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Get ready for spring…
military style
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With the worst of the winter months behind us, now is the perfect time to come out of hibernation and jump back on the 'get fit' bandwagon.
We all know that exercise and healthy eating are good for us, but that doesn't mean it's always easy to do. Especially for those of us who think going to the gym is on par with visiting the dentist.
But the good news is getting fit is no longer restricted to the gym. In fact, the latest health craze helps you get
fit without ever having to step foot inside one.
"Boot camp" is an expression used to describe intensive military-style fitness training that is growing in popularity
in Australia.
Unlike a fitness session at the gym, recruits are led through various exercises, circuits, drills and team sports.
And each session comes complete with your very own drill sergeant that won't stop until they have pushed you to your physical and mental limits.
Boot camp-style training helps each recruit improve their fitness, strength, endurance, self-confidence and teamwork skills.
Because sessions are also almost always held outside (rain, hail or shine), you're also challenged by the weather and
different terrains.
Boot camp training also promotes teamwork, helps build self-confidence and tests the boundaries of your
comfort zone.
But the best (or worst) thing about boot camp? There's nowhere to hide. So it's ideal for all those people who, if they do make it the gym, hide at the back of the class. When you're at boot camp, your instructor knows exactly where you are, what you're doing and when you're slacking off. And they're always pushing you to do better.
So what makes some people respond better to orders?
Many of us find it hard to motivate ourselves to exercise regularly, so the strong 'encouragement' you receive from your instructor can really make all the difference. Having somebody there to motivate and challenge you can be, for some, just what the doctor ordered.
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Need some motivation?
If the health benefits of engaging in regular physical activity are not enough to motivate you, here are some tips to encourage you to be more active.
- Work out with a friend. This way you'll either make the effort not to let your friend down or your friend can be in charge of dragging you off the couch.
- Devote a certain time of each day to exercising. This way, it will be easier to make exercise part of your daily routine.
- Set yourself small, achievable goals like being able to run for 20 minutes or losing 2 kilos and reward yourself when you reach them.
- Everybody is different so make sure you choose an activity that you enjoy. This might be a session at the gym, boot camp classes, walking or playing a team sport.
- Pay in advance. It's surprising how many people are more likely to use their gym membership or turn up at boot camp if they pay in advance.
Boot camp training with a difference
Simon Mckean is a partner in Melbourne's Fire Up! Fitness, an outdoor fitness camp with a difference – most of the instructors are members of the Melbourne's Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) or Victoria Police, as well as qualified fitness instructors.
"Fire Up is not your typical military-style boot camp," says Simon.
"We do things the fireman's way. Our program is based on the different dynamics forged from the MFB and are underpinned by the MFB principles of teamwork, leadership and mateship.
"A typical session includes some unique fire brigade exercises that you don't see anywhere else. For example, you'll do the fireman's crawl, save a dummy from a 'burning building' and work with a real fireman's hose.
"You also get a range of cardio drills, circuit work and even post session stretching and breakfast. We make sure that our sessions promote weight loss and muscle toning together with fun and variety. Some days we're training in the park while others
are out on the beach."
Can anyone sign up?
"People often worry that they are not fit enough to do an outdoor fitness course, and fear they will hold the group up," says Simon. "But that's not correct.v
"We appreciate that people have differing fitness levels and strengths. So we break the group into smaller platoons based on their fitness levels.
"This approach helps us to push the fitter people, while those who are getting back into fitness can work at their own pace."
When can I expect to see the results?
"The biggest thing people want to know before they join is when they can expect to see results," says Simon. "We explain to all our recruits that long-term results take dedication
and perseverance.
"If you're after long-term results then you need to train more than once a week. That's where committing to a course really helps. Our recruits train three times a week with course length ranging from 4-6 weeks.
"Of course your body will be sore at the beginning but that's to be expected. Once you get accustomed to the style of training, you'll start to feel fitter and stronger and the results will follow."
Why the great outdoors? Won't I catch pneumonia if I train in the rain?
"We prefer the great outdoors because it challenges you in a way that gym fitness doesn't. By training outdoors you have to adjust to the different terrains. This improves your mind-body connection and sharpens
your balance, agility, strength and co-ordination. After one of our sessions, you'll have worked muscles you didn't even know you had!
"As for the weather, our motto is – there's no such thing as inappropriate weather, only inappropriate clothing," says Simon.
Interested in boot
camp training and
outdoor fitness camps?
Why not contact
a provider near you?
Fire Up! Fitness
(03) 9505 0404
0401 239 393
www.fireupfitness.com.au
Fitness First
1300 55 77 99
www.fitnessfirst.com.au
Original Bootcamp
1300 664 619
www.hooyah.com.au/bootcamp.htm |
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