"My girls love to come to CrossFit and watch my husband and I work out together," Shannon Clore, mother of two, says. "We say that being active should be a fun and normal part of your life."
People start CrossFit for countless reasons. They want to look good naked, lose weight, gain weight, get stronger, feel better — and the list goes on. Once CrossFit gets tough and the initial shine wears off, however, everyone has to look for a reason to keep going, day in and day out. For many parents, it’s their kids.
The owners of CrossFit Northland — Brian Martorana, Manny Catano and I—all have kids. We’ve tried to create a box that’s welcoming to everyone from old folks to infants.
“We really wanted to start CrossFit Kids right when we opened,” Martorana says. “We learned very early that a large chunk of our clients weren’t just trying to change their lives. They also wanted to change their families.”
From what I’ve seen, the kids learn to love CrossFit just as quickly as their parents. When the whole family is involved, it’s easier for some parents to maintain a commitment to CrossFit.
Drew Osborne, father of three, says, “Just the other day, I was doing some push-ups on a non-CrossFit day and [the] kids joined in and said, ‘We should probably do some squats, too.’”
Other parents have told me CrossFit allows them set an example. It’s easier to discuss a healthy lifestyle when the kids see their parents live according to the principles of hard work, fitness and sound nutrition.
“My girls love to come to CrossFit and watch my husband and I work out together,” Shannon Clore, mother of two, says. “We talk with them about the benefits of being active and making healthy choices. We say that being active should be a fun and normal part of your life.”
So far, our small box doesn’t have an official CrossFit Kids program. Until we get the space and trainers necessary so that junior can workout at the same time as mom and dad, we’re stashing the kids in the “Kid’s Corner.” It’s a safe space with a good view.
Mother of two, Sam Anderson says her kids always tag along when she’s headed to the box.
"During some WODs I look over in the corner and find Rory, 8 and Emme, 6, staring at me. And judging by their expressions, I can only guess that they're determined not to take their eyes off me because they refuse to miss the moment when I finally collapse.”
When the trainer calls time, the kids react like he said ‘3-2-1 … Go!’ We let them loose from the kid’s area and they get time to run free on the floor of the gym and emulate their parents. With the help of their parents, the kids play around on the pull-up bands, drag out the PVC pipes and the lightest kettlebells. We let the kids put their own workout together. For them, CrossFit is a game.
“I don’t like sitting behind the counter, but I like the kid workouts after,” 7-year-old, Kate, says. “I want to do pull-ups with mom, but I need the band.”
Some parents think it’s funny to watch the kids play on the equipment, but I think it’s a great reminder that we’re in a big playground for adults. The kids see endless potential to have fun and we should, too.
Occasionally, the kids provide a little added motivation to mom and dad.
"I've always struggled with box jumps — it’s something mental for me. I have a great love for my shins," mother-of-three, Kristin Sollars says. "But while I was comfortable on a 16-inch box, I saw my 6-year-old son doing continuous reps on the 20-inch one. I can't be out box-jumped by my kindergarten son! I'm only 34."
While the parents continue to come in and push themselves with each workout, they know the next generation of competitors is sitting in the corner waiting their turn.
“Sometimes mom looks at me and smiles when she’s working out,” 6-year-old, Beckett, says. “And I think CrossFit is fun, but I want to do it when I’m a kid, too. Not just when I’m old.”
