Will Exercise Prevent Dementia?

Great article about exercise and the ability to stave off Alzheimer's .

""Study shows that age-related differences in brain health - specifically the strength of connections between different regions of the brain - vary with fitness level in older adults. The findings suggest that greater cardiorespiratory fitness - a measure of aerobic endurance - relates to stronger brain connections and likely improves long-term brain function in aging populations."READ THE ARTICLE HERE.

[Please click on one of these buttons to "like"on Facebook or, to rank this post on Google-thanks so much,it helps my blog rating.]

NSCA Admits Publishing False Claims about CrossFit Injuries!

"The National Strength and Conditioning Association is asking the public to disregard the claims its study made regarding injuries in CrossFit. After two years of inaction and litigation, the NSCA has finally issued an erratum, or correction, regarding one of its most prominent studies."

The study claimed:

" “Crossfit-Based High-Intensity Power Training Improves Maximal Aerobic Fitness and Body Composition,” ......that 16 percent of its subjects cited “overuse or injury” as their reasons for not completing the training." .............."This may call into question the risk-benefit ratio for such extreme training programs …"

Needless to say the CrossFit Legal Team took issue with such extreme suppositions and went to battle in the court system for the last two years to make the NSCA take back their unsubstantiated claims.

To read the entire article please click here.

[Please click on one of these buttons to "like"on Facebook or, to rank this post on Google-thanks so much,it helps my blog rating.]

THIS VIDEO IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!

Replaced knees, hips, shoulders AND diabetes!

WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE!

Watch Constance Here!

[Please click on one of these buttons to "like"on Facebook or, to rank this post on Google-thanks so much,it helps my blog rating.]

A Crossfitter's Guide to Picking the Right Physical Therapist! OR "4 Signs You Picked The Wrong Physical Therapist"

The suggestions in this article are pretty accurate. I would suggest that a lot of these "guidelines" could also apply to picking an orthopedist. When searching for a Doctor who would treat my knee it was important to me that they understood that I was going to continue to workout (and by working out I meant Crossfit). I visited 4 Doctors until I found one that would listen to me and my concerns and go forward with my wishes in mind.

 

1.   Your physical therapist doesn’t have a squat rack or kettle bells.

 

2.   Your physical therapists doesn’t actually watch you do the activities that aggravate you.

3.   Your physical therapist gives you some handouts for home exercises that look like they were put together in the 1980s.

 

4.   Your physical therapist tells you to stop doing CrossFit.

 

"Don’t tell them to stop doing what they love. We have to teach these athletes how to maintain their bodies, improve movement faults and train in a smart manner."

 To read the entire article please click here

[Please click on one of these buttons to "like"on Facebook or, to rank this post on Google-thanks so much,it helps my blog rating.]

"How does Age affect improvement in CrossFit?"

From Beyond the Whiteboard:

"In this article we’ll be throwing age into the mix. We’ll explore the relationship between an athlete’s Age and improvement time in CrossFit. How much of a difference is there in improvement times between a 25 year-old and a 45 year-old? This is an especially important question when considering the validity and necessity of age-divisions in competitions, such as the various Master’s Divisions at the CrossFit Games."

" After analyzing the data, we found that there is a strong correlation between an athlete’s age and how long it took them to improve their BTWB Fitness Level by 10 levels. As an example, on average, it took 45 year old athletes nearly 2 months longer (32% longer) to improve from a level 60 to a level 70 when compared to their 25 year old counterparts."

"We know of many athletes, because of CrossFit, who claim to be more fit at 50 then they were at 30. CrossFit isn’t just trying to extend life expectancy. It’s also trying to extend the number of functionally independent, enjoyable years. A grandma who can deadlift 150 pounds is not going to have issues getting out of bed, getting dressed, picking up grandkids, etc."

To read the entire article, click HERE

[Please click on one of these buttons to "like"on Facebook or, to rank this post on Google-thanks so much,it helps my blog rating.]

Run Slowly=Live Longer!!! WooHoo!!!!

"Plodding joggers tended to live longer than those who were faster. And in fact, the people who jogged the most frequently and at the fastest pace — who were, in effect, runners rather than joggers — did not enjoy much benefit in terms of mortality. In fact, their lifespans tended to be about the same as among people who did not exercise at all."

