When a Yogi Does Crossfit

If you follow me on Instagram (@cherylfyoga), you probably know that Athleta nominated me for their #upforanythingchallenge.** Please note, my class and wardrobe were sponsored by Athleta in exchange for social media posts and this honest review of my experience.

So I did cross fit...I know, right? A slow flow, Hatha yogi doing cross fit?? Yeah, I was equally concerned. But I had a rocking new set of Athleta up for anything tights, a challenge to prove I could do something new, and the fact that I had already said yes, and announced it on social media...lol.

I'll be the first to admit that I was 100% wrong about my preconceived notions of the cross fit community. I thought it was all about swinging ropes, flipping tires, and being jacked. Hence my nerves.  In reality, the experience was amazing.  I took a private lesson from a trainer who studied functional mobility.  We started with lessons on proper form and core stabilization before moving on to the actual workout.  Each step of the workout started with a lesson on form, as well.  I felt encouraged, supported, and extremely motivated.  Plus, I had zero questions about whether my trainer knew what she was doing; it was obvious.  She even explained things to me in the way that a yoga teacher would cue a class.

I'm not going to say that this is experience you'd have at most cross fit classes. I purposely chose a small facility in a small town nearby and took advantage of their "first class free" program on off hours, partly out of nerves, but mostly because I really wanted to dive deeper into the experience than I'd be able to do in a group class. Aside from that, I will say that if you do go to a cross fit gym and they don't talk to you about the reasons cross fit works, the unique and always changing nature of classes, your overall health, and functional mobility, then it's probably not the gym for you. There's more to cross fit than is often portrayed and definitely more than I thought going in.  I will also add that I'm definitely going back, because I know at some point tire flipping really is involved, and that's something I definitely want to do. lol. Regardless, I got a good workout, pushed myself harder than I had in a while, and was sore in the best of ways for several days. 

Are you up to try something new? Are you #upforanything?

Many thanks to Cross fit Vacaville for this experience and Athleta (www.athleta.com) for including me in this challenge!