There are lots of workouts that help you burn a ton of calories and gain muscle strength. But CrossFit’s benefits extend beyond those of a typical exercise routine. Check out these surprising CrossFit benefits to see if it’s worth giving this cult workout a shot.
You Develop Different Muscles Every Day
Let’s face it—it’s tough to build variety into your everyday workout. Unless you have a background in exercise science, you probably don’t even really know what muscles are being activated during your workouts. So how do you get full-body fitness?
CrossFit does the heavy lifting for you (pun intended) by creating a workout of the day. This routine targets different muscle groups, so you can get a well-rounded workout without investing in a ton of equipment.
You’ll Improve Your Flexibility and Balance
If your current exercise routine consists of running every day, you’re probably not doing much to increase your flexibility. Even if you mix it up with strength training, you’re not really increasing your mobility since the movements involved in weightlifting don’t typically mimic everyday motion.
CrossFit improves flexibility and balance by focusing on functional exercises, like squats, that you actually do on a day-to-day basis. By priming these muscle groups for continuous exercise, it improves functionality in your daily life.
You’ll Make Friends
CrossFit is more than just a gym or a workout, it’s a community. In fact, there’s actual scientific research that CrossFit provides a greater sense of community and motivation than other exercise practices.
Not only are you immersing yourself in a culture of collaboration and mutual respect, but you’re surrounded by individuals that all share a similar goal—to be healthy.
You’ll Actually Have Fun (!) Working Out Again
Do you work out because you have to or because you want to? Most of us fall into the first camp, but CrossFit is so quirky, it will actually make you enjoy working out! Think about it—how fun does it sound to learn how to do a handstand again?
With CrossFit, you do some exercises reminiscent of an elementary school gym class (be honest—have you done a pull up since then?) that can feel goofy and just plain fun. Best of all, you’re pushing yourself alongside friends!
You Can See Actual Results
If you have a hard time gauging progress with your current exercise routine, it can be hard to stick with it. After all, tangible results are super motivating! CrossFit has benchmark workout routines so you can test yourself week after week and measure your progress.
You’ll be amazed at how good it feels to look back on the beginning of your CrossFit journey!
You Get More Time To Do Things Besides Work Out
You burn more calories faster in CrossFit compared to other moderate-intensity workouts. Most CrossFit workouts are actually only 15 to 20 minutes long, but burn as many calories as moderate-intensity workouts that are 40% longer. So if you’re one of those people that thinks you don’t have time to exercise, CrossFit might be a great choice.
CrossFit has a cult following for a reason. Not only can it get you into the best shape of your life, it comes with a built-in community. Check out some of these awesome CrossFit benefits for yourself by joining your local box (a CrossFit gym) today.
