Finding Strength

For Patty Buckley, CrossFit is more than a way to stay in shape.

Taking part in hour-long classes five times a week keeps her energized, makes daily movements easier and lifts her mood. And most of all, CrossFit keeps her engaged with a group of classmates that over the years have become supportive friends.

“Everybody is so friendly and it just feels like family,” says Buckley, 68, of her classes at CrossFit Calypso in Farmington. “You can connect with people. And if you struggle with something, somebody will help you. We can talk with each other, help each other.”

Buckley’s CrossFit family has helped her through some of her life’s most challenging days, including the loss of her sister to breast cancer in 2017. Her experiences are not uncommon — studies have linked the adaptable high-intensity fitness program with building a sense of community, satisfaction and motivation. Better heart health, joint function and muscle mass are a few other health benefits.

And as Buckley, who started regular CrossFit classes a decade ago, says, it’s never too late to give it a try.

Exercises for everyone

CrossFit is a coach-led program, with workouts that involve constantly varied, high-intensity, functional movements. Classes typically last about an hour, exercises change day to day, and all are adaptable for different ages and skill levels. That hour is usually broken into a warm up, a strength component related to proper technique for the workout, the workout itself and then a cool down.

Liz Caron, co-founder and coach at CrossFit Calypso with husband Thad, says the workout portion can last anywhere from seven minutes to 35 minutes. That’s when participants are really pushing themselves to get stronger; they’ll feel it, she says, but it’s all tailored to their ability.

“Sometimes a weight is just too heavy for somebody, so we go lighter,” Caron says. “Maybe there’s a shoulder bothering them so we switch up the workout so that it’s appropriate. Sometimes there’s running and some of our seniors had knee replacements and they’re not supposed to run, so they’re walking or doing fast feet movements. There’s always an option to get you a good workout and still do what the class is doing, but at an appropriate level for you.”

Some common CrossFit exercise examples include squats, deadlifts and kettlebell swings. For older adults in particular, many exercises can be directly tied to daily movements. For example, a dumbbell snatch that involves lifting a weight from your midsection to a position over your head can make it easier to put away dishes in the cupboard, Caron says. Lunges can help with the ability to climb stairs. Burpees can make it easier to get up off the ground. “We can assign a functional movement to almost every exercise that we offer,” Caron says.

Participants range widely in age and ability, with pre-teens working out alongside adults in their 80s. Caron says she’s seen a benefit to intergenerational classes — with members communicating and learning from each other regardless of age. “I had a 57-year-old woman who the other day was teaching a 15-year-old boy to rope climb,” Caron says. “I think those interactions are so important for younger kids and it also helps keep older members social and engaged.”

Patty is one of the hardest workers we have. She is one of our pillars here; people look to her for inspiration.
—Thad Caron, co-owner and coach, CrossFit Calypso

Developing a routine

Buckley began CrossFit with a group of colleagues before she retired. That first group eventually dropped off, but Buckley stuck with it, made new friends and also brought her sister, Joanie, into the fold as a regular participant.

A married mom of three, now with five grandkids, Buckley has lived an active life, but didn’t have a regular exercise regimen until she started CrossFit. She says it was the community that pulled her in, as well as the positive feeling she had after every workout. It gave her energy to make more of each day, such as starting daily three-mile walks with her husband.

It even encouraged her to start running — something she avoided for much of her life because of asthma. Regular exercise can strengthen the heart and lungs, relieving asthma symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic, and Buckley has found that to be true.

She’s accomplished things she didn’t think she was capable of before CrossFit — things she couldn’t do when she started. Climbing a rope, for example, or touching her toes to a bar while hanging from it.

“Patty is one of the hardest workers we have,” says Thad Caron. “She is one of our pillars here; people look to her for inspiration. She does things that really only a handful of really fit women here can do and she’s in her 60s.”

But more than her physical achievements, Buckley says her biggest CrossFit benefit is the community. During her sister’s fight with breast cancer, the gym was her rock, even when it was difficult for Buckley to show up because it reminded her of her Joanie.

“It was really hard to go back to the gym when Joanie passed away, but everyone was so kind and encouraging,” Buckley says. “Liz and everyone there just made me feel so much better.”

The gym even organized a run in Joanie’s memory for friends and family.

“CrossFit is a very tight-knit community, we do a lot of things together,” Caron says. “It was important for us to really surround Patty and support her during that time.”

Buckley believes her fitness community and routine is a big reason for her good health both physically and mentally. She plans to keep it going for as long as she can, so she can keep up with her grandkids and keep her independence for as long as possible.

“I see a lot of people my age having trouble getting around and doing the things they want to do,” Buckley says. “I don’t want to be that way. I know I’m going to get slower, but I want to be able to do things, stay active and feel good.