CrossFit virtually a pleasure

GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - The global exercise regime of CrossFit has become more than just a way of staying fit and strong; it has also become synonymous with creating a sense of community – a difficult goal to obtain when the country is under lockdown.

CrossFit boxes – as these gyms are called in the CrossFit community – in Plettenberg Bay and Knysna have however not been deterred and have come up with innovative ways to keep their members connected, motivated and moving.

CrossFit Plett owner and head coach Donald Ravenscroft said getting people to move is very important, especially under stressful times. "Training releases endorphins, it relieves stress and it provides structure to your day. It is therefore very important to keep going even when you are stuck at home," Ravenscroft said.

He explained that at the core of his business is to keep members healthy and he therefore became one of the motivators for the establishment closing its doors even before the lockdown. "It is a place where a lot of social interaction takes place and therefore became a high-risk area. We wanted to fulfil our commitment to our members' health and did not want to be a source of infection and therefore we closed our doors on 19 March."

A few days later, Ravenscroft and his team entered the virtual CrossFit box, by recording and posting workouts online. In each video Ravenscroft explains the movements and provides coaching on how to complete the workout safely. "We have found that not only our members have started making use of these, but that there are many others who have been doing the workouts with us. The feedback has been very positive."

Members are also encouraged to then share footage of their workouts on the box's social media pages which in turn motivates others.

CrossFit Knysna launched similar initiatives. Owner Chris Emmanuel said they launched a YouTube channel, called Stronger Together, two weeks ago and loaned all their equipment to members who needed equipment at home. "We already have 100 subscribers and way more, who aren't subscribed, working out with us," Emmanuel said.

He mentioned that on Sundays they also do a motivation session online. "We are basically working on the body and the mind and will start working on some nutrition aspects in the next week."

In both cases the workouts are completely free to anyone who wants to participate. Links to all their workouts are on their Facebook pages.

CrossFit Plett owner Donald Ravenscroft and his family. From left: Hannah, Donald, Gaylene, Michael and Emily-Jane Ravenscroft (front).