By Leigh Neely
‘Anyone can do it’
CrossFit training may change the way you look at exercise.
Dr. Natalia Alejandro, a Leesburg OB/GYN, recently answered questions from Healthy Living magazine about why she uses CrossFit training as a means of getting the right kind of exercise and not getting bored with the same routine every day. Though she sought to do regular workouts, she found a gym routine unsatisfying, so she looked for something with a variety of elements in the workout.
Can you briefly define what CrossFit training is? CrossFit is a lifestyle, a combination of healthy eating and high-intensity workouts. Workouts are adapted to every individual’s needs and capacity.
How long have you been doing CrossFit training? I started doing CrossFit two years ago.
What has been the biggest change for you since you began this fitness training? CrossFit changed my way of looking at exercise. Exercise for me was always a struggle; nothing ever made me feel like I wanted to continue doing it. I was always looking for an excuse to quit. One of the things that makes me want to go back for more was the challenge and the opportunity for improvement. Now my routine includes exercise; even when my days are the busiest, I’ll make time.
How often do you work out? I work out six days a week.
Do you get stronger faster with CrossFit than with regular weight training? Because CrossFit workouts are based on functional movements, you get healthier faster. Your general strength increases faster than when you do classic weight training. Classic weight training is more specific for muscle group areas, and CrossFit is more general body strength.
Give a brief testimonial about how CrossFit training has been beneficial for you and what you think it means to continue it in the future. Before I tried CrossFit, I had tried almost every single type of exercise. I had a personal trainer, I tried global gym with group classes, I tried spinning, and I always ended up quitting. In the CrossFit community, there is a healthy competition environment and a “not quit” mentality. There are so many modifications that you can always be working in a goal to get better. CrossFit made being active and healthy part of my normal daily living. I found what works for me, I found friends, a community, a family. Now, going to work out makes me happy.
What words of advice do you have? I invite people who struggle to find how to exercise to try CrossFit. The word CrossFit is scary for a lot of people; most people think it is not for them, that it is too hard, or that it is only for people who are already fit. I also thought that way before I started, but because every movement can be modified, anyone can do it. At my gym, Not the Norm CrossFit (in Leesburg), we have people from all backgrounds, ages, and fitness levels. We have people with knee surgery, a history of heart disease, obese, teenagers, and seniors.
Leigh Neely began her writing career with a weekly newspaper in the Florida panhandle, where she not only did the writing, but delivered the papers to the post office and dispensers. She has been writing ever since for a variety of newspapers and magazines from New Jersey to Leesburg. With her writing partner, Jan Powell, Leigh has published two novels as Neely Powell.