Read the article HERE

[Please click on one of these buttons to "like"on Facebook or, to rank this post on Google-thanks so much,it helps my blog rating.]

"Crossfit is a Way of Life"

[Please click on one of these buttons to "like"on Facebook or, to rank this post on Google-thanks so much,it helps my blog rating.]

HAVE YOU HEARD OF "CROPFIT"!

CROPFIT!!

[Please click on one of these buttons to "like"on Facebook or, to rank this post on Google-thanks so much,it helps my blog rating.]

Awesome New Crossfit You Tube Video-"100 Words"

FITNESS IN

ONE HUNDRED WORDS

Crossfit Commercial Spot: 

watch it here!

[Please click on one of these buttons to "like"on Facebook or, to rank this post on Google-thanks so much,it helps my blog rating.]

SO MANY Opinions about Crossfit!!!

I recently came across two very different articles on Facebook. One very PRO Crossfit and One very ANTI Crossfit. I am going to post links to both of them so you can read them and make your own opinions.

 

Then, I came across a blog post that came to the exact same conclusion that I had after reading the above articles. It summed up perfectly just what I was feeling after reading the two strongly written opinion pieces.

The writer states at the end of her blog post: 

 

" So here’s what I recommend to everyone. Live the life that makes YOU the happiest. Whether that’s paleo, gluten free, pure gluten, CrossFit, jazzercise, marriage, single, muscular, skinny, really whatever. I don’t care. It’s your life. Do what makes YOU the best kind of person. Not because other people do it, but because you love it. And while you’re at it, try to keep your negative comments to yourself. No, don’t try. Just do it."

 

 NEGATIVE ARTICLE IS HERE

 

 

POSITIVE ARTICLE IS HERE

 

 THE COMMON SENSE ARTICLE IS HERE

[Please click on one of these buttons to "like"on Facebook or, to rank this post on Google-thanks so much,it helps my blog rating.]

Why The Amanda Workout???

This is a great piece reminding us why these workouts are named what they are. Amanda was an amazing young woman with an amazing story. Please read the following post and re-think your decision to complain. It does put everything in to perspective for us.

"What I learned about Amanda was that she was a fighter. She fought hard for everything she accomplished and even when she was sick, she continued to fight. What struck me most, is that she would post a blog outlining her chemo treatments, swelling in her liver, nausea and vomiting, and then post her workout results from that day’s training."

READ MORE HERE

 

[Please click on one of these buttons to "like"on Facebook or, to rank this post on Google-thanks so much,it helps my blog rating.]

"ACCEPTING YOUR CROSSFIT BODY"

THIS.BLOG POST.IS.AWESOME!!!

Crossfit Ladies and Partners of Crossfit Ladies, it is a MUST read!

an excerpt:

"....I LOVE HOW I LOOK NAKED! I wish I could spend more time being naked! Even in my WOD clothes, I look in the mirror and I truly am happy with seeing my body progress and get stronger!
I love my arms.
I love my shoulders.
I love my chest.
I love my back.
I love my ass.
I love my thighs

In real clothes, I feel boxy, broad, wide, thick, and all other synonyms. My once trusty companion, the size medium, stretches across my back and through my biceps and leaves me feeling insanely uncomfortable."

READ THE ENTIRE POST HERE

[Please click on one of these buttons to "like"on Facebook or, to rank this post on Google-thanks so much,it helps my blog rating.]

"Is Crossfit Destroying the World"

Another great article about Crossfit and the best ways to choose a box!!

This one is from STACK.COM

"Nothing captures the spirit of the recent onslaught of criticism and unease over CrossFit, an intense strength and conditioning program now enjoying global popularity, more than a line on the cover of Outside magazine's December issue. With a tongue-in-cheek edge, the copy asks, Is CrossFit Destroying the World?"

 "The stories point out correctly that the number of people injured while performing CrossFit routines has increased. But what they don't address in many cases is that the number of CrossFitters has blown up over the past few years. According to CrossFit HQ, at the beginning of 2007, there were 13 affiliate gyms, also known as boxes. In early 2012, there were 4,000. Since then, the number of boxes in operation is reportedly twice that number. Outside reports that the latest tally is around 10,000 boxes in the world. If the number of participants goes up, doesn't it follow that the number of people getting injured would go up too?"

