Exercise is a critical component in any effective weight-control regimen. Unfortunately, some people have misconceptions about weight and exercise. Here are some of the more common popular fallacies.

Myth: Exercise increases your appetite.
Fact: Appetite is actually more manageable after exercise. Furthermore, any slight increase in food intake from physical exercise is more than offset by calories expended by the exercise.

Myth: In order for exercise to be worthwhile, you must work out every day.
Fact: Three times a week for around 20 minutes each time will burn off a significant number of calories. (Of course, if you exercise longer--say, 45 minutes to an hour--you'll burn even more calories.

Myth: Exercise must be extremely vigorous to achieve weight loss.
Fact: Moderate exercise like walking, if done on a regular basis, can be effective. Daily 30-minute walks can burn up to 15 pounds a year.

Myth: The more you sweat, the faster you lose weight.
Fact: There is no benefit to excessive sweating. It can even be dangerous. So don't overdress for exercise, and don't wear "sauna suits."

Myth: Aerobic exercise is no better than any other form of exercise for weight loss.
Fact: Aerobic exercise (like cycling, walking, or swimming) speeds up your metabolism for 4 to 8 hours after you stop exercising. Therefore, additional calories will be burned off long after you finish working out--an advantage over nonaerobic exercise like weight lifting, which does not speed up your metabolism.