Tips for Holiday Break – Sleep Edition

Brittany Malone • December 12, 2018

Last week, we quickly jot over some tips for easing back after the holiday season. These tips can totally work for staying consistent, yet sane during the season as well!

Here is a quick refresher in case you forgot…
1. Sleep… 8 hours is ideal. Consistency will help.
2. Nutrition and Hydrate… Doesn’t have to be complicated during this time, just doable.
3. Move… Get blood flow in some sort of way.
4. Mindset… Be realistic and OK with not feeling in the best shape. Instead of going for your fasted time, go for perfection in movement until you feel like you are ready to push hard again.

Let’s start diving a little deeper into each one though.

Starting with Sleep.

Yes, ideally you should be getting 8 hours or more of sleep. However, the holiday season is a hectic time, so it is understandable if some night you do not get 8+ hours.

What we do not want though is the stress of the season keeping you up and ruining your chances to sleep 8+ hours.

If this is you.. AIM FOR CONSISTENCY. This will help keep your sleep cycle in a routine, which will make it easier to fall asleep and allow you to sleep when you can.

Create consistency by…
– Going to bed around the same time every night.
– Implementing a sleep time routine.

If you pair these two together long enough, your body will naturally start winding down.

Creating a sleep time routine…
The point of this is to establish a routine that tells your CNS (Central Nervous System) that it is time to relax. Think of tasks that calm you down and start doing them around the same time every night.

Here is a list of relaxing activities that you can implement into a sleep time routine:
– Meditating
– Breath Work
– Journaling
– Reading (Pick a boring book though. You wouldn’t want to be going to bed all jacked up thinking about what is to come next in your book).
– Epsom Salt Bath
– Stretching
– Give yourself an oil massage

You can also pair one of these with a
Sleep Time Tea which contains adaptogenic herbs such as ashwagandha or valerian that help calm the body down.
SIDE NOTE: If you go to the bathroom frequently in the middle of the night, cut water off an hour or two before bed so it does not wake you in the middle of the night.

Athletes may also want to add a small bedtime carb snack to help bring down cortisol level and give the body recovery fuel.

Downregulating the CNS (central nervous system) takes time and work just like a muscle. Once you decide on your sleep time routine stick to it and build your muscle.

Need help putting together a sleep time routine or staying accountable? Email us!

 

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FREE - 14 Day Running Plan!

By Brittany Malone • April 8, 2025
"I'm Not Fit Enough for CrossFit..." 😬 Heard that one before? Maybe you've even said it yourself. We get it. You’ve probably thought: “I’ll start running first.” “Let me get in shape before I try something like CrossFit.” But here’s the truth: You don’t need to be fit to start at Makers CrossFit—it's literally where you come to get fit. 💥 That said, we’re not here to twist your arm. We’re here to support your journey—wherever you’re starting from. So to help you build a little momentum (and confidence), we created something just for you: 🎉 A FREE 14-Day Running Workout Plan 🎉 These workouts are beginner-friendly, designed with real people in mind—especially those who haven’t worked out in a while (or at all). But don’t worry, they’re also scalable. If you’ve already been moving a bit, just up the pace and push yourself where you can. Take them at your own pace. Have some fun. And who knows? By the end of the week, you might just be ready to walk through the doors of Makers CrossFit with a little swagger. 😉 Day 1 – Walk/Jog Intervals 5-min warm-up walk Alternate: 30 sec jog / 90 sec walk (x6) 5-min cool-down walk Day 2 – Suggested Rest or Active Recovery Day 3 – Walk/Jog Intervals 5-min warm-up walk Alternate: 45 sec jog / 75 sec walk (x6) 5-min cool-down walk Day 4 – Suggested Rest or Active Recovery Day 5 – Walk/Jog Intervals 5-min warm-up walk Alternate: 1 min jog / 1.5 min walk (x6) 5-min cool-down walk Day 6 – Suggested Rest or Active Recovery Day 7 – Longer Intervals 5-min warm-up walk Alternate: 90 sec jog / 2 min walk (x6) 5-min cool-down walk Day 8 – Suggested Rest or Active Recovery Day 9 – Walk/Jog Intervals 5-min warm-up walk Alternate: 2 min jog / 2 min walk (x5) 5-min cool-down walk Day 10 – Suggested Rest or Active Recovery Day 11 – Walk/Jog Intervals 5-min warm-up walk Alternate: 3 min jog / 2 min walk (x4) 5-min cool-down walk Day 12 – Suggested Rest or Active Recovery Day 13 – Walk/Jog Intervals 5-min warm-up walk Alternate: 5 min jog / 2 min walk (x3) 5-min cool-down walk Day 14 – Benchmark Day 🎉 5-min warm-up walk Run or jog as far as possible for up to 20 minutes Note your distance—it may be the most you ever ran!

