Know the Factors That Affects Your CrossFit Routine and Be Strong and Healthy
Fitness has become a real concern and everyone is in search of best workouts to keep them strong, healthy and in good shape. Fitness requires ability to perform the given task in a better way compared to the other individual. Though there are so many workouts out there to keep you fit, the new trend is CrossFit, which includes vigorous and intense workouts.
CrossFit
CrossFit was first introduced for military, police, and athletes. However, it suits people of any age and fitness level except for those who have heart problems. Instead of doing the same exercises as a daily routine, in CrossFit daily we do a different set of exercises for example, dead lift, squats, dips, push-ups, polymetric jumping in a variety of combinations.
Though it fits everyone and a great substitute for routine workout, almost everyone suffers back injury from CrossFit and shoulder pain. Since it is a high intensity workout, risk of injuries is also high when you increase the intensity of your workouts or when you are lifting more weights.
CrossFit Basics
CrossFit is high intense power fitness workout. Keeping the workouts short and intense, do a pattern of exercises taking very little interval time between any two workouts.
It is a regimen that is created to develop the fitness to improve physical skills like endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, speed. Through proper training and practice these skills are improved.
A proper CrossFit regimen should be in such a way that it balances the effects of the phosphagen, glycolytic and oxidative pathways. It leads to common fault in fitness training when it doesn’t maintain balance.
Why should you do CrossFit?
It helps you gain muscle strength and increases your endurance level. By adding weights to your workouts, it helps in muscle gain.
You can also try the workout of the day, which is a part of CrossFit program. Each day a different set of workouts are posted and you need to do as many repetitions as possible within the given timeframe.
By doing CrossFit you can easily burn more calories when compared to other workouts. And you burn calories at recovery time too. If you are in your weight loss journey, apart from doing CrossFit, incorporate clean diet in your regimen.
Since you are being watched by a well-trained coach and will be warned before any mishappening that could happen. So, nothing to worry about injuries.
CrossFit Spinal Injuries
There are two types of spinal injuries one can experience, lower back pain and Rhabdomyolysis or Rhabdo.
Lower back pain is caused by over extended muscles when you do exercises or lift more weights. If you feel chronic pain for more than three months, it’s high time for you to get medications.
Rhabdomyolysis results from muscle fibers dying and getting into the bloodstream. It may feel like severe lower back pain, but to confirm whether it is Rhabdo or not, check that your urine color is normal or it looks red or brown. If it is not normal then seek immediate medical attention otherwise it may lead to kidney failure.
Causes for Lower Back Pain
Lifting heavy weights: When you lift heavy weights in an unusual way, your spine doesn’t get support and it becomes hard to lift the weights. Muscles tend to tear causing lower back pain.
Core Stability: rather than attractive muscles we need core stability to be able to do the entire workout. Instead of targeting core stability, CrossFit focuses on high rep lifts with max weight within a certain time gap which results in hurting yourself.
Sciatica: pain starts from spine and radiates down back of the leg, that typically affects one side of the body. when the sciatic nerve becomes inflamed, heavy lifting makes it worse and you may have to refrain yourself from going to gym.
Sudden workout: after long hours of sitting at office, people think going to gym and have a blast workout will keep them fit. Though it can keep you fit, it may hurt your hip flexors leading to lower hip pain. To avoid this, it is always better to do your regimen in a slow and steady phase after a long day of rest.
You cannot benefit from doing exercises without maintaining proper form and just by doing the required reps. It may lead to herniated disc causing unbearable pain in your spine area. In such cases immediate medical care should be taken.
Treating CrossFit injuries
Though it is a fact that CrossFit causes injuries and damages to your body, it doesn’t mean that you are doomed to suffering. Workouts are needed to keep you in good shape and healthy. So, it is better to know how to prevent injuries and how to heal them.
Here are some measures to try
Massages: Massages like visceral massages and sports massages help relax the muscles and increases the blood flow.
Orthopedics: when the pain is to be healed from its root and not the affected area, well-trained doctors treat the nervous system to address this.
Home remedies: sometimes trying some home remedies like ginger roots, turmeric, green tea, are used in healing the swelling caused by injuries.
Some Measures to Be Taken If You Want to Try CrossFit
If you spend most of the time sitting or idle, then don’t jump suddenly into high intense workouts. Before you start doing workouts always do warm up and prepare your muscles for the heavy workouts.
Consistency is important. For any workout to get results, you must perform it regularly.
Give enough time for your muscles to recover from the high intense workouts. Increase your speed and weights gradually. Improve your level at a slower pace.
Stretching exercises will also help relax muscles.
If you feel you can’t do it then it is better to refrain from doing. Listen to what your body says. Don’t push your body to the extreme level of discomfort.
And finally, it is always good to maintain a healthy and clean diet.
As seen, injuries are so common when you do CrossFit. Just keep informed of what to do immediately when you get injured.
If you are in need of any treatment for your lower hip pain or shoulder pain, visit ReVITALize Rehab Club and get relieved of all the factors that hold you back. Keep fit and stay healthy!
