Why CrossFit Makes Me Cross

Have you heard about the latest exercise craze?  It's called CrossFit.  It's an exercise regimen, typically worked on at a franchise 'box', that is extreme IMO.  The idea is to extend your body to its furthest physical limits - to lift heavier, push farther, jump higher, etc, getting in as many reps as you can in a 12 minute period.  There regimen includes those things we recall from our school days, burpees, kettle balls, jumping, and other high impact activities that are best suited for the young and physicall fit.  Well, not really.  These activities, pushed to their extremes, are not really good for anyone's body but the CrossFit business is taking advantage of both the extreme aspect and the social interactions of these activities while growing their franchises across the country.

It's not that I am opposed to this sort of extreme physical activity.  I think that for Navy Seals, those training for triathalons, and those who are very physically fit, the CrossFit path to physical fitness may be acceptable.  However, I've known several folks who appeared to be quite physically fit suffering phsical injuries from this workout (or others similar to it).  One guy I know broke his leg doing the burpee to jump in the air exercise.  Really.  Breaking your foot while engaged in muscle building activities is a no-no.  I felt sorry for him.  Six weeks in a cast meant no more extreme fitness workouts for him.  Others have suffered everything from pulled muscles to  exertional rhabdomyolysis, a potentially fatal disorder in which muscle fiber break down from over work, releasing specific proteins into the bloodstream which can damage the kidneys.  It's a form of dehydration which is extreme.

So, everything about this new trend is 'extreme'.  While it's marketed to couch potatoes and triatheletes alike, it's pushes the limits of sensible exercise to incredible and often disabling lengths.  Why do that?

This time of year, the gyms are overloaded with people working toward their New Year's Resolution to build a better body.  Nothing wrong with the gym, of course, but most of those folks will have gotten over it within the next few weeks.

Far better to start slow and work toward a sensible, reasoned exercise regimen.  If you want variety, take a few notes on the CrossFit strategy and incorporate them into your workout.  Change things up by walking backward, carrying weights, upping the elevation on the treadmill, or simply increasing either your speed or the duration of your walk.

The payoff may not be immediate, but there is a payoff.  You'll quickly begin to feel better, bypassing the pulled muscle and dehydration hurdles, and build an exercise regimen that you can incorporate into your schedule/routine and do anywhere any time it suits you.

If CrossFit is for you, go for it.  But, when you've given it up because of a torn this or a painful that, go back to your the exercise nature designed your body for - simply walking.


*************************** Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude. You can trust the information you find here. It's from a dedicated walker. Trust me and your life will get better! I promise.

Did You Make A New Year's Resolution?

How's it working for you?  Typically, within a few weeks of New Year's Day, any and all resolutions have fallen by the wayside.  I'm not one to make them.  I read this article and thought you should read it to.  So, please read and let me know what you think.

Also, if you have made a resolution for 2014 and you're still sticking to it, I'd love to hear about it and how you are accomplishing that.  



*************************** Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude. You can trust the information you find here. It's from a dedicated walker. Trust me and your life will get better! I promise.

That's What Friends Are For

Do you have any walking buddies?  I do!  I find that having friends I enjoy walking with is extremely motivational for me.  I walk with one friend twice a week, another friend three to four times a week, and two others on a less frequent basis.

When you get started on a regular regimen of walking, even when you look forward to  your walks, there are days that it's just hard to force yourself to lace up those shoes and hit the bricks.  Having a friend who counts on you to share the walk will get you over that hump every time!

So, lately, when I've been ailing, Kris nudged me, going so far as to pick me up a couple days to hit the treadmill at the gym when I was feeling crummy and very unmotivated.  I could only last 20-30 minutes on that treadmill, but every time it made me feel better.

So, now, the tables are turned.  Kris has the crud and I was able to pick her up today and get to the gym.  She has a habit of overdoing, so since I had the car keys, I limited our walk to 30 minutes.  I walked a bit faster on my treadmill, but she hung in for the 30 minutes and I had to tell her when the time was up.  From beginning to end, that 'work out' lasted 50 minutes, including drive time.

Everyone - and that means YOU - has an hour to give to yourself for walking or some other form of regular exercise.  For me, a day without walking or dancing means a night full of leg cramps and no sleep.  That's darn motivational for me.  So, I KNOW the short term fate that awaits me if I'm too lazy or sick or unmotivated to put in that little bit of time.  Even if it's a 20 minute walk in place in front of the TV.  I MUST DO IT.  The price for not doing it is too high for me.

So, since I love my friends, I sometimes push them a bit and they sometimes push me a bit.  Sometimes, the walk at the mall is 'puny' and I avoid the stairs if my asthma is being ugly.  Other times, I'm the one who can provide the little motivational edge to get a friend moving.

That's what friends are for.



*************************** Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude. You can trust the information you find here. It's from a dedicated walker. Trust me and your life will get better! I promise.