CrossFit during lockdown. The promises and pitfalls of digitally mediated training for leisure-time physical activity

Abstract

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic led to nationwide lockdowns and rigid measures of social distancing in Denmark. Such a situation provides the unique opportunity to study interruptions in training routines and scrutinise the significance of physical attendance, face-to-face interactions and collective engagement for sport and leisure-time physical activity. Drawing on Randall Collins’ micro-sociological theory of ‘Interaction Ritual Chains’, this article focuses on CrossFit – an activity, which is not only known for members’ high-intensity workouts but also for a tight-knit community. Specifically, we explored how CrossFitters in Denmark made sense of and experienced the changes of their leisure practices throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Semi-structured interviews with 20 CrossFitters recruited from different CrossFit boxes showed that not only activity levels but also emotional energy and group solidarity dropped considerably during COVID-19 as members lacked interactions within the CrossFit boxes which had been crucial for their participation before the pandemic. Notably, new training situations, specifically online workouts, could not replace the highly successful interaction rituals in the CrossFit box, which stresses the significance of face-to-face interactions for continuous leisure-time physical activity. In so doing, this article contributes to discussions about whether online workouts and digitally mediated communities can complement or replace physical training.