CrossFit: risk vs reward in the ‘sport of fitness’

摘要

Now in its third decade, CrossFit Is a ‘sport of fitness' designed to help participants achieve the physical activity levels recommended by the WHO for optimal health at any age. However, there are some concerns about injuries related to high-intensity conditioning programs such as CrossFit. This article investigates these concerns. CrossFit began in 1995 when founder and former gymnast Greg Glassman opened the first CrossFit gym in Santa Cruz, California. The first CrossFit affiliate gyms followed in 2003. Seventeen years later, CrossFit is one of the fastest-growing high-intensity functional training models in the world. According to Glassman, CrossFit is a sport of fitness’, defined by its ‘constantly varied, high-intensity functional movement’.2 Originating as a core-strength and conditioning program, it was designed to achieve competence in 10 fitness domains: cardiovascular and respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, co-ordination, agility, balance, and accuracy.