to all agree with each other.
The algorithm rewards pointless debates
The basics of training are pretty simple, even if it may not seem that way when you’re a beginner. You get better at running by putting in time on your feet, and not trying to turn every training run into a race. (See our beginners’ guide here.) You get stronger by lifting heavier weights over time, although that doesn’t have to mean lifting more every single week—best to follow a program that guides you through a sensible path for progress. And if you’re brand new to everything, all you really need is to build a routine and not give up; literally all of the details can wait.
But we like to learn more, and if we’re confused or anxious, we often think the cure is more information. So we visit YouTube (or the information firehose of our choice) and see what it has to say. But here is where the algorithm stands in our way: YouTubers don’t have much of a career if they just put out a few videos with basic information and then sit back and relax.
So we get in-depth debates on things like: Which running shoe might be marginally better than another? Should you do your morning workout before or after breakfast? Should you do dumbbell lateral raises with your hands in a neutral position or with your pinkies pointing slightly upward? (You might think I’m joking with that last one, but it has become a hugely controversial subject.)
Creators also get more engagement if they react to other creators, cultivate rivalries, say that everyone else has it wrong, debate creators with the opposing viewpoint, etc. The algorithm rewards confusion, because it makes people watch more videos. In reality, the direction of your pinkies on lateral raises is going to make, at most, 0.0000001% of the difference in how your shoulders look a year from now. Even if you could get a solid answer on which way is best, it wouldn’t actually matter.
How to navigate this: One day I was typing the word “optimal,” and my phone auto-corrected it to “optional.” That’s a life lesson right there. Optimal is optional. If you’re doing things basically good enough, optimizing the details is going to make very, very little difference. When you are an Olympic athlete and tiny differences in your performance could make or break your chances for a gold medal, you can revisit these questions. For now, just remember that there are many paths toward fitness, and you can take whichever you find simplest or most enjoyable.
Most advice is meant to nudge you in a direction
Let’s step out of the social media algorithm for a moment, and talk about the very reasonable things you might hear from a trainer.
As a trainer is trying to guide your movement, they’ll give you cues. These are not meant to be objective descriptions of exactly what happens in a lift, but rather nudges in a particular direction. For example, if your heels pull off the ground as you are squatting, you might be told to “drive through the heels.”
This can lead to confusion if you hear another trainer say to “keep even pressure on all parts of your foot.” That would be a better cue for somebody who is tipping back onto their heels, but it could work for the person who is getting up on their toes as well. The truth is that both trainers are trying to do the same thing: keep you from rocking too far forward or backward.
Since cues are nudges, they can’t really be right or wrong; they can just be helpful or unhelpful. The cue that works for someone else may not be the right cue for you.
How to navigate this: Ask for clarification if you’re getting the advice in person. If not, try both of the conflicting cues, and see if one of them helps you to feel stronger or do the movement better. You may also want to read our explanations of the cues that tend to confuse people most.
For Hobart teacher Mary Holton, health means everything.
She started feeling the squeeze from cost-of-living pressures when fuel prices spiked again.
“Going out for just fitness alone was a bit much,”
she said.
Mary Holton says since joining the group, her fitness across the board has improved. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
Many Tasmanians are feeling cost-of-living pressures in a very physical way, with locals saying exercise routines are being dropped, health appointments delayed and wellbeing pushed to the bottom of the list as budgets tighten.
Ms Holton relies on multiple physiotherapy sessions each week, but says paid fitness classes simply are not an option.
“That costs … so to actually go to other classes as well, it’s out of my budget really.“
Ollie Mathewson conducts a free workout session. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
National data shows that almost half of Australians already fall short of minimum physical activity guidelines, and rising prices are making even basic care unaffordable for many.
Consultant clinical psychologist academic Kimberley Norris says this is exactly how unhealthy patterns begin.
“We tend to focus on the most stressful thing first … and health is one of those things we don’t think about until things go wrong,”
Professor Norris said.
Kimberley Norris says humans tend to focus on alleviating stress first and foremost, and warns de-prioritising health can become a cycle. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
For Ms Holton, going to a free workout group in her local community was a game-changer.
“Came down and absolutely loved it. It’s really nice to have a group and it just keeps growing,” she said.
Finding a free exercise group has drastically improved her health, as noted by her GP, and she is part of a growing trend.
Free exercise classes become a lifeline
At a community exercise class in South Arm, south-east of Hobart, the mood is upbeat, with laughter, movement, and a sense of relief.
Participation has more than doubled in the past year, with more than 100 Tasmanians now involved.
Trainer Ollie Mathewson said the surge was unmistakable.
“It’s free of charge for everybody … and over the last 12 months I’ve noticed a lot more people starting to come along,”
he said.
Ollie Mathewson says attendance at his classes has almost doubled over the past year. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
Across greater Hobart, free and low-cost alternatives are multiplying and include walking groups, community-run circuits, and morning and afternoon fitness meet-ups.
Tasmanians are increasingly organising their own solutions.
Mr Mathewson said connections drive outcomes.
“A lot of people talk about weight and strength, which are obviously insanely important, having other people there to push you single every week makes it a hundred times easier.“
Professor Norris said one’s health can be prioritised for free.
“What we know about health is, it’s more about sustainable wellbeing, it’s about quality of life,” she said.