 “Calling CrossFit dangerous is like saying ‘vehicular transportation is dangerous’ or ‘physical activity is dangerous.' Both are statements that might have some truth to them, but are woefully inadequate by themselves.”

Chang says that common sense goes a long way toward getting the benefits out of a CrossFit program while minimizing injury risk."His tips for athletes who want to do that?"

1. Find the licensed CrossFit boxes in your area

2. Narrow the list

3. What’s their plan?

4. Avoid chipper-obsessed boxes

5. Strength is a strength

6. Use proper mechanics with obsessive consistency

7. Develop intensity gradually

8. Take care of your body

9. Be responsible

10. Remember: There is no such thing as a perfectly safe activity.

TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE

PLEASE CLICK HERE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Please click on one of these buttons to "like"on Facebook or, to rank this post on Google-thanks so much,it helps my blog rating.]

Why I DON’T Eat a Paleo Diet…But Close

ORIGINALLY PRINTED AT THE WEBSITE:   http://www.draxe.com/why-i-dont-eat-a-paleo-diet-but-close/

by Dr. Josh Axe on January 17, 2013

The Paleo (Paleolithic) diet is one of the most popular diet’s in America today.  The Paleo Diet, also known as the cave-man diet or hunter gatherer diet is based on the idea that before modern agriculture (Paleolithic era 2.5 million years ago to 10,000 B.C.) the human body evolved and adapted to eating a diet consisting of wild plants and animals.
Many Crossfit athletes are now following the paleo diet to get stronger, leaner, faster, and improve recovery time.
I recently did a radio interview with my friend Mark Sisson who is one of the leading experts on the Paleo Diet and runs a company called Primal Nutrition. While I don’t believe in many of the evolutionary theories of paleo, I do think that our bodies adhere better to a diet high in vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and wild meats which fall into the hunter gatherer lifestyle.
Here I want to discuss the Good and Bad about the paleo diet…
First, What Are Paleo Foods?
The paleo diet consists of foods that can be hunted or fished like meat, organ meat and seafood and foods that can be gathered like eggs, fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices.
Foods that are not on the paleo diet are anything processed, grains, legumes (beans and peanuts), raw dairy, salt, and oils.
Raw Dairy is considered by some experts to be paleo while others believe it doesn’t make the list.  A paleo diet with dairy added in is called a Neo-Paleo diet.
The Good and Bad of the Paleo Diet
I believe there are 3 major positive aspects of the paleo diet.
1. Nothing Processed – One of the major upsides of the paleo diet is that it rescripts ALL processed foods and recommends mostly raw foods.  In America today 80+% of the foods we eat are highly processed genetically modified foods.  So any diet that recommends you eat foods in their natural state is a positive.
2. Wild Caught Meat – A paleo diet is high in Omega-3 fatty acids and lower in Omega-6 fatty acids.  According to paleo experts 60% of food energy should come from animal foods like wild caught fish, bison, deer, turkey, and eggs.  All of these foods are high in omega-3 fatty acids in which the Standard American Diet is greatly deficient.  Omega-3 fats can reduce inflammation, improve neurological function, aid in digestion, improve focus, and restore healthy skin just to name a few.
3. Raw Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts and Seeds – A paleo diet recommends 40% of food energy come from Raw nutrient dense foods.  As the saying goes in American, we are overfed, but undernourished.  So consuming larger amounts of nutrient dense foods like vegetables is far superior to a diet primarily consisting of low nutrient grains.
I also follow a diet of minimal grains and when I do consume grains on occasion those grains have been sprouted.  By not eating grains you are also eliminating gluten in which many american’s have developed sensitivities to.
Why I DON’T Eat Paleo
The foundational reason I don’t follow the paleo diet is because it stems from a belief system based on macroevolution, while I personally am a creationist. Also, the Paleo diet eliminates Raw cultured dairy like Yogurt, Kefir, and Amasai which I believe to be one of the healthiest foods in the world if done right.
In addition, here are some foods that I don’t consume but are recommended on the Paleo Diet:

• Alligator
• Catfish
• Ostrich
• Pork
• Shellfish
• Snakes

If you’ve read my article on Pork you will known that some of these animals are common carriers of parasites and are bottom feeders like shellfish and catfish.
The Healing Foods Diet
So what eating plan or diet should you follow?  I recommend eating “healing foods”.  Foods that both follow a hunter-gatherer like lifestyle but also follow science and kosher/biblical eating principles.  These foods are nutrient dense and free of toxins.
Healing Foods include:

• Vegetables
• Herbs
• Fruits
• Nuts (sprouted)
• Seeds (sprouted)
• Organic Grass-fed Meat and Wild Game
• Free-range Poultry and Eggs
• Wild Caught Fish
• Pastured Raw Dairy

[Please click on one of these buttons to "like"on Facebook or, to rank this post on Google-thanks so much,it helps my blog rating.]

