Sophie’s CrossFit story
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Did you know our Director and Lead Physiotherapist Sophie is an avid Crossfitter? This started around 10 years ago and she's not looked back since, even through injury, she has learned to listen to her body and train the right way.
Find out more below.
What first sparked your love of CrossFit?
I went to Thailand in 2016 to train in fitness for 4 months, before heading on to the Philippines, Bali and then Australia. In Thailand, I trained at Tiger Muay Thai gym in Phuket and Unit 27 Gym. They had the most amazing CrossFit coaches there, which attracted novice Crossfitters like me, as well as professional CrossFit athletes. I thought initially the sport was crazy - how can you train heavy deadlifts, then straight into sprinting and then press ups?! Surely this is a recipe for injury?! But I LOVED it! I continued my Crossfit journey all through my travelling and living in Australia and then when I returned to England in 2018, I joined my local CrossFit gym - CrossFit Raeda and have made lifelong friends.
What do you enjoy most about CrossFit?
I love the community feel about CrossFit - how you encourage everyone and lift each other up, cheering each other on. I also love how varied it is - a mixture of strength training (Olympic barbell movements - snatch, clean and jerk), gymnastics (pull ups, handstands), and endurance (run, bike, row, ski erg).
What keeps you coming back to CrossFit?
CrossFit is a very humbling sport, as there are so many movements to master and constantly improve. If you cannot achieve the ‘standard’ movement, there are regression movements, called scaled movements, so it is a sport achievable for any age and any ability.
Has your approach to CrossFit changed since becoming a Physiotherapist?
My love and appreciation for the human body and movement has solidified and enhanced since becoming a Chartered Physiotherapist. This lends itself very well to CrossFit as my understanding of movement patterns and biomechanics (how the body moves) has deepened and developed. So I am not only a better Clinician, but also a better Crossfitter!
What has CrossFit taught you about your own body?
True respect for my body! I am so grateful for what my body can do. My body shape has completely changed in a positive way. I am much stronger and fitter than I have ever been. During my knee injury in 2019-2020, before I had surgery, I had to modify pretty much every workout and this was a challenging time for me, but I also learnt a lot and a lot of gratitude too.
How can regular Sports Massage or treatment support someone who trains regularly?
Having a trusted Physiotherapist you see regularly for maintenance sports massages is a recipe for success! It allows this expert Therapist to work on your tight and well-used muscles, so they recover to their full potential, ready for you to take on for next training week/block/session. Having regular treatment also gives the Therapist time to understand when your body is not moving or feeling it’s optimum - they can identify muscles or joints which are becoming too stiff and tight, or tendons which are getting overused and starting to become problematic. So they can be quick to action these niggles before they become a ‘show-stopper’ to your sport or fitness.
What would you say to someone who thinks, “I don't need treatment because I'm not injured”?
I hear you and I respect you! In our Western society we have been brought up in a World where we only really react once something is painful or hinders you from doing something which you really care about. Generally, if you can get out of bed, go to the toilet, eat, drive your car and work, then most people will continue to live with their pain until it stops them from living, sleeping or earning their wage. Often when someone is in pain, it will take them even longer to get the injury fixed. In an ideal world, we would all be proactive, with all aspects of our lives, not just our healthcare. But that just isn’t the case. Time, finances, education and energy will often prevent this. And it’s a culture/mindset. Somehow we all manage to brush our teeth twice per day as this has been ingrained in us since an early age. But the rest of our body? Ah we’ll see…..!
Have you ever ignored a niggle and regretted it?
Of course, I am human, female and stubborn! One of my weaknesses is my lower back and sadly I hurt it last December. I was managing it, by reducing the weights I lifted and some light stretching but didn’t have ‘time’ for treatment as I was in the thick of it at University, in my final year, working for the NHS and working at SV Sports Therapy. December 22nd it bit me in the bottom and told me to ‘stop!’ I spent last Christmas sadly in quite a lot of pain, but thankfully with expert treatment and rehab it is stronger than ever!
If someone loves CrossFit as much as you do, what’s your biggest piece of advice for keeping their body strong, healthy and able to keep doing what they love?”
Show gratitude to your body every day! Comparison is the thief of joy, so try not to compare yourself to others, but instead, be inspired by others around you. Listen to your body. If something doesn’t feel right, then it’s not right. Take your time. Do the boring, non adventurous prehabilitation exercises, in order to lift heavy, run fast and perform to your optimum. Go for it!
Do you train in the gym? Want to feel fitter, faster and stronger? Is your body ready for every lift, sprint and piece of equipment?
We’re here to make sure it is. Check out our article - CrossFit VS Hyrox - Are you fit?
Sophie would love to support you too!
Appointments with Sophie include:
Physiotherapy
Sports Massage
Acupuncture
Headache and migraine therapy
Pregnancy therapy
Lymphatouch treatment and scar therapy
To book:
📞 020 3494 4343
💻 Book online via our website.