At the moment I am a big fan of CrossFit. It gets a lot of bad rap in the media and rightly so when it is taught poorly. If you are thinking of joining a CrossFit Box then ask the owners and trainers what qualifications they have. If it's just CrossFit certification and they have no other Fitness/Personal Training or Strength and Conditioning certifications then I would seriously question joining. It is these gyms that teach CrossFit poorly that give it a bad name. They don't monitor form and alignment and often get caught up in the sensationalised aspects of pushing the body to the extreme. Yes you have to work hard to see results but you shouldn't get injured while doing so. Train Dirty, but don't train to be sh*t!
Anyway enough of the negatives let's look at the benefits! I attend CrossFit Cork and can not recommend the trainers enough. They are all highly experienced and well educated in all manners of form and movement. They foster a positive ethos and genuinely care about helping everyone lead the healthiest life possible. We are like a little family and all encourage and help each other out all the time. They regularly hold fun sessions where we train together and then have a social, healthy BBQ where everyone brings a side or dessert. It's like being a part of a team. Check out their wonderful video here (keep an eye out for myself, I pop up in a few bits)
You do NOT have to be fit already to join. That is probably the biggest misconception. You would regularly have highly fit athletes training alongside people who have just got off the couch for the first time in 6 years!
There are no words to describe how good it feels to be strong. Looks aside I bounce out of bed each morning full of energy. I look at heavy things and know I can pick them up. I look at small people and know I can pick them up! It's exhilarating feeling and even better strength training is the most efficient way to lose fat. BOOM! Your body is a fascinating instrument when trained to function correctly. The empowerment that comes with strength training is mind blowing. 'No I'm not just strong for a girl, I'm just strong.'
My other movement of choice is yoga. I'll discuss this in another post soon but for me Yoga is just sheer bliss. Not only does it strengthen and stabalise the body, it does the same for the mind. And let's face it we all could do with more mental strength and stability to get us through this weird and wonderful world.
But either way, whatever movement you chose to do, the take home message is you should move EVERY DAY! Yes that's right you should do some form of exercise every day. I'll just leave that sink in for a minute...
The Irish Heart Foundation suggest 30 minutes of moderate activity (e.g. a brisk walk) everyday and that's just to maintain health. This needs to be increased if you want to lose unwanted fat or increase fitness.
But don't be disheartened. You don't need to spend 3 hrs a day in the gym. 20+ minutes of higher intensity work can be just as beneficial. Think about it. 20 minutes, that's the amount of time you spend on the Daily Mail app? Facebook? Watching some crappy TV show? And you don't need expensive gym memberships or equipment to do this. There are plenty of online tools to help you out.
Follow me on Pinterest for lots more of these quick and easy work outs (warning I do post a lot of puppy pictures on here also!). These workouts are a great when you are travelling or can't get to the gym. They are fantastic for people on a budget or who are stay at home parents and can't leave the house easily. Fitness is for everyone. You just need to know how!
If your current fitness regime is at zero then start small. Go for a walk or swim, go for a jog with friends. Eventually building up to become an every day activity.
I know people get bored with repetitive movement and so shake it up! At the moment my routine is:
CrossFit Mon/Wed/Fri
Yoga Tues/Thurs
Cycle to work typically Thursday
Sat/Sun either climb a mountain/hillwalk, go for a swim, go for a walk on the beach/go to the park/meet friends for kayak etc
Don't exercise to be skinny. Exercise to be healthy and strong. The minute you remove this obsession with looking a certain way you'll become obsessed with becoming healthy and that is so much more rewarding. It becomes a way of life. And guess what?! You'll begin to look amazing as a result. Win Win!
It doesn't have to be boring. Switch it up. Try out new things. There is a world of movement out there for you to enjoy. Your body will thank you.
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