2025 Makers Intramural Open

By Brittany Malone • February 11, 2025
Welcome to the Battle of the Classes (AM versus PM)!!! In our 3-week event, performance isn’t the front runner (though we want you to give it your all). We will reward participation. Did you do the workout? ✓ 
Did you do it at Makers CF? ✓✓ 
Did you join in on the fun? ✓✓✓ Our main priorities is helping you push to a new level and having a good time doing it TOGETHER. BREAKDOWN: * The gym will be split into two teams: AM vs. PM. NOONERS may pick which team they want to represent. * Earn your team points through participation. * There will be weekly themes! See details below * Each week for three weeks the workout will be announced by CrossFit every Thursday @ 12:00pm. * Give the open workouts your best shot during Friday 's class workout. We will also have sign ups to do the open workouts Saturdays at 9am for those who cannot make Friday. * Workout scores and open points must be submitted by Monday at 5:00pm.
 REGISTRATION: * 2025 CrossFit Open - CLICK HERE to register and check your rank worldwide. * 2025 Makers CF Intramural Open - Sign up on Makers whiteboard * You do not need to sign up for the CF CrossFit Games Open to participate in the Makers Intramural Open. * Order your Makers CF Open shirt on the whiteboard at the gym ($30) Pre order closes Feb 19th THE POINTS: + 2 Points - Completing the Open workout at Makers 
 +1 Point - Completing the Open workout somewhere other than Makers CF + 1 Point - Top male and female in RX and Scaled 
(regardless of age group) +2 Points - Referring a friend on our friend referral sign up sheet at Makers (Limited to 1 friend a week or 6 points total) +1 Point - PR City: for each personal record completed such as weight or new skill.
 +1 Point - Team Spirit: dressed up for the week’s theme (See below) THE DATES: * Workout: CF 25.1: Feb. 28th * Theme: Twin Day * Workout CF 25.2: Mar. 7th * Theme: Wigs, Tutu, and High Socks * Workout CF 25.3: Mar. 14th * Theme: Makers 2025 Open Shirt THE DETAILS: * To obtain credit, you MUST add your score in Wodify.
 JUDGING: * Want to earn $10 off a shirt? Pass the CrossFit Judges Course and email (info@makers-crossfit.com) us your certificate of completion. Judges course HERE * You DO NOT need a certified judge if you are doing the Makers Intramural Open only. * You DO need a judge if you are registered for the CrossFit Open. * Scoring cards and movement standards will be provided to everyone during the competition.
 AFTER PARTY: * Join us March 15th in celebrating the completion of the open at Makers CrossFit for a brunch potluck . * Potluck sign up at on the gym whiteboard
Two men are squatting on the floor in a gym.

Murph: Should I scale?

By Brittany Malone • April 27, 2024
Murph is the most iconic Hero WOD performed all over the world on Memorial Day in memory and honor of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. As we perform this workout we keep that in the back of our minds and push ourselves physically and mentally.  BUT THERE IS A WAY TO BE SMART ABOUT […] The post Murph: Should I scale? appeared first on Makers CrossFit.
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