“Health isn’t a step count. It’s how well your body moves, recovers, and adapts—on its terms.”


Over the past few years, the health and fitness narrative has become increasingly oversimplified — boiled down to a supplement or protocol. The unfortunate result? Only one part of the information parading as wisdom, often celebrated by the masses.


Let’s revisit some of the most overstated claims that dominate today’s fitness coaching — and why in my point of view they need a serious rethink.

  1. Creatine: Not a Cure-All
    Creatine is indeed one of the most studied supplements for improving muscular performance — but the growing trend of assigning it magical benefits (from curing depression to improving memory) is misleading. The body already synthesizes creatine, and for most non-athletic individuals, supplementation offers negligible advantage. Pushing it as a life-enhancer is not just bad science — it’s commercial opportunism.
  2. Calorie Deficit ≠ Universal Fat Loss
    The 3500-calorie to a kilo deficit model works on paper, but biology isn’t accounting software. For many Indian women above 40, consuming 1000–1200 calories per day without losing weight is not uncommon. Why? Metabolic adaptation, hormonal shifts, inflammation, and energy factors or their lifestyle kick in. The idea that fat loss is merely about eating less or doing more ignores human complexity.
  3. 10,000 Steps: A Target, Not a Trophy
    Walking is wonderful — but chasing arbitrary step goals with poor mechanics or low energy can lead to joint issues, inflammation, and overuse injuries. The benefits of walking plateau as the body adapts. Its a brillaint thing to follow it because it motivates you somewhere. But following it rigidly is wrong. You must listen to your body. Instead, focus on moving with intention, integrating movement quality and variability rather than mindlessly chasing a number on your wrist. Again…setting a target does good to us. However how I see people chasing it is definitely not healthy. The magic training lies in variability. Our body loves different kind of stimulus.
  4. Repeating Workouts = Progress? Not Quite.
    “Stick to the same workout” is another overused mantra. Muscles don’t initiate movement — they obey neurological commands. True strength is not in lifting more of the same but in adapting under new mechanical demands. The nervous system craves novelty to evolve. Consistency in training is essential; monotony in movement is not.
  5. “Train for Muscle, Not Fat Loss” — An Empty Dichotomy
    This idea assumes muscles and metabolism live in isolation. In reality, smart training — even if not hypertrophy-focused — radically impacts insulin sensitivity, mitochondrial density, and fat metabolism. Exercise is not just about visible gains; it restructures internal biochemistry. Muscle-building is one tool, not the whole toolbox.
  6. Real Health Isn’t a Hashtag
    Advice like “sleep well,” “eat clean,” “track data” are useful — but they’ve become empty slogans. Without context, without understanding the why, they’re as meaningful as saying “drink water.” People cant start sleeping well if they start thinking about it. Popular fitness advice rarely acknowledges life in real world — families, age, injuries, stress, and biological individuality.

Conclusion: Choose Nuance Over Noise
The rise of social media fitness experts has created a dangerous culture: simplified science sold with confidence, while deeper insights are overlooked for not being “marketable.” But real health doesn’t trend — it evolves.
Let’s not confuse repetition with mastery. Let’s not confuse volume with value. Let’s return to thoughtful, adaptive, humane health practices.