Debunking the Myth: "I Need to Get in Shape to Do Crossfit!"

FROM AN ARTICLE POSTED ON THE BLOG "BOXROX".

1.  I need to get in shape first

" Frankly, it doesn’t matter what shape you’re in when you start crossfit. Most likely it will suck either way. The only way to get in shape for crossfit, is to do crossfit."

2.  I will look like an idiot in front of others

" “Oh my god, I cant’ believe you can’t even do regular push-ups” said NO ONE EVER. We will high five you and tell you you did a great job."

 3.  But, look at those athletes on YouTube!

"Sure, they look like they walked straight off the set of the 300 movie, but then again, these folks made crossfit their profession,"

 4.  Seriously, I can’t do pull-ups, push-ups or squat!

"Pretty much 90% of the people that start crossfit, can’t do that."

 5.  Crossfit will make me bulky (for the ladies)

 "This is a frequently discussed topic, since it involves a personal view on aesthetics, that differs per person....."

(let me assure the ladies that while you will look better naked, unless you train very hard, you will not get bulky)

To read the entire article and to become even closer to taking the Crossfit plunge, read the entire article HERE!!

[Please click on one of these buttons to "like"on Facebook or, to rank this post on Google-thanks so much,it helps my blog rating.]

Crossfit IS all it is Cracked Up to Be!

From the Huffington Post:
"it's worth asking if CrossFit is really all it's cracked up to be. And according to a small new study commissioned by the American Council on Exercise (ACE),

(Who We Are--Founded in 1985, the American Council on Exercise® (ACE ®) is a nonprofit organization committed to America’s health and wellbeing. Over the past 25 years, we have become an established resource for both fitness professionals and consumers, providing comprehensive, unbiased, scientific research impacting the fitness industry and validating ourselves as the country’s trusted authority on fitness.)

your WOD really is working."

Some Bullet Points:
*all the participants maintained an elevated heart rate throughout the entire workout and reached about 80 percent of their VO₂max, satisfying fitness industry guidelines for improving cardiovascular endurance, according to ACE.

*The benefits of CrossFit and other high-intensity interval workouts are especially intriguing to many busy people, since they accomplish a lot in a short period of time.

*These workouts are not for everyone. Not only is CrossFit's intensity "off the charts," Porcari said, but the sport of fitness also encourages competition, which could push some athletes to injury -- or worse. Tales abound of "Uncle Rhabdo", an unofficial mascot of CrossFit, afflicted with rhabdomyolysis, an all-jokes-aside, potentially-fatal breakdown of muscle that could strike CrossFitters who don't respect their limits.

* first-timers should look for a gym, called a box, with a caring and invested coaching staff

* with the right nod to safety, the research supports going totally beast mode.

[Please click on one of these buttons to "like"on Facebook or, to rank this post on Google-thanks so much,it helps my blog rating.]

My Name Is Karen And I am an Alcoholic and Addict

AND, a Crossfit Devotee!
Today I celebrate 24 years of being clean and sober. Something I am pretty pumped about. But, not something you usually tell people when they first meet you.

Crossfit on the other hand, and the fact that I enjoy participating in Crossfit,is something I can tell people if they ask how I stay in decent shape at my age. (I think that it would be a little off putting if I shared that I had stopped being a sloppy drunk and Zanax devotee)

Crossfit is hard. Crossfit is especially intimidating if you are over 40 and watch the amazing athletes at the Crossfit Games on ESPN.  The fact that I consistently participate in daily WOD's and can climb a rope, do multiple pushups, deadlift 200 pounds, run a mile,etc... is something I'm pretty proud of. It took a lot of hard work without quitting. I can look at women my age and younger and I am fairly confident that 90% of the population around me wouldn't survive a zombie apocalypse and/or a typical day at Crossfit (unless they took an on-ramp intro Crossfit course of course)
Crossfit gives me something to be proud of and something I can share.

