Come warm weather, education specialist Shari-Lynn Share will spend lunch at an hour-long fitness boot camp, instead of behind a computer.
She started boot camp for the first time last May, exercising three days a week from noon to 1 p.m. After a demanding six weeks, she lost 1½ inches off her waistline and noticed a marked improvement in strength and endurance.
“Going to boot camp is a great break to the day. You’re away from work and away from your computer and you get to meet new people,” she says.
Share is among a growing number of people turning to fitness boot camps as a motivational tool to get fit fast.
“Everyone is together, everyone is grunting through the same workout and Sally beside you is continuing to go, so you want to continue to push on,” explains Michelle Parks, a former co-worker of Sare who started as a fitness trainer with Survivor Boot Camp last year.
Parks says participants set a goal for themselves and with the support of friends they strive to meet these goals or surpass them by the end of the six weeks. The workout changes each day, but includes cardio, core-strength, resistance and circuit training for full-body conditioning.
A varied workout is important when choosing the right boot camp, says Parks, as is a certified personal trainer, a benchmark to measure success, and a training schedule that accommodates both work and life.
Most people start going to the gym each January or at the start of the swimsuit season, says Parks, hoping for quick results. When they don’t see these results right away, they give up and stop going.
With boot camp, the diverse and challenging workout produces noticeable results in record time, encouraging even those who usually exercise irregularly to keep at it.
