The term “fitness” is repulsive to many women, throw in the word “motivation” and you’ve got yourself wanting to hide away. Well, there is a way to get past that, Adventure Boot Camp for women is well established with 72 camps across South Africa, including Hillcrest and Westville.
By Danielle Sheedy
It’s a new and improved way of losing weight, increasing your fitness level and having fun! Don’t be misled by the name – Adventure Boot Camp – it really isn’t anything like training for the army.
All you have to know is that there is some hard work involved, but the results are so worth it. The outdoor fitness programme runs from Monday to Friday for one hour over four weeks. Each woman is given a personalised eating plan and a support group of other women campers, who all have the same targets in mind: getting fit, being healthy, losing weight and having loads of fun along the way.
Gym, sport, training… Sorry, what? I have no clue what these words mean – fitness has ever been my strong point. I suffer a severe lack of motivation – I suppose you could say I am downright lazy. So when I decided to experience Adventure Boot Camp for the first time at 5.30 in the morning (with a gentle nudge in the right direction by my editor), I was not impressed. I have never been a morning person, but somehow I managed to get up and drag myself to this boot camp.
Upon arriving, I was told to run… I was horrified, but this was only the beginning. I wouldn’t have thought that so many women would sign up for an early morning workout, but I was wrong again. The turnout was great and the best part was, everyone was so supportive, leaving you feeling confident that you could, indeed, do this.
It was only later in the class that I discovered that I had experienced week three of the training out of the four week course, which explains why I was struggling, always finishing the runs last, gasping for air, and finished my 750ml bottle of water only 20 minutes into the hour. That was definitely the reason I was battling, not the fact that I’m no fitness freak!
The day after my boot camp experience was possibly worse than the actual workout itself. Walking was painful and the stiffness was so intense that every step I took was followed by some sort of moan, but, aside from those ill effects, it was an extremely beneficial experience and it left me feeling rejuvenated, relaxed and confident, not to mention my opinion on exercise has changed.
Relieve stress
So what makes Adventure Boot Camp so amazing? Well, for starters, it’s something different. Gone are the days of using many machines to get the workout our body needs, looking for parking, queuing for the treadmill and trying to find a spot on a stretch mat that’s covered in someone else’s sweat.
Exercise is supposed to relieve stress not create it, and this is exactly what Adventure Boot Camp is all about. It’s about having a fun outdoor experience while targeting all areas of the body a woman needs to work on the most – and all with the help of a dedicated personal trainer.
Another advantage is that boredom never sets in, because every day is different. Some of the exercises you can expect include short distance running, rope skipping, abs and core training, Pilates, obstacle courses, circuit training, weights, mat work, games and hiking. Whatever your fitness level, Adventure Boot Camp lets you advance at your own pace.
It’s a lot of pain… but also a lot of fun.
For more information, visit the Adventure Boot Camp website