Calm down. Women who lift weights don’t get bulky muscles. Pain is not necessary to achieve gain. A huge time commitment is not required for health and fitness.

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) is helping us sort through what we’ve heard about health and fitness — the myths vs. the truth.

Make no mistake: walking gets brownie points. "If anything, walking is probably underrated," says physiologist and ACE spokesman Richard Cotton.

What’s written about walking does hold water, he says. "If America began to walk even a minimal amount – 30 minutes a day – it would turn around the epidemic of heart disease and obesity."

But here are the myths – and the truth for each myth:

·Women who lift weights will get bulky muscles. Women don’t have enough testosterone to develop large, bulky muscles, says ACE. Strength training will not cause women to build muscles, although steroids might.

·Spot reducing is possible. Guess again. It’s simply not possible to "burn off" fat in one specific body part by exercising that area, ACE states.

Numerous studies have tried to refute this claim. But only regular exercise — aerobic and strength — and a sensible diet can melt body fat.

·No pain, no gain. Yikes. Exercising to the point of pain can harm you, not help. It’s OK to push yourself a bit, to tax your heart, lungs, muscles and bones — but be reasonable. Don’t risk an injury.

·If you exercise, you can eat whatever you want. You’re joking, right? A healthy diet goes hand-in-hand with a sound exercise regimen, ACE states. For weight loss, eat more fruits and veggies, far fewer sugary foods, and eat less.

·Exercise requires a hefty time commitment. As little as 30 minutes a day works when you’re in health-and-fitness maintenance mode, and 60 minutes a day will help you lose weight.

·There’s a magic pill out there. Yet another joke. There is no quick fix, says ACE. Those nutritional supplements often use deceptive, misleading, or fraudulent advertising.