Thoughts On Fitness

Thoughts on fitness. Growing up, I was not an athletic kid. I have vision problems so anything involving a ball is not my jam. I tried to play baseball (ha!) one season, but that was a tragedy. I also played one game of church league volleyball and hit some poor guy in the back of his head when it was my turn to serve. Flag football turned out to be something I enjoyed, but I could only play defense. My  primary job was to run like hell at the offensive line and try to freak them out (and not get called offsides).

I took dance lessons from the time I was 4 until I got married and I loved it, but I was never going to be a prima ballerina. Have you seen me? Long, lean and graceful don’t exactly describe my limbs. Flexibility didn’t allow me to be very bendy either so I was more of a ploppy, ploddy ballerina. God bless Mrs. Linda for her patience.

In middle school I found cheerleading, but I was too heavy to be flier. I’m scared of heights so that didn’t help either. I was too weak to be a base so that left me with one job.  I made an excellent sign holder! And on special occasions, I got to hold a megaphone! I tried out for the high school squad but they required everyone to have a back handspring (see flexibility issue above).

 As an adult, I tried to be a runner, but then again, have you seen my body? Runner’s high is something mythical that I never experienced. Unless it was that moment that I was hyper-ventilating at the end of a 5k because I tried to sprint across the finish line and was seeing stars and the world was spinning. Hmmm…

Enter CrossFit.

I was about 30 when I went to my first CrossFit class and discovered that it was something I could do and I enjoyed it! My body puts on muscle easily, so that’s an obvious plus in CF. My levers aren’t bad for the lifts and weirdly, the gymnastics movements came pretty naturally.  We do run in CF and that still sucks, but I can tell I’m getting better all the time. CrossFit was/is the thing that finally made fitness fun for me.

Another thing CrossFit brought out in me was a highly competitive side I didn’t really know I had. I’d never been good enough at anything to stand a snowballs chance at winning a competition. I won’t say I hate to lose, because it doesn’t really bother me to lose to a better opponent. I just don’t want to let someone down that is watching me and taking cues from me. Goal setting has always been important to me. If I say I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it or go down trying.

CrossFit rewards hard work.

For me, CrossFit is my fitness. For you, it might be running. It might be yoga. It might be tennis. Whatever is it, YAY YOU!

If you don’t have a fitness regime that is fun and enjoyable, find something! Your body is a gift and if you aren’t exercising, you aren’t honoring that gift.

I’d love for you to try CrossFit with us at CrossFit Murray. You might find you love the challenge and the great community of people and that you look forward to working out each day. If you decide it’s not for you, I understand. Lol, I have lots of friends that run and I think they are crazy! J