The Benefits of CrossFit Training

CrossFit is a high-intensity training program focusing on functional movements to improve muscle strength and conditioning. It incorporates movements from gymnastics, Olympic weightlifting, and cardio to design routines that enhance fitness and muscle building. The movements mimic routine actions in our daily lives, including squatting, picking something up off the floor, carrying weighted objects, and pulling and pushing items. Participants receive free daily updates regarding the workout of the day (WOD) on the CrossFit website.

This form of training has become extremely popular, and there is a growing number of enthusiasts and specialized gyms, popularly known as boxes, across the US and the world. There are an estimated 13,000 CrossFit gyms in 120 countries. The US has over 7,000 gyms, and there are an estimated 4 million CrossFitters around the globe. This popularity is linked to the program’s benefits and the ability to customize its exercises for home workouts.

CrossFit training has several health benefits. First, after working out consistently, members improve their physical strength. These high-intensity multi-joint movements focus on load, speed, and distance. Participants gain muscles quickly because of the stress and the variety of the workout. Further, they achieve physical strength, since the program is built on gradually increasing weights and repetitions.

Second, the program improves members’ aerobic fitness. This fitness denotes the body’s ability to take in oxygen and utilize it in producing energy for the muscles. Aerobic fitness is assessed by the maximum volume of oxygen the lungs can utilize during an intense workout. CrossFitters’ lungs, hearts, and vascular systems develop high capacities to deliver the required oxygen levels to their muscles. This oxygen can be extracted to create the energy carrier adenosine triphosphate.

Participants can also manage their weights more effectively in CrossFit training than in traditional workouts. One-minute sessions of this high-intensity workout can burn 13 to 18 calories depending on the person’s weight, while conventional exercise burns 9 to 11 calories. Besides, CrossFitters can burn additional calories during their recovery periods, and also gain access to healthy diet plans to help manage their weight.

CrossFit exercises are well-suited for those willing to improve their movements before pushing their limits with weights. All age groups are encouraged to participate, but it is essential to consult a physical therapist before starting the program. As with any training program there is a risk of injury, so professional guidance is invaluable for safety. Pregnant women and individuals with severe injury histories or significant health issues should consult their doctors before joining a CrossFit gym. It is advisable to register with local CrossFit boxes and begin under the guidance of an experienced coach to avoid injury.

Additionally, this training is convenient because beginners can start by using their body weight. CrossFitters can gradually build their home gyms by adding several cost-friendly types of equipment, including dumbbells, kettlebells, and a skipping rope. An established home CrossFit gym may also have pull-up bars, various weights, wall balls, a box, and gymnastic rings.

A typical CrossFit session takes about 45 minutes to an hour. The program’s first step is a warm-up to prepare the body and muscles for exercises and to avoid injuries. Step two involves planning for high-intensity strength-building with weights or cardio. Trainers offer guidance on the maximum weights CrossFitters can lift safely, including short intervals between each activity. In the third step, participants work out using CrossFit’s WOD, which defines the movements and the number of repetitions for each exercise.

The last step involves cooling down. CrossFitters stretch or run short distances to enable their heart rate to normalize after intense activity. CrossFit boxes charge a monthly membership fee averaging $150, and their range of equipment caters to all ages, including children.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/khBW9FP
via IFTTT

Summer Running Tips – Do’s and Don’t’s

Running in the summer may be more stressful to the runner due to the hot weather. This means that the body has to work harder to keep cool, and because of the sweat, the runner has less blood available to pump oxygen to the muscles. Skin chafing is also common in runners during hot or humid weather, as well as a higher breath and heart rate.

Running in fewer clothes is a good way to prevent chafing of the skin. It is also advisable to wear loose-fitting running gear to allow as much air as possible on the body while running. Light-colored running clothes are better for running in hot conditions, unlike dark-colored clothes, as light colors are poor absorbers of heat.

Before hitting the trail, runners should endeavor to use sunscreen containing SPF (sun protection factor) to protect the skin from sun damage. The sunscreen should also be sweat resistant to prevent the product from dripping down the skin as a result of the heat and entering the runner’s eyes which may cause pain.

To avoid the brunt of the heat, runners should endeavor to run early in the morning or late in the evening as temperatures around those periods will be lower than midday and early evening temperatures and the humidity would be lower.

A warm-up is essential to a run in any weather, but more so during the summer. A good warm-up before the run helps the runner slowly increase their breathing rate, heart rate, and blood flow, which helps pump oxygen more efficiently throughout the body and enables the runner to complete more strenuous workouts. Warming up after the run also helps reduce the build-up of stress on the runner’s heart and lungs, and dilates the blood vessels.

Trail running is a good idea during the summer, because of the number of trees that can provide shade from the sun. Asphalt and concrete roads absorb more heat during the summer and can transfer that heat to the runner. Nature trails may also have water bodies that the runner can cool off if the weather becomes too hot.

Hydration is a must for every runner and it is even more necessary during the summer. Runners should carry water bottles or hydration vests during the run to ensure that they stay properly hydrated, regulate body temperature, cushion the joints and provide more energy. They may also stash water bottles along their route if they prefer to run without hindrances. Running with friends is also a good idea in case one forgets to bring water, as the presence of more people on the trail heightens the probability of getting fluids to refresh the body.

Because the body exerts more energy running in the heat, runners may find that completing their run at their usual pace becomes more strenuous. Running slowly in hot weather is a good way to conserve energy and reduce the chances of getting heatstroke. Runners should either reduce the length of their run during the summer or the intensity.

Runners should also listen to their bodies and watch out for heatstroke symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, muscle cramps, and clammy or hot skin. When the heat proves too much in the summer, it is okay for a runner to take breaks and reschedule their run.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/jPTk3U9
via IFTTT