聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Carlyle's Living Skies CrossFit has recently moved to a new location, but it continues to be a welcoming community of participants of all ages and fitness levels, eager to take on the challenge of working towards healthier lifestyles- and equally eager to welcome others to join them.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Instructors Carson Brady, Danielle Steele, Colin Wilson, Chris Humphries, Scott Nicholson, and Darren Swanson currently coach male and female clients 鈥渇rom teenagers to seniors,鈥� according to Brady, with eventual plans to expand the gym's reach to include classes for even younger age groups.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎 lot of people have the wrong idea about CrossFit,鈥� says Brady, who is also a CrossFit competitor. 鈥淐rossFit is for everyone and it's whatever you want it to be. If your goal is to lose a few pounds or to set a better example for your kids, or to be a better hockey player... The reasons are as varied as the people. But the beautiful thing about CrossFit is that it is universally scaleable to your abilities or any physical challenges you have.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚n reality, it's functional fitness,鈥� continues Brady. 鈥淔or every age and every fitness level. We teach people to move properly and we teach them nutrition and mobility. The goal is to keep them strong and healthy- physically and mentally- for as long as possible, ideally throughout their entire lives.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎 lot of the most profound adaptations and changes I've seen (in people) are not just the physical,鈥� adds Brady. 鈥淚t's between the ears. The mental shift is inspiring, too. People are happier. When they get out of bed in the morning, they're better-equipped to take on the day-whether that's at their job or whatever they do that day.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭heir choices are more positive, too. Maybe instead of heading to the bar on a weekend, they'll choose to go for a run, instead.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Brady knows of what he speaks and says the program has transformed his life.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎 few years ago-before CrossFit- I started out running a lot and trying to do random bodybuilding exercises. It wasn't very much fun for me. Cam Jarvis was running CrossFit then in Carlyle and told me I should give it a try.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淏y the end of my first class, I was hooked.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎t that time, I was overweight and drinking heavily. I was depressed and feeling down about myself. Now I'm extremely happy. I get out of bed in the morning feeling better- but it's not only that that and it's not just me who experiences a positive change like this.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Twenty-two-year-old Kenzie Craig agrees. The primary care paramedic says that CrossFit at Living Skies has enhanced all aspects of her life- including helping her meet the physical and emotional challenges of her career.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚've been doing CrossFit for nearly three years now- mostly in Carlyle,鈥� says Craig. 鈥淚 was never originally into fitness or sports growing up. After high achool, I moved away and I gained some weight and suffered from depression.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淐rossFit helped me to focus not so much on body image, but on what my body can do. As far as my depression, I'm now medication-free. It's an awesome support group and I've done things I never thought I could do.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Instructor Danielle Steele echoes that sentiment.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Steele, who has been training with CrossFit for over two years, recently qualified as a coach, and says: 鈥淚 hope people realize it's not a scary thing. As an instructor, I've had people come up to me on the street and say 'I'm in such bad shape' or 'I couldn't do what you do.'鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲hen I started CrossFit, I couldn't do one sit-up,鈥� says Steele. 鈥淲hen people tell me they can't do what I do, I tell them: 'That's because I've gone (to CrossFit) for two-and-a half years!'鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎nd the benefits go beyond the physical,鈥� laughs Steele. 鈥淎s a working mom, it's saved my sanity.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲hen I first came to CrossFit, it was six weeks after I had my second child, my daughter, Jorja,鈥� she says.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽鈥淧eople look at Carson (Brady) and Colin (Wilson) who've competed in CrossFit competitions throughout Western Canada and say: 'I can't do what they do,'鈥� says Steele. 鈥淏ut neither can I. But it's a program that can work for everyone. I'm a mom and there are high school students who do CrossFit at Living Skies and men and women of all ages and abilities.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 CrossFit Coach Colin Wilson says: 鈥淐arson and I compete, but we train as competitors. If we didn't compete in CrossFit, we'd be training to be healthy individuals, which is something we want for everyone.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲hether you're 14 or 64, we can make any workout manageable for anybody,鈥� says Wilson. 鈥� You don't have to be able to do 100 pullups; you don't have to be able to do one pullup. It's a place where the community is really supportive.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e can accommodate anybody. In fact, if you're really strapped, you can bring your kids to the gym. We have a play area set up and I've brought our kids. My 4-year-old has played there while I work out and our one-year-old has sat in the stroller if聽 either my wife and I are working out and one of us is busy. We don't have a babysitter at the gym, but if you're strapped, we can work it out.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Brady says: 鈥淲hen someone comes to CrossFit for the first time, the first thing I ask them is what their limitations are. Our first priority is setting up a safe program for everyone who comes to (Living Skies CrossFit).鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淐rossFit gets a bad rap sometimes, because of the intensity factor,鈥� adds Brady. 鈥淏ut what we work on is movement, consistency, then intensity- in that order.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 CrossFit is based on nine basic movements and 10 skills which have both a physical and neurological basis. The program encompasses elements of weightlifting, gymnastics, metabolic conditioning, mobility, sport and nutrition.聽
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淐rossFit is not your 21-day fix,鈥� adds Brady. 鈥淚t's fitness for the rest of your life. We achieve that through community and having fun with each other. If it's not enjoyable, it's not sustainable.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t's really an adult playground, in a sense,鈥� continues Brady. 鈥淵ou really carry a child-like joy through the day. The accountability and community provides a support system that's unrivalled.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e welcome anybody and everybody,鈥� he adds. 鈥淒on't be scared to come join us. We're friendly and if you just want to give CrossFit a try, just call ahead to book your free class.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he first time's always free and we look forward to welcoming you to Living Skies CrossFit.鈥� 聽聽 Living Skies CrossFit is located at Bay 2, Hwy #13 (near The Floor Store). More more information, or to book a class, call: (306)-577-1887 or check out Living Skies CrossFit on Facebook.
