[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.0.47″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.0.47″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”]By Coach LaMonté

As we age, we have two choices: accept our declining bodies and abilities, sit around until we die…OR fight the aging process with everything we’ve got. As obesity rates skyrocket so do chronic diseases (diabetes, heart disease, many types of cancer, etc.) which diminish our quality of life. Again, do we just take the medications and then wait for the inevitable? I’m here to tell you that you DO NOT have to. You do have a choice and you do have control of your body. Does that mean you can live forever? No, of course not. But it does mean that you can GREATLY increase your quality of life, and likely greatly increase the QUANTITY of your life as well.

Is it too late? NEVER. At CF WOR, we will never tell you that you are too sick, too out of shape, too tired, or too old to get fit. More and more people are discovering fitness at a later age and becoming body builders, running marathons, and yes, even doing CrossFit. In 2017, the oldest ‘Master’ at the CrossFit Games was 65 – and he didn’t set foot in a CrossFit gym until he was 58 years old.

So now that we’ve established that, YES, you can do CrossFit and retake control of your life, let’s talk about some helpful tips so that you can be successful when you start.

1. Set attainable, realistic goals: You will not be able to run a mile or do 100 air squats in the first month. But guess what? After a month of CrossFit, you may find yourself at home, squatting in your garden and doing yard-work for much longer than ever before – THAT is the type of goal we are talking about. How long has it been since you’ve been pain free getting out of bed? How about sleeping without sleep aids or a CPAP machine? RAN around chasing your grandkids? These are the types of goals we talk about and set during our No Sweat Intro process and in our follow up goal-setting sessions throughout the year.
2.  Stay positive – how long did it take for you to get into the health state that you are in now? It may take a while to get into a healthy state – be patient and stay positive. Changes don’t come overnight, but THEY.WILL.COME.
3. Make sure you are getting plenty of recovery time in throughout the week. CrossFit recommends working out for 3 days on and then 1 day off. You should be taking 2-3 rest days during the week. These can be active rest days (gardening, going for a walk), but still more restful than if you were in the gym. You should also make sure that you are getting plenty of sleep. A minimum of 7 hours per night in order to help your body fully recover.
4. Listen to your body. If you have an ache/pain, your body may be trying to tell you something. TELL YOUR COACH. They can help you modify the movements so that you can still get your workout it, but without worsening any of your aches/pains. If your body is telling you to take an extra rest day during the week because you’ve had a particularly stressful week, do it. If your body is itching to get into the gym, do it. And always consult your doctor before starting a new fitness program. We prioritize safety for all of our athletes at CF WOR and will do everything in our power to encourage you while also protecting you.
5. Compete with yourself only – not the younger athletes, and not a younger version of yourself. Compete with yourself, at your age now, and enjoy every single positive change that you have made and celebrate it! At CF WOR we celebrate Personal Records – both big and small! And we LOVE seeing our Masters athletes PR – it may be working out the entire hour without having to stop early; it may be touching their toes; it may be doing a forward roll. It’s all a reason to celebrate because it’s one more step that you have taken to fight aging and gain incredible quality of life.

The benefits of fitness are too many to number. But I will conclude with one benefit you may not have realized: brain health. The current thinking is that resistance and physical exercise represents a promising nonpharmaceutical intervention to prevent age-related cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia and Alzheimers. One study even found that, in active older adults, when they stopped exercising for just 10 days, blood flow was decreased to several areas of their brains including the hippocampus. Just as your cardiovascular endurance will decrease after 10 days without exercise, now we know there is potential for cognitive decline as well…imagine what 10+ years without exercise can do to the brain…I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to find out. If there is the potential for decreasing my chance of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s, I’m all in. I hope you are too.

If you’re ready to get started with our expert coaches who will work hard to keep you safe, make you feel comfortable, help you reach your goals, and cheer you on all along the way, then sign up for a Free No Sweat Intro and let’s chat! No sales pressure, ever. We just want to have the chance to answer any questions you have, learn about your goals, and help you develop a plan for reaching them.
Sign up for a Free “No Sweat Intro” today!
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