CrossFit Athlete Alethea Boon in Two-Piece Workout Gear Shares "30-Day Challenge"

She’s Consistent

Boon makes sure to stay consistent with her workouts. She talked about this in the caption of her recent post. “We all have our reasons for challenges. Mine is 1 press to handstand 🤸♀️ each day for 30 days. Why? To gain consistency facing something I personally find hard each day! Lots being learned as we go, I'm nearly there, staying focused and looking forward to pushing to the end. Here we go!”

She Stretches

As you can see from her Instagram post, Boon likes to stretch to keep herself in shape. Harvard Health states, “Stretching keeps the muscles flexible and healthy, and we need that flexibility to maintain a range of motion in the joints. Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight. Then, when you call on the muscles for activity, they are unable to extend all the way. That puts you at risk for joint pain, strains, and muscle damage.”

She Lifts Weights

Boon likes to lift weights to keep herself in shape. She shared this video on Instagram of herself doing weight training. Boon captioned the post, “Day 1 of the Level 2 Burgerner Strength Weightlifting course is proving to be a valuable experience, filled with some great takeaways delivered through whiteboard & video theory discussion, combined with a healthy dose of hands-on practical learning. From physical assessment before even touching a barbell to all things Snatch! We delved further into points of performance for block work and drills ... and I mean so so so many valuable drills, to some fun building to a heavy for the day. It's been great to connect with new friends who share similar passions while having fun and gaining knowledge that can be immediately applied to our own training and coaching. I'm looking forward to day 2!”

She Does Bar Muscle Ups

Boon likes to do upper body workouts, like bar muscle ups. She shared this video on Instagram of herself doing them. Boon captioned it, “BAR MUSCLE UP. There are many ways to learn a skill, many drills for the same skill, and not everyone responds to learning the same drills that is where coaching comes in (I can help here) BUT the fundamental of skill acquisition remains the same: ⭐️ Foundational strength ⭐️ Progressive dills ⭐️ Keep building strength in those positions ⭐️ Continue drills and progress. Rinse and repeat, repeat, repeat 😉”

She Walks

Boon likes to walk to keep herself in shape. In this Instagram reel, she is seen walking on the beach. Boon captioned the post, “Morning Connect. True-Fuelled. Meaningful and with gratitude. Get ready for something exciting! ... 🙊 🤫” Harvard Health states that walking has a lot of benefits. “Walking can help protect you during cold and flu season. A study of over 1,000 men and women found that those who walked at least 20 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week, had 43% fewer sick days than those who exercised once a week or less. And if they did get sick, it was for a shorter duration, and their symptoms were milder.”

Sports From a Young Age

Bethany has been athletic from the start. “I got into fitness and working out at a very young age. I am the baby of four, and we were all very wild children! My mom put us all in swimming and soccer at first, and then at age five, I went into gymnastics,” she told O2 Hydration.

She Didn’t Take Care of Herself for Years

“The biggest change for me over the years is how I treat my body. When I was younger, I didn’t know how to take care of myself so that I could perform my best as an athlete. I just continually beat down my body without the right hydration and food, and I didn’t have a recovery routine. I went on crazy diets, and as a bodybuilder, I took fat burners and other junk that was really bad for me. I’ve battled a lot of GI issues as a result, and have worked hard to get my gut healthy. I’m really careful now about what I eat and drink,” she says.

Saunas

Bethany indulges in heat therapy.”I have really enjoyed sitting in the sauna lately so I will do that post workout and stretch in there for about 20-30 min. I also enjoy my Hyperice tools a lot! And, of course, I do foam rolling as necessary,” she added. Should you take a dry sauna? While some claim the health benefits of saunas are plentiful, including detoxification, increased metabolism, weight loss, increased blood circulation, pain reduction, antiaging, skin rejuvenation, improved cardiovascular function, improved immune function, improved sleep, stress management, and relaxation, there isn’t a lot of research backing up the claims.

Hydration and Sleep

And, she drinks a lot of water. “I also focus on hydrating, drinking a minimum of one gallon of water and replenishing electrolytes with lots of O2. I choose healthy foods, but I don’t skimp on the carbs! Sleep is also really important for me - I get 8-10 hours of sleep a night,” she says. According to the Mayo Clinic, hydration is important for a variety of reasons. Water helps get rid of waste through urination, perspiration, and bowel movements, keeps your temperature normal, lubricates and cushions joints, and helps protect sensitive tissues.

CrossFit, Naturally

“With CrossFit, I have truly learned how my body works and functions and how to be in tune with it. I think I now know when to push myself and when to back off; unfortunately, that only comes through years of experience of doing it wrong,” she told O2 Hydration. “My least favorite part of CrossFit is the one-rep maxes and heavy lifting. I have been working on them a TON, but the progress is slow. I know I have to go into damage-control mode when those workouts come up at competitions!”

Long Workout Sessions

Bethany spends a lot of time at the gym. “My workouts vary based on the season and competition ahead of me. When things are busy, I can spend 7-8 hours a day in the gym!” she says. “Right now, I work out six days a week, some days are doubles and some are triples! During my one day off, I focus on active recovery.”

Balancing Family Life with the Gym

“I think I’m able to balance it pretty easily because I approach training differently than most CrossFit athletes. I’ve learned that, for me, less is more when it comes to being in the gym, so I have a few hours of high intensity training, and then plenty of family time,” Arielle told The Barbell Spin. “I am in the gym from about 11 AM – 1:30 PM, and then sometimes back for an evening session after my daughter goes to sleep. I train around her schedule and am able to make breakfast and spend time with her in the morning, and then we get to enjoy the afternoon and evening together. If I need to take her to gymnastics, dance lessons or to the park, I can, because I’ve gotten my workout done.”

Macros

Arielle counts macros using MyFitnessPal. Her main focus? Consuming enough protein. “Here's a look inside what I eat in a day as a full-time mom & CrossFit athlete! I love when I hit my protein goal! I weight around 150lbs & my goal is to get 150g of protein a day!@myfitnesspalmakes it easy to see exactly how much protein I'm consuming a day 🥩🍗,” she captioned a post.

Cycling

Like most CrossFit athletes, Arielle spends a great deal of time cycling. Here she is on the airbike. The Cleveland Clinic explains that biking, a low-impact aerobic exercise, is great for building muscle, improving strength and flexibility, and improving balance. It can also boost mental health and help other health conditions, including arthritis.

Hiking

Arielle enjoys outdoor exercise. Here she is hiking in Scotland. According to the National Parks Service, the physical benefits of hiking include:

• Building stronger muscles and bones
• Improving your sense of balance
• Improving your heart health

Decreasing the risk of certain respiratory problems.

Training While Pregnant

Arielle didn’t let her pregnancy keep her from CrossFit. While she “scaled down her training significantly” she did a noon class four to five days a week. She also focused on eating “a good meal,” such as meat, potatoes, and veggies, throughout her pregnancy. As her pregnancy progressed she reduced intensity. “CrossFit was definitely good for my physical health, but also my mental health,” Loewen said. “Everything about my body was changing. But the one thing I knew was showing up to the noon class and doing the class workout was my mental escape,” she told CrossFit.