CrossFit is one of the most extreme forms of exercise out there. If done improperly, CrossFit can lead to injuries. If done properly and with caution, it can be a great form of exercise. One key is to ease into the program and not overdo it. Another key is to take breaks to recover whenever you feel any type of an injury and don’t try to “work through” the injury.
This intense strength and conditioning program involves perpetually changing and challenging intervals of aerobics, body weight exercises, gymnastics and Olympic weight lifting.
Everyone isn’t happy with Crossfit. The founder, Greg Glassman has over 90 lawyers defending the CrossFit brand and that includes a lawsuit against researchers who reported some of the participants dropped out of the CrossFit study due to injuries.
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Clearly, extreme sport has risks and the nature of CrossFit can heighten the risk of injury if you’re not taught correctly from the start, or fail to heed your own physical limits.
Glassman has even gone on record saying: “It can kill you. I’ve always been completely honest about that.” That and the fact that he says that he has 90 lawyers on staff to defend him from lawsuits, suggests you clearly need to exercise caution when considering a CrossFit gym.
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Part of the company’s success and probably part of its problem, is that anyone who wants to open a CrossFit gym (referred to as “a box”) can do so. All that’s required is a $3,000 annual fee and a two-day certification course.
It’s certainly better than nothing, but it’s much like seeing a doctor who went to school for one month.
It’s quite possible to join a CrossFit gym where the trainers have minimal knowledge, so it’s important to make sure your trainer has additional training and certifications, to increase their understanding of proper form and body mechanics.
CrossFit can be effective if and when done with proper form and some common sense. In fact, if you find a CrossFit gym with good trainers, it may be one of the best fitness programs you can engage in.