New Can Be Scary
Starting something new and outside a person’s comfort zone can cause great fear and anxiety. That is normal. It is very common for people to begin CrossFit with anxiety. One of the most common fears is not being good enough for it. It can be hard to ignore these thoughts. They can take over when starting something new and cause panic. It can cause breakdowns in the middle of a workout and cause a person to quit all together because they feel inadequate in the gym. They may feel as though everyone is watching them and judging them for how and what they are doing. Someone new may feel as though they are being looked down upon because they cannot get upside down or do pull-ups. They may think they should not be doing CrossFit because they cannot step up on a 20-inch box or perform a pushup to the ground. In these moments it is important to remember that everyone must start somewhere.
Everyone Has Day 1
Everyone inside the gym has had a day 1 in CrossFit. That day 1 looks different for everyone. Former collegiate athletes may turn to CrossFit after years of inactivity and cannot do a pull-up now even though they used to be able to do 20 unbroken and strict. People who have never played a sport in their life will walk in and start with a squat that can’t go to parallel without their chest falling. Runners who have never lifted a weight will start and won’t be able to do a shoulder press with only the barbell. Everyone. Starts. Somewhere.
You Are Not Alone
It can be hard to remember this and escape your head in the middle of a workout. Sometimes the best thing to do is to stop and refocus. Stepping away from the workout may be necessary to regain composure and keep moving forward. The worst thing a person can do is quit and never come back. With anything in life, it takes practice and hard work to keep moving forward both physically and mentally. Someone may begin CrossFit and have a panic attack every time they see burpees on the whiteboard. After being consistent and attending classes multiple times per week despite the workout, this same person will notice they are still nervous but do not have full blown panic attacks. Continuing to attend and work hard, this same person will eventually make it to a class with burpees and approach it as “this is not my favorite movement, but I know I can do it”. It may take a couple months, or it may take a year. Either way, consistency will show improvement in the movement which leads to a better mental state overall.
Athlete Stories
Each month, Coach Kaela will be sharing a story about anxiety and overcoming this adversity in CrossFit to show everyone they are not alone, and it does get better. CrossFit is for everyone. With hard work and consistency, anything is possible. Your best may look different every day but be sure to always give it and work hard. If you can only give 80% that day, then give 80% and you gave 100%. You will be very proud of yourself when you see how far you come. Your future self will thank your current self.
