CrossFit? Is it for everyone?

First and foremost, with any type of exercise, the first two things you should be asking yourself, "Is it safe, and is it effective?" If you can't say yes to both, then you probably should shy away from it, or at least do a little more investigating to find a safer and/or more effective workout. That kind of leads us to the latest growing fad of... CrossFit! As I looked at their site, I immediately saw their tag line of "Forging Elite Fitness." When I think of an elite athlete, I instantly think of people who are at their optimal fitness level, eating right, performing well-rounded exercises, and pretty much being the picture of health and wellness. CrossFit itself has been around for decades, but has just recently come to the forefront of the fitness world. 

So why? Why hasn't everyone been doing it? With these questions, I decided to look around on the Internet and found an article on ACE (American Council on Exercise) website which talked about research that was testing the effectiveness of CrossFit workouts. They tested 16 moderately to very fit men and women between the ages of 20-47 and had them perform WOD (Workout of the day) Donkey Kong and Fran. The goal of any CrossFit WOD is to complete the assigned sets and reps in the least amount of time. Through this research study, they found, "...CrossFit is effective in terms of helping individuals improve their aerobic fitness while also burning a good number of calories in the process..." This is very promising in terms of finding an effective workout. I could not find articles stating that CrossFit WODs did not produce positive results. 

Some of the issues start to arise when the average sedentary man or woman decides to sign up for CrossFit without any proper technique or training. The proper way to perform a CrossFit workout is to complete it as fast as you can. When this happens, even the most seasoned athlete can start to compromise form for speed. If inactive or sedentary people immediately attempt these workouts, many times they are trying certain exercises that should be shadowed by a professional trainer. They are setting themselves up for injury and setbacks. It's easy then to become frustrated with lack of results, and many times this causes those who are inactive to quit and stop exercising. As exercise professionals, we never want to see people become frustrated with exercise. With any exercise program, it's important to find one that works best for you and will allow you to be safe while working to the best of your ability. 

So what do I think about CrossFit? My stance on the CrossFit issue is to be mindful of form and technique. CrossFit is not for everyone, and it is important to identify whether or not you are ready to try high intensity training. If you are inexperienced when it comes to strength and resistance training, take the time to have a trainer teach you proper technique so that you can reduce your chances of injury. No exercise is worth hurting yourself over, so be extremely careful when attempting certain exercises that you are uneducated or inexperienced at. Try new things, but make sure you understand the correct way to perform any exercise. Be an advocate of good technique and form so others can see the proper way. And as always, do the research when you find out about a new workout or exercise program before you try it. Make sure you know whether or not it is the right intensity or fitness level for you. Your safety and health comes before anything. 

Websites used:
http://www.acefitness.org/acefit/expert-insight-article/47/3592/crossfit-new-research-puts-popular-workout-to/
http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/crossfit-review
http://www.crossfit.com