During any casual visit to the gym, one might notice a general trend: Boys lift and girls do cardio. Men dominate the weight room while women occupy the majority of the treadmills and ellipticals.   

These are not local trends specific to your gym. The statistics demonstrate the gender imbalances within fitness related recreational activities.

For instance, more women than men participate in cardio-intense running events such as 5Ks and marathons, according to a poll conducted by Running USA and ACTIVE Network. Yet only 20 percent of women will practice any form of strength training on a regular basis, according to the National Center for Health.

On the flip side, men’s gym activities seem to revolve around the goal of muscle building, or bulking up, in mind, according to an article on WebMD.

While what one does at the gym is their own decision, the imbalances can’t be ignored. By gravitating towards one extreme, such as solely relying on strength training or on cardiovascular exercises, we create an imbalance in our fitness regimens.

The prevalence of these trends often occurs due to the misinformation that tends to circulate about fitness and health. While fad fitness tips travel by word of mouth, some myths are solidified by brand-name trainers or seemingly official experts.

Hot-shot celebrity trainers such as Tracy Anderson, who boasts celebrity clientele including already tiny Gwyneth Paltrow, Shakira and Madonna, perpetuate hard-to-kill fitness myths. For example, Anderson’s “Tracy Anderson Method” recommends that women not lift weights over three pounds to avoid bulkiness.  

Additionally, not long ago, the male-oriented fitness guru Bret Contreras published a patronizing list of tips for women wanting to participate in strength training, suggesting that women “must be taught” certain forms and that they “are not very competent” in performing certain exercises. It’s pretty clear that Contreras upholds certain beliefs on where women should spend their time at the gym.

These trainers do nothing more than provide authoritative-sounding opinions on the fitness activities of men and women. They perpetuate myths and reinforce misinformed ideas about health and well-being while further enforcing specific body ideals.

Aside from hearing from the so-called experts, common fitness fallacies fall to repetition in blogs and magazines.

Popular women’s magazines, such as Cosmopolitan and Women’s Health, often focus on the new hot tip to lose weight, to get in shape or tone up while men’s magazines such as Men’s Health discuss ways to build muscle and stay lean.  

These myths perpetuate the fear of edging outside one’s perceived gender. If a young woman lifts, she may be concerned that she will develop a masculine physique. Likewise, some men will presume that cardio will whittle them away into thinness.

Instead of working towards the goal of overall well-being, health, and bodily functionality, our fitness goals revolve around aesthetics and superficial appeal. Rather than being wholesome, we become fixated on how we want others to compare our physical appearance to the constructed norm.

Perhaps we should reevaluate what we want when it comes to the gym. With the new year kicking off, let’s make fitness about well-being, not image ideals.