COSTA MESA, CA / ACCESSWIRE / November 15, 2019 / Nuzuna Fitness CEO, Charles Laverty says he believes recent research confirms that CrossFit is too risky and requires too much effort for most Americans to use it to improve their fitness and health. Instead, he says that Nuzuna technology approach requires less of people and provides a far safer, more effective and sustainable solution that anyone can use.
The former medical device executive and healthcare commentator says for people to succeed with CrossFit, the activity must encourage workouts that are too intense to be healthy or realistic for most people. In addition, CrossFit requires people to learn movements and lifts that have caused innumerable injuries.
By contrast, Nuzuna Fitness increases the effectiveness of any exercise without requiring the participant to change movements or exercise harder or longer. Laverty says "CrossFit depends upon you increasing your intensity and it pushes you into questionable movements to achieve that. We focus on magnifying the benefits of what people are comfortable doing."
What is CrossFit?
CrossFit is a mix of powerlifting, calisthenic and gymnastics movements. Most notably, it popularized Olympic weightlifting movements like the Jerk, Split Jerk, back and front squats and others. But it also includes several high-impact exercises without weights. These include the box jump, which involves keeping your feet next to each other as you jump from the floor onto a box. CrossFit also utilizes an unusual and controversial form of pullup called kipping.
CrossFit workouts include a combination of instructor-led, individual and class training and workouts and individual workouts. In order to keep shocking the body to get results, the workouts change often, typically daily and are designed by CrossFit trainers but often performed without direct supervision.
CrossFit is big business. Since its founding in 2003, CrossFit grown to an estimated four million participants worldwide. Many millions more have tried and quit the activity. And between major sponsorships from companies like Reebok and the opening of an estimated 13,000 CrossFit Boxes (gyms) there is a lot riding on keeping CrossFit growing.
Is CrossFit Dangerous?
The CrossFit national organization is very sensitive to the subject of injury rates. Many experts and research have attempted to prove that CrossFit leads to higher injury rates than other exercise regimens. But CrossFit has responded aggressively, often using legal tactics to try to discredit critics and their research.
However, a 2019 paper published in the Orthopedic Journal of Sports Medicine compared self-reported injury rates of 411 participants (122 CrossFit; 289 traditional weightlifting). The CrossFit group reported 30% more injuries and were 86% more likely to seek medical attention.
Many experts have focused on injury rates to the lower back, shoulders, and the knees. Some experts also believe there is also a connection between CrossFit and Exertional Rhabdomyolysis, which is a dangerous breakdown of muscle due to over exertion. The condition has also been attributed to deaths by competitive marathon runners and other athletes.
"Any fitness activity that depends upon perfect form and sustained high intensity isn't a great choice for the general public." Says Laverty. He explains that in addition to the problem with providing consistent training and supervision to tens of millions of Americans, people simply make mistakes. "People get distracted, they push too hard or their minds wander. If you think about your kid's report card for a second in yoga or spin class, you are not likely to hurt yourself."
In its defense CrossFit states both the obvious and enlightening excuse that people just need to do it right. "CrossFit is relatively safe even when performed with poor technique, but it is safer and more effective when performed with good technique."
But, shifting the blame to participants just raises the question is it a good idea to have moms and dads and regular people doing Olympic weightlifting or trying to do pullups as fast as possible?
For an activity that depends so much on the casual participant using good form there has been a lot of controversy about the background of CrossFit trainers and the requirements for the organization to certify someone as a CrossFit trainer.
CrossFit has gained popularity because it is effective if done right and produces results if done over a sustained period. There isn't any great science behind this. All exercise will increase cardiovascular effort, increase muscle stimulation and burn more calories. CrossFit's main feature is that it encourages you to workout harder by making it competitive.
Nuzuna Technology Increases Benefits Without the Intensity
The Nuzuna Fitness System uses technology to increases amount of muscle stimulation and calories burned of any activity without increasing the intensity or duration of the exercise. To get the added benefit, participants simply wear a comfortable, wireless workout suit that has electro-muscular stimulation (EMS) technology added to it.
Any movement stimulates the muscles and that exercises those muscles and burns calories. The Nuzuna EMS suits also stimulate the muscles during the workout, increasing the effectiveness of the movement. As a result, participants can see the same stimulation in a 20-minute exercise session that would take 2.5 to 3 hours to achieve doing the same movements without the EMS suit. The increase in muscular stimulation is due to the technology without the participant needing to do anything differently.
Unlike CrossFit, Nuzuna allows participants to engage in nearly any activity they are already comfortable performing. This can be weightlifting, yoga, spinning, aerobics, biking, hiking etc.
Nuzuna is Better for Most People
"The challenge is how do we improve the fitness of 100 million Americans?" Asks Charles Laverty. He adds that the fitness industry can't expect to do this by shifting the burden and responsibility to the public.
According to Laverty, the main reasons people do not stick with a workout include that they are discouraged by slow results, the time commitment is too hard to maintain, or they suffer injury or discomfort. He says that the Nuzuna Fitness System addresses all these problems.
Nuzuna does not ask people to increase the time or intensity of their workouts or to learn new, unnatural movements. They do not even have to change a workout they currently enjoy. They simply add the EMS technology and see results magnify.
Nuzuna Southern California Expansion
The company recently acquired Spectra Yoga, a Costa Mesa yoga studio, and Better Body Bootcamp in Anaheim Hills. Nuzuna also plans to announce shortly additional acquisitions that will add four more locations, bringing the total number of Nuzuna Fitness centers to 14.
The company except to end the year with annualized, run-rate revenues of $24M in December. Charles Laverty reports the company is on a very rapid, but profitable growth trajectory. Laverty adds that this is simply the first phase of the company's expansion and they have aggressive growth plans for 2020.
For more information
Gwen Nguyen - VP of Marketing - Operations (949)432-4824 [email protected]SOURCE: Nuzuna Fitness