‘Stair climbing is not exercise’ – expert debunks common fitness myths

As Nigeria faces a severe heat wave, the habit of “going soft” has come under fire. Joel Azmir, fitness expert and director at IREP, warns that while many believe they are right, they are actually just ‘gambling’ with routines that offer zero physiological benefits.

In an interview, he explains why the difference between performance and exercise is a matter of life, death and the health of the nation.

Mornings are often defined by the sight of fitness enthusiasts hitting the streets for their daily walk. But according to Joel Azmir, most of these well-meaning joggers are just moving, not training.

Appearing on Channel TV, Izmir was unsparing in his criticism, suggesting that without “calculated pressure”, the body simply stagnates.

Izmir insists that the biggest myth in the local fitness scene is that every movement counts as a workout. He describes the gap between a normal dance and a scientific diet as “disorderly”.

“There is a big difference between physical activity and exercise,” Azmir explained.

Physical activity is what you do: you stand, you sit, you dance, you eat, it is first class, but it has no physiological benefit; You’re not improving your cardiovascular system, your posture, or your overall fitness. To see real gains, it must be something determined and repeated.

For those who pride themselves on climbing stairs as their primary form of fitness at the office, Izmir offered a quick reality check.

“Climbing the stairs is not an exercise,” he said of the Sunriser.

“You use activity as a tool for exercise, but the intensity has to be designed for you. Most people get frustrated after six months because they’re doing physical activity and not exercising properly.”

Hydration as a metric

With the current heat index reaching alarming levels, Izmir noted that the biggest threat to Nigeria’s “fitness craze” is the fundamental misunderstanding of water.

He argues that the national habit of drinking water only when “thirsty” is a physical failure.

Azmir added: “Most of us don’t even drink water in the first place. We drink water when we’re thirsty – it’s just mentality. But your brain is 80% water. Men should drink four liters and women three liters a day.”

“It’s not because you’re thirsty, it’s what you should be drinking normally. When you’re exercising in this heat, that amount should increase to seven liters.”

He also moved to debunk a persistent local myth about water heating during exercise.

For him, the school of thought that says people shouldn’t drink ice water while exercising isn’t based on research.

“Throw it away. Put ice in your bottle; it will lower your body temperature and give you the ability to move forward,” he reasoned.

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Avoiding heat

For those without the luxury of an air-conditioned gym, Izmir suggests that a watch is now a very important piece of equipment. In a season where the sun can be a predator, timing is everything.

“The situation is dynamic. You have to choose early in the morning and late at night. It’s only natural feeling: 5:00 to 7:00 in the morning is the window. If you don’t have a controlled environment, you have to be careful. Professionally, we recommend you to reduce your intensity by 20% during the warm-up. Only the environment is created so that you can reduce the heart rate during the warm-up. Live from the exercise.”

Why do women need weight?

With Mothering Sunday just around the corner, Izmir spoke about the unique health challenges women face in their midlife, especially the “mischief” of inappropriate hormones. He described the endocrine system as a chemical engine that remains stable only when it is working hard.

However, she was particularly apprehensive about the culture of “pink weights” – women who avoid lifting heavy weights for fear of looking “masculine”.

“You hear people say, ‘I’m 30 pounds. What are you trying to do with that? Do your kids weigh 3 pounds? No. You don’t lift old people. Strength training is for performance. It’s for the ability to carry things and move. By the time you’re 50, arthritis shouldn’t be a thing. Yet, research shows that eight out of 10 women have arthritis.

The expert ended with a provocative challenge to mothers across the country, asking them to take over a weight rack while walking on a treadmill.

“Women avoid strength training and go to cardio because they think it’s for men. But we both have muscles and bones. In fact, women use them more. Grandma reads the newspaper, but grandma still carries the grandkids and walks around the house. Who needs training more? It’s women.”