It’s been over three months since I joined CrossFit and I attend the sessions three times a week. I haven’t let any other commitment come in way of my sessions till now. I’m truly hooked. I used to love working out on my own but something has changed. And that forced me to think and write about what about CrossFit is working so well for me.

1) I’m gaining upper body strength. And that’s something which is completely out of my comfort zone. In fact, I don’t think most women in India end up concentrating on upper body strength. Pull ups, push up, rope climbs – who would have thought?

2) At this stage of my life, I’m unable to commit long hours to running. And as of now, I feel 3 sessions of per hour in a week, with couple of half an hour of walks here and there, is enough to stay strong and healthy. I don’t have to worry about anything. It’s like I have to just show up and push myself to my capacity. I don’t have to think. And that’s one stress less for me.

3) Unlike gyms, CrossFit doesn’t concentrate on certain body parts. It’s about overall movement and strength. A toned body is just the “side effect” of being dedicated to your workouts and good food. While it feels great to look good, the feeling of getting stronger is unmatched.

4) The workouts never get boring. It’s been more than 3 months now and so far never have I repeated the same routine. Sure, there are certain exercises we do regularly but every routine is a surprise. Sometimes it’s a circuit and you are timed, sometimes it’s a set time and you see how many maximum rounds you can do. Sometimes you’re running, sometimes you’re rowing, sometimes your are skipping. Sometimes you lift heavy, sometimes you go for reps.

5) It’s competitive in a very healthy way. How much I’m able to lift or push myself for a certain workout is completely on me. My instructor understands me and I just need to concentrate on my improvement. Surely, I’m awed by all that’s happening around but the environment is such that it never comes in way of my workout.

I’m still not sure if I will combine running with CrossFit. Or I will strength train enough before I give CrossFit a break and start training for a half marathon. As of now, I can run 5-10km at an easy pace whenever I want to so that’s keeping me happy 🙂