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Hi folks! Thanks for stopping by my space here on OrthoCarolina’s virtual world. I’m a P.A. (Physician Assistant) at OrthoCarolina’s Sports Medicine Center in Charlotte. I’ve been a P.A. for eleven years and was an ATC (Certified Athletic Trainer) for 4 years before that.  I’ll get into that more in detail in later posts, but I wanted to take this first opportunity to introduce myself and what this column will be about.

CrossFit seems to be everywhere yet still mystifies so many people. What are the workouts like? Is it really tough? Will I get hurt? CrossFit has been a big part of my life for 4 years now. I’m lucky because I’m able to be a participant and even compete in CrossFit competitions from time to time, but I can also approach it from a medical perspective as a provider.

 Because I know how the body functions, adapts and ultimately gets stronger, I hope to share with you my insight on how you can take care of yourself and prevent injuries while maximizing the fun and athletic benefits of CrossFit – if you decide it is a workout you want to pursue. Any athletic challenge carries an inherent risk, and you should strive to approach it in a smart and safe manner.

So what exactly is CrossFit? I hear that quite a lot. The best way to describe CrossFit is constantly varied, high-intensity workouts that help us improve our functional movements. 

CrossFit with Aaron

One day we may be rowing on a rowing machine and doing burpees, and another day we may be doing wind sprints, pull-ups or kettlebell swings. I’ll talk more about functional movements in my next post, but each day we do a number of activities that require us to engage physically – from lifting groceries or children, to changing a car tire or walking the dog. CrossFit workouts make you more adept and translate into how we live our everyday lives. Each CrossFit workout, I go to the gym not knowing what the workout is that I will do. It’s just like life – I never know what I will have to push or pull or what obstacles I may encounter.

I love my role at OrthoCarolina working with patients and athletes of all ages and teaching them about the human body and its abilities.  I get so much satisfaction knowing that I help return people to their sport, doing things they love, often better than before their injury.  

Thanks for checking out Aaron’s CrossFit Corner, and stay tuned! I’ll be back soon with more on the importance of functional movement.

Aaron Hewitt PA-C is a Physician Assistant with OrthoCarolina’s Sports Medicine Center. He is a former Assistant Athletic Trainer with the Minnesota Vikings (NFL) and is an orthopedic provider for UNC-Charlotte and Myers Park High School. He also is a Physician Assistant Team Lead for Sports Medicine, Spine, Hand & Pediatrics and a Clinical and Surgical Preceptor for Physician Students. In addition to CrossFit, Aaron is dedicated to running, yoga and clean eating.

Comments

July 01, 2014

Thanks for the article! I'm a PA student with an interest in orthopedics who just joined CrossFit a week ago with a story similar to yours. It's important for us to practice what we preach, whether that involves CrossFit or any other physical activity.
- Jana

 

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