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Being active is easier with friends by your side

CrossFit, a functional, fun fitness for the whole family, has made its way to Cold Lake. Since the inception of the CrossFit Games in 2007, Over 11,000 official CrossFit affiliates have opened worldwide.
Ryan Bardick leads a group of young CrossFit athletes through a warm up.
Ryan Bardick leads a group of young CrossFit athletes through a warm up.

CrossFit, a functional, fun fitness for the whole family, has made its way to Cold Lake.

Since the inception of the CrossFit Games in 2007, Over 11,000 official CrossFit affiliates have opened worldwide.

CrossFit combines Olympic weightlifting and gymnastics and is known for pushing athletes to the limit.

Those who participate enjoy the sport over a regular gym routine because it never stays the same from day-to-day.

“It challenges the body in different ways, with different workouts in varied amounts of time. Every time you walk through the door it's something new and fun,” said local CrossFit coach Jennifer Ross.

While the athletes in the games are competing for the title of fittest person on earth, CrossFit isn't restricted to elite weightlifters.

“Everybody's goals are different. Some people want to lose weight, others want to gain muscle mass, and there are also those who just want to live a healthy lifestyle,” said Ryan Bardick, owner of Functionally Fit CrossFit and MMA in Cold Lake.

After putting the idea off for a year, Bardick decided to join a friend in a CrossFit class. He enjoyed his experience so much; he bought his own gym in 2013, just six months later.

“I immediately loved it because of the community environment. You build friendships, and then there's sort of a friendly competitiveness. The companionship sort of propels you to better yourself,” explained Bardick.

Each separate affiliate has their own way of doing things, but they all share qualities unique to CrossFit. Athlete's statistics, records, and goals are written on a board for the whole class to see.

For the athletes, the environment becomes a unique support system, as they can follow along and progress alongside their peers.

“Just the energy that happens in here really adds to the overall workout. When a person comes into our facility they're welcomed with open arms,” said Ross. “We put our times on the board so everyone can see how we're doing. It's not for competition it more just holds us accountable to our workouts.”

Adding to the experience, personal milestones are celebrated by the entire class. Every month, participants share personal records and receive accolades. This further adds to the social environment of the gym and provides extra motivation.

“It can be anything, a handstand walk, or maybe you did 10 strict pushups. We celebrate anything that's a personal record. Everybody helps each other in their progression,” noted Ross.

Another feature universally shared by affiliates is the online workout of the day. Gyms post their entire class for the day free online for people to follow along, to further grow the sport.

Due to the intense endurance and range that goes with the sport, anybody interested in signing up should first understand their own limitations. Otherwise, they could be putting their back or neck area in jeopardy.

“With a lot of these exercises you don't actually use your spine, you lift with your hips, legs and arms. When people get fatigued and start to use improper technique, that's when you can run into issues,” said Jim Church, chiropractor at the Bonnyville Chiropractic Centre.

According to Bardick, the risk of injury of any kind is not something the CrossFit community takes lightly. At his gym, like many other affiliates, technique is everything.

“We want all of our athletes primarily focusing on using proper form. We don't want anybody getting hurt,” said Bardick. “Everything we do is scalable. We have participants of all ages from kids to senior citizens.”

The lack of age or skill level restriction on the classes allows for an open environment. This further separates CrossFit gyms from the average weightlifting centre.

Cold Lake resident Rebecca Getz prefers classes at Functionally Fit over her own workout routine because of how open they are.

“It helps you push yourself to see other people working. There's always someone encouraging you, saying you can do better,” she said.

Encouraging new classmates to join, Getz reiterated, if performed properly, CrossFit can benefit anybody willing to give it a try.

“Injuries do happen, but if you're careful about it you can avoid them. If you know you have a sore spot or something doesn't feel right, don't push it,” said Getz. “Once you're used to it you notice changes in how you feel, and even sleep better. Overall you'll just feel good.”

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