February 2024 Newsletter: CrossFit Open & Ski Season
The CrossFit Open is here! Just a few hours until 24.1 is released on Thursday 2/29 at 3pm.
Here are a few points to keep in mind about the upcoming open.
Set goals for this open season. Unfortunately, not all of us are making it to the Games. Maybe the goal is to make it to Quarterfinals, maybe the goal is to participate and celebrate with the community, maybe to participate in each workout without injury. Make it personal. If for nothing else, focus on your progress, embrace the challenge, and celebrate success!
Now is not the time to overtrain. It may seem like a good idea to add in a few extra pieces, but unfortunately there is no cramming for fitness. If anything, taper your training 3 days before you perform each of the open workouts so you can give it your all! If you are looking for some strengthening exercises to improve your workout performance, add some targeted accessory work on your limitations before the workout. For example, if it is shoulder activation and strength you’d like to enhance, perform banded external rotation or banded shoulder extension as a pre-workout primer. If you have a history of limited ankle mobility, performing some banded ankle mobilization as a part of your warm-up will free up some range of motion.
The other thing to keep in mind is recovery. There are many factors that can impact performance including sleep, stress, and nutrition. The recommendation is to sleep 7+ hours per night and try to fuel efficiently as well. If you want some recommendations of pre or post workout food options, check out Alexis’ recommendations on our Instagram. Recovery Nutrition Recommendations
When each workout is posted, create your game plan. Nothing is worse than giving it 100% for the first 2 minutes, then need to rest 30 seconds between each movement for the last 5 minutes of the workout. Try to pick places or movements in the workout that you can push and when to strategically take breaks.
Do you have any chronic aches and pains? Post workout woes? Want specific ideas of accessory movements you can add in to improve your performance? Come in for a tune up! $50 for 30 minutes of treatment or $65 for 30 minutes of treatment followed by a 30 minute sauna. Appointments offered in our Saco and Westbrook locations.
The ski and snowboard season is in full swing! While you may not get as out of breath as a jog, it is still a fairly demanding physical activity in the cold. Decrease risk of injury by doing a dynamic warm up. While only stretching might feel good in getting your body prepped, some research has shown that including static or dynamic stretching in warm-ups does not seem to improve performance or reduce risk of injury.* Here’s a dynamic movement warm up that will get you moving and primed for a day on the mountain!
*Blazevich et al (2018) PMID: 29300214
If you are staying nearby in a hotel, try this in your room before you leave for the day:
For 5-8 minutes gently move through:
10 squats,
10 burpees,
10 reverse lunges,
5 side planks with rotation.
You can also perform these when at your car or in the ski lodge before getting your gear on:
Lunge with reach overhead, 6 each side
Calf raises, 15-20 per side
Leg swings, 10 each way
Hip circles, 10 clockwise/10 counterclockwise
Lunge with twist, 6 per side
Arm circles, 10 forward/10 backward
Cossack squats, 6 per side
Make your first run easy then get to it! Want some ideas of how to stay strong and ready between mountain days? Check out Josh’s exercises on IG - Ski Strength Exercises
