I think my experiment with Crossfit is over, after a nearly sleepless night pondering the pros and cons of this new exercise routine. As I've mentioned before, I am an addict when it comes to exercise, and since this addiction almost killed me I don't take it lightly. I enjoyed the new skills involved with Olympic weightlifting, and the immediate changes to my body in terms of strength and even mobility, BUT, the competitive nature of my personality combined with the class structure set me straight back on the ramp to increased demands on myself and increased risk of injury. That's totally on me, by the way, not on the gym or coaches. I have trouble, as well, getting the advice of my doctor out of my head: avoid chronic cardio and avoid High Impact Interval Training, which comprises a part of every CrossFit workout. The HIIT portions are short - only 7 - 15 minutes - but so intense that I got really revved up on days that I did those workouts, even to the point of not falling asleep at night. That could be a sign that the adrenals are stressed, and I am taking no chances.
So it's back to the drawing board. I spent some this morning researching the balance of yoga and strength training, which I find I enjoy. There are some good articles written on how strength training can aid yoga practice and vice versa. Yoga already incorporates strength training with body weight, but extra exercises and slightly heavier weights can increase your abilities.The yin of yoga and the yang of weightlifting. Potentially a perfect combination - for me. I just need some help figuring out which weight - oriented exercises to do, and how to politely phrase my quick withdrawal from the Crossfit Gym. I'm not playing around this time, but it's still hard to turn my back on the things that hurt me, but which a part of me still loves.
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