It is no secret that it is nearly time for the CrossFit Kantok Intramural competition to begin. So why do we hold these types of events and what do members gain from being a part of them?
Actually, there are quite a few reasons, and I’ll talk about more over the coming weeks, but the first one is the power of competition. Competition drives everyone to work harder. That doesn’t mean everyone thrives on the concept of competition in the same way, but almost universally, people work harder in competitive situations.
There are a few different reasons that this is the case. Atmosphere is at least partly responsible. Psychologists refer to this as emotional contagion. It is the reason we laugh harder at a comedy show, than we do on our own, and it’s the reason sports matches are so much better live. When everyone is hyped up for a competition, it drives everyone to work just that little bit (and sometimes a lot) harder. If you have goals around improving your strength and fitness (and I don’t know anyone who does CrossFit and doesn’t have that goal), you can see some very real improvement during intramural competition time. Consistency is the key, but a period of supercharging your workouts can yield some great results!
Competition can also have great benefits for our sense of connection. Belonging to a team who are all supporting each other in pursuit of a goal fulfils a very real human need. Connections are vital to mental health. Sure, the intramural is fun, but some of the challenges, both physical and mental, are exactly that – challenging. Having a team supporting you and lifting you when you need it, can provide mental health benefits that go far beyond the gym. We often have the opportunity to involve friends, family and work colleagues in our challenges and the support we find from them helps us realise how important our pursuits are to so many people.
There is no doubt that competition is a powerful driver, but what if you are someone who feels like they don’t like competition? Well, ultimately it is up to you, but consider if it is really competition you don’t like or is it committing to a period of being out of your comfort zone. Because when we push ourselves outside our comfort zone, this is when real growth takes place.