In the article, “Don’t Be Fooled by Crossfit, Insanity, orP90x”, Dr. Justin Lin encourages people to not use these programs. This is
because the intensity can cause injury later on. He states that these workouts
are beneficial and yield great results. However, they are extreme right away.
Dr. Lin says, “Don’t be fooled by
these insane and inane programs. They may only work for a short time but the
price you pay later may be high. I’m going to leave these workouts for the
athletes who are already training in this explosive manner and the military
personnel.” While injury may result from
these workout problems, there are a few reasons that this does not mean you
should quit them altogether.
First, injuries are
seen in many types of programs. For example, injuries using exercise equipment have
increased 45% between 2007 and 2010. The most common injury was reported being
the treadmill. There are injuries in every form of exercise.
Second, the
presence of injuries does not mean that everyone should quit that form of
exercise altogether. For example, there are many injuries from running. So
should running be banned? While there
are cases where people do need to quit, it is not a black or white issue. For
example, my dad was born with a smaller and hand and foot. This means that his
form of exercise must be modified. Running for him causes injury. But does that
mean that every person should quit running? No!
Instead, one must
be careful in how they exercise. Insanity and P90x are very clear that every
person should go at their own pace. The programs are not pushing for every
person to be at the same level and the same extremity. On one hand, injury is
the person’s own fault. In fact, they could push it too hard even on a
treadmill. On the other hand, I understand these are very extreme programs.
There is the possibility of injury. In that case, take it at your own pace and
take breaks. If the person does not know how to do that, it may be time to
quit. However, that is not the program’s fault. I have done both Insanity and
P90x, and both are clear that the first week will be tough; they are both clear
that expectations should not be to do the work outs perfectly the first few
weeks.
This is where the
structure of the programs are beneficial. The workouts include a few successive
weeks of the same videos, then a recovery week. The last half includes another
set of more difficult workouts that are repeated until the end. The whole
structure is set around the idea of improvement. Exercisers are not expected to
do every workout at the beginning. However, they will improve by the end and
see results.
The workouts are
also well rounded. In general, it is important to complete exercise and
activity in four different categories: endurance, strength, balance, and
flexibility. First, endurance keep your heart, lungs, and circulatory system
healthy. This is also called aerobic activity. Second, strength makes your
muscles stronger. This is anaerobic training. It can also get your heart rate
up. This is also called anaeurobic activity. Both anaerobic and aerobic are
extremely important. Third, balance strengthens your core and helps prevent
falls. Lastly, flexibility helps your muscles recover from your workouts. It
also helps your body stay limber and healthy. All of these areas are important
in exercise, and are seen in these programs. For example, P90x includes weight
training and pushups and pullups, which are strength. It also includes cardio
which is endurance. Yoga is strength, flexibility, and balance. In addition, it
has the option for a day of stretching and a mandatory day for rest.
These programs are
very well rounded and effective. Instead of quitting due to fear of injury, take
it easy at the beginning and work your way up… Just like every other form of
exercise!
I saw results and I
know you can, too.
Note: I do realize
some people physically cannot complete these extreme forms of exercise. The
programs are clear that one must talk to there doctors first. I agree! I am
merely pointing out that the range of people that have the ability to do this
is larger than athletes already in great shape.
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