Why cross fit isn’t for everyone - Listen to your body.
Let’s jump straight into it – I recently gave up CrossFit. I had been doing CrossFit at an excellent Box in Central London for about 3.5 years - I first started about a year before I qualified as a personal trainer. It had a place in time in my life, and I don’t regret a minute of it.
I had enough of lifting really heavy weights, especially above my head. For me there was something that intuitively didn’t feel right anymore, or align with my body in doing so. However everyone is different and when I say it didn’t feel right – it didn’t feel right for me. Me and my body – how it feels – is different to other bodies and what it physically needs in order to feel good. As a personal trainer this is something I instil into all of my clients. The questions I always ask are “what are your goals?” but more importantly “what feels good for your body?”
There are also many factors involved when contemplating this – physical health at the time, age, pregnancy, new mum, injury, illness, stress… all of these things impact how your body intuitively feels and what it needs (physically) to feel good. So there is a balance between pushing the boundaries of comfort in order to achieve your goals, to maintaining a level of integrity within your body for long term physical and mental health.
And so coming back to the CrossFit topic – and don’t get me wrong here this isn’t about discarding the activity. I think it’s fantastic for a lot of people, in a lot of ways. When managed right CrossFit and it’s “box” can provide a routine which incorporates so much functional fitness goodness in a very safe way. And it’s also a super fitness community and support from like minded people. I met so many amazing people through CrossFit, most of them are amongst the most positive and healthy people I know.
Personally, in my own fitness journey it’s not for me anymore. My body needs attention in other areas and we must all learn to intuitively pay attention to this and not get stuck in one type of training.
I’ve always felt quite invincible and extremely strong in my body. Getting sick recently has taught me the hard way that the body keeps track. You can’t outrun two things: stress and lack of mobility work.
After some time off I’m slowly getting back into lifting weights which for a lot of woman would be considered “quite heavy”. It would be considered extremely on the light side for any self respecting CrossFit girl. 20KG barbell lifts of every description and lots of 12kg kettlebell work. Ankle weight routine with a step. Fun! In my home. Music playing loudly and in complete privacy – I highly recommend it!
But that’s what it’s all about. It’s about finding something that works for you. Getting to know your body.
LISTENING TO YOUR BODY.
I’m also going to slowly introduce Pilates after not doing it for several years. And I practice yoga at home a few mornings a week.
Right now I feel a shift in my consciousness. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older. I feel more aware of time, my mortality and that of my loved ones. I want to enjoy every single day as much as I can – friends, nature and beauty in every description.
It also goes for food and cooking. I no longer want to spend another second thinking about whether I should not bake or cook something delicious because it’s too fattening. I want to cook and bake exactly what I feel like, what will make me happy and the people I am feeding happy! Some days that will be vegan - tonnes of salads and veg and some days it will be grilled chicken or salmon with broccoli (basically what has been my go-to dinner for years) and other days it will be a kick ass steak or roast with all the trimmings – I still don’t care for Yorkshire pudding though ;) I’ve believed in balance for years but now I want to really embrace all that it means to the fullest. That doesn’t mean I want to eat junk food. I don’t. I’m talking good, organic, locally sourced (as much as possible) home cooking along with a good vino.
In Health & Happiness –
