Crossfit is a sport that aims to promote improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness, physical conditioning and muscle endurance through the combination of functional exercises, which are those whose movements are performed on a daily basis, and aerobic exercises, which are performed at high intensity, bringing several health benefits.
As the movements are varied and performed at high intensity, the practice of crossfit promotes improvement of physical conditioning, gains in muscle mass and ensures more strength, endurance and muscle definition, in addition to also promoting the health of the body and mind, since there are constant production and release of hormones related to the feeling of well-being.
It is important that the crossfit is performed under the guidance of a suitably qualified professional, as it is possible that the practitioner's limitations are perceived in order to avoid wrong movements and that may result in injuries. In addition, as it is a high-intensity examination, it is important that a medical evaluation is carried out before starting the practice in order to assess the person's general health and, thus, it can be verified whether the person is fit or not to practice crossfit.
Crossfit Benefits
The benefits of crossfit are due to exercises performed at high intensity under the guidance of a qualified crossfit instructor, the main ones being:
- Improved physical conditioning; Greater cardiorespiratory capacity; Decreased stress and / or anxiety, promoting a feeling of well-being and increased self-esteem; Strengthening and muscular endurance; Muscle toning, Gain lean mass and fat loss; Prevents injuries due to the increase in muscle mass; Stimulates team spirit, since the training is carried out in a group, allowing stimulation and encouragement among people who perform the same training.
Despite having several health benefits, it is important that training be performed following the instructions of the crossfit instructor. This is because when the movements are performed without guidance from an instructor, in the wrong way or with a load not appropriate for the person, there may be muscle injuries, since the muscle is not stimulated correctly in order to prevent injuries, in addition to there being joint involvement.
In addition, some studies show that the improper practice of crossfit can lead to rhabdomyolysis, which is characterized by the destruction of muscle fibers, with muscle pain, lack of strength and difficulty in moving the legs or arms, for example. Understand what rhabdomyolysis is and how to identify it.
How To Do Crossfit Workout
Crossfit can be practiced by all people, regardless of age and physical condition, however it is important that before starting the practice, medical examinations are performed to check if the person has any contraindications.
Crossfit exercises are performed progressively, that is, sedentary people and physically active people who have never practiced crossfit begin the exercises with little or no load in order to promote the body's adaptation to movement and avoid muscle injuries. As workouts are performed and movements are improved, more load is added in order to make training more intense and ensure more benefits.
Crossfit workouts last an average of 1 hour and are usually divided into three parts:
- Warm-up, which corresponds to the initial part of the training and which aims to warm up the muscles and prepare them for the training to be performed, preventing the occurrence of injuries. Dynamic or technical stretching, in which the movement of some exercises is perfected, this being the moment when there must be experimentation of loads so that there is no compromise in the technique; Workout of the day , popularly known as WOD, in which the exercises previously worked are performed, but at a greater intensity and in a pre-established time. This is the moment when the intensity of the training is greater and that allows more benefits, since the objective is to perform the training determined by the instructor, which consists of several series of exercises performed at the time of the technique, in the shortest possible time and with little or no interval between exercises.
It is important that crossfit training is performed under the guidance of a certified instructor so that the movements are performed correctly and at the appropriate intensity for each person, avoiding muscle and / or joint injuries. In addition, in order to have the maximum benefits, it is important that the food is appropriate to the type of physical activity performed and caloric expenditure, and it is recommended that the diet plan be made by a nutritionist according to the person's nutritional needs. See how food should be for crossfit practitioners.
