CAN A BOOTCAMP CHANGE YOUR LIFE?

Not to get too inflated, but starting a Bootcamp program can be life-changing. If you’re already on that road, but you haven’t found an activity you love, or you’re not seeing results, a boot camp might be just what you need.

Before images of a drill Instructor pop into your head, most boot camps have dropped the yelling thing. They realise that boot camp is more than just press-ups and running (although there are still many press-ups and running). It’s a full-body, physically and