“So rather than focusing on how much you can deadlift, how far you can run, it’s about how your life has improved and how close your life is to the way you want to live it.”
She said free options were vital because once people stop moving, it becomes harder to start again.
“If we develop routines in which health is not a priority, then we almost get stuck in this cycle of health always being last.“
Health appointments being delayed or dropped
For some Tasmanians, the financial pressure is forcing even tougher choices.
Amy Dakin says she can’t even think about getting a gym membership with all the other costs of living on her mind. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
Amy Dakin, who lives with a compromised immune system, often has no choice but to delay essential care.
“My health needs to be prioritised, but your bills come first, really,” she said.
Jordyn Rowbottom says she’s not the only one changing her hobbies to save on costs. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
Jordyn Rowbottom has seen the same pattern around her.
“People are being forced to cut what they can access,”
she said.
Professor Norris warns that these short-term decisions can create long-term harm, not just for individuals, but for the broader health system.
She said the combination of financial pressure and reduced physical activity would create a public health challenge.
Trainers adapting to shrinking budgets
Personal trainer Nickola Orr works with clients across different income levels, ages and needs.
She said affordability now shapes almost every program she designs.
“You want to make sure they can get as much help as they can within their price range,”
she said.
Nickola Orr is concerned about access to fitness and health services in the face of rising cost pressures. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
With the median individual spend on fitness in Tasmania sitting at almost $600 last year, Ms Orr said the warning signs were already visible.
“We’re going to see more results of long-term neglect; higher injuries, more need for mental health assistance. It’s going to snowball.”
Her concerns echo Professor Norris’s academic findings that once healthy routines break down, the consequences ripple for years.
“The changes are very small … while they add up over time, there is no immediate impact,”
Ms Orr said.
Calls for more free and low-cost options
Mr Mathewson hopes the success of free community classes will inspire governments and private operators to expand accessible fitness programs.
“More free options would be a great thing. There are a few now, but there should be more,” he said.
The Tasmanian government has said it will release its 20-year preventive health strategy this month, titled The Health Revolution.
A Department of Health spokesperson said the strategy “will address the broader social, economic, and environmental factors that influence health and wellbeing”.
“Specific issues about access to health services and programs are being considered through the Access to Health Services project, a Commonwealth-State partnership.
“The Health Revolution will complement that project by addressing the root causes of poor health and the underlying conditions to make it easier for Tasmanians to live well.“
If you’ve been faithfully logging your 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week, you’re getting the recommended weekly about of cardio. But a new study1 suggests that for women in midlife, that standard benchmark may not be moving the needle on cardiovascular fitness as much as we’ve assumed. Here’s what you need to know.
EL MONTE, Calif. (KABC) — A boutique fitness gym in the San Gabriel Valley is focused on women’s empowerment, offering everything from dance fitness to pilates, yoga, zumba and circuit training. It’s called “Beastin Beauties” in El Monte.
“ Boutique fitness spaces here, it doesn’t exist here, so I needed to have this for the people in my community here, where I grew up,” said owner Jay Armada.
Members love working on their health and fitness alongside other women.
“You walk in and you feel like you’re able to let loose and inhibit it in a way that you don’t find in other places,” said member Esmeralda Cabral.
“It takes away the stresses of being in a space where you may feel judgment from others. And there’s a certain level of comfort as a woman that you wanna be able, especially if you’re starting a health journey or you’re reigniting it, you wanna have the comfort of being around under supportive women,” said member Ruby Rose Yepez, who also teaches yoga at the studio.
Women empowerment has been the theme all along, from Jay’s humble beginnings…
“ I want people to feel what I felt when I was going through my own journey. I had lost ninety-three pounds in a whole year and I just wanted everyone to feel that,” said Armada.
…to a huge setback in 2020 when the gym’s previous location burned down in a fire.
“ I thought I didn’t wanna do it anymore. Maybe it was a sign from God that you should just quit. But my community held me up and they just really made me believe in it again,” said Armada.
Now, her business is thriving, and she was just named the city’s Woman of the Year!
“ Community and connection here in this space is super, super important. Jay is not just about bringing people here for health. She brings people here to build the connections so that they feel that they’re part of a community,” said Yepez.
“You build a connection without even really trying. You’re all experiencing the same moments together. There’s always just so much fun happening,” said Cabral.
Copyright © 2026 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.
-
Delaware7 minutes agoThomas Jefferson University to run Delaware’s first medical school
-
Florida10 minutes agoMan accused of kidnapping woman at Wawa in Central Florida
-
Georgia15 minutes ago5 things to know about Georgia mosquito problem amid heat, drought
-
Hawaii22 minutes agoHawaii weather: USGS revised 4.6 magnitude earthquake off Kona coast, south swell, passing showers
-
Idaho25 minutes agoIdaho state troopers identify Billings man missing in traffic accident
-
Illinois30 minutes agoHistorical Corn versus Soybean Returns in Illinois – farmdoc daily
-
Indiana37 minutes agoIndiana football has top-rated transfer in ESPN rankings, and 3 in top 20
-
Iowa40 minutes agoZach Lahn projected to win Iowa GOP governor primary, upsetting Trump’s pick in a state Democrats hope to flip