There are lots of reasons people are drunks. Heredity,genes, family, insecurity, etc,etc,etc. Whatever the reason, it is hard to stay sober. Society and our culture encourages having a good time and enjoying a drink while gathering socially.  Crossfit gives me a chance to gather with a group of people who enjoy the same things I do and it doesn't involve drinking.  For an hour or two a day we gather, do battle together, laugh and encourage each other, generally have a good time, and leave happy.

I would still be sober if I hadn't found Crossfit. I have a partner and two sons who are incentive enough to stay on the straight and narrow.  Crossfit just makes staying sober a little easier and for that I am grateful, especially today.

[Please click on one of these buttons to "like"on Facebook or, to rank this post on Google-thanks so much,it helps my blog rating.]

"It's Never About Rhabdo - It's About CrossFit Hate"

One last time I want to share an article that was written in response to the Rhabdo and Crossfit Article which has been in all the Crossfit blogs, Facebook pages, and discussed in our Boxes.
I think that this author has a very valid point and ashamedly, I think that on occasion I can be kind of an elitist when it comes to types of working out. I forget that all forms of fitness are better than NO forms of fitness.  Crossfit is the way I have chosen to get fitter but not everyone may feel the same way.  It is ok to try to share what we may feel is the best way to get healthy and fit but if others do not agree, it is important not to disparage what their fitness choice is.

"Stop hating on other forms of fitness. Yes, we found the Holy Grail. Yes, we look and feel better than we ever have. But guess what? Every middle-aged housewife who is slogging away on a treadmill, every guy curling in the squat rack, every Zumba dancer, and every P90Xer is doing more than if they were just sitting on a couch pounding fistfuls of M&Ms. As fitness devotees, it seems like we would celebrate others attempting to better their lives, even if it’s not in the same way we do it."

Read the entire article here

[Please click on one of these buttons to "like"on Facebook or, to rank this post on Google-thanks so much,it helps my blog rating.]

Is Eating Healthy An Obsession With You?

I found this article today and it explains , in a roundabout way, why eating Paleo can be a bit compulsive but generally it is just an attempt to eat foods that make you feel better and healthier.

Comments have been made such as, "  ‘people who are completely Paleo are too rigid‘ to ‘anyone who never eats grain, dairy or legumes must clearly suffer from orthorexia and it’s a real problem‘."
(orthorexia= Those who have an “unhealthy obsession” with otherwise healthy eating)

The article retorts with:
"....Understood…and agreed, even, but we have to separate the scenario where someone has an actual eating disorder and someone does not, but has simply identified certain foods as making them feel ill and consequently avoiding those.   It’s unfair and inaccurate to group the two together."

Personally, I try to avoid certain foods that make me feel sick to my stomach or uncomfortable. I am not trying to be compulsive or too "rigid" in my eating habits, I have just found that eating a "cleaner" diet solves a lot of my digestive issues. That said, when cake is involved, I am the first one in line. Some digestive upsets are just worth it!

To read the entire article please click here

[Please click on one of these buttons to "like"on Facebook or, to rank this post on Google-thanks so much,it helps my blog rating.]

Cellulite Is NOT an Indicator of Fitness!

"The Dirty Little Secret of the Female Athlete: Cellulite" 

The above title is the header to an excellent article and one that every woman should read. Believe me, it will make you feel immeasurably better.

Here are some of the key bullet points-

"-...want you to understand what cellulite really is and why it is not an indicator of fitness

-Women who have cellulite tend to have connective tissue that is arranged differently.

-There is no getting around it - cellulite and the structure of the skin in cellulite-prone areas are simply different and something you cannot control.

-Just like skin color, hair, and height are all genetically determined, so is your predisposition to cellulite. That’s right, Mother Nature decides if you are to be dimple free or not.
-In fact, it is quite possible to be very lean, very fit, very athletic, and still have cellulite."

Read the entire article HERE. It will make you feel better!

[Please click on one of these buttons to "like"on Facebook or, to rank this post on Google-thanks so much,it helps my blog rating.]