Inga Zalupe, participated in remote Crossfit workouts: “As with all fitness, Crossfit gyms were closed due to pandemic restrictions. For a little digression, Crossfit is a high-intensity, multi-functional workout that includes movements that we do on a daily basis and that the human body is actually designed for, such as squatting, jumping, running, pulling, throwing and lifting. The main task is the ability to move large weights over long distances in the shortest possible time.

In the club where I train, a closed Facebook group was created, which was only available to sports club members. In the group, the coach posted workouts in photo and video format. If at some point a newcomer joined, then watching the exercises in video or photo material with the coach’s comments, it was easier for him to perform them accurately. Since not all members of the training group had weights, balls and other equipment necessary for crossfit at home, each of the athletes solved the situation very creatively. The exercises were done using backpacks filled with books, bricks, and whatever else everyone had available. In the Facebook group workouts were posted 4 times a week in the morning. The most diligent performed them in the morning and shared in the comments how they did – which exercise was easy and which was not so easy. This, in turn, was an incentive for the others to start training and to complete the exercises in a faster time, with a higher number of repetitions or to lift more weight, depending on what the main task of the day was.

In addition to workouts the trainer created Facebook Live 2 times a week, where on the “live air” we had the opportunity to ask questions about the training process or the execution of specific exercises, receive the trainer’s answers, share feelings and experiences.

With the restrictions our workout group split in two when it came to motivation. Those who were no strangers to individual training at home even before the restriction period, continued to do sports actively. It must be said that online training, of course, could not fully replace in-person training, but in this way I and other members of the workout group had the opportunity to feel the effect of presence, to discuss with our like-minded people the topics that are relevant to us, to encourage and support each other, as well as to maintain the motivation for sports in the conditions, which were absolutely not favorable for the continuation of physical activities. Unfortunately, some of the group members, for whom it was very important to train in the gym and it was important to hear, see and feel next to another athlete who was equally out of breath from the exercise, could no longer find satisfaction in “online” workouts. Their motivation to exercise, as well as adherence to the principles of a healthy diet, completely disappeared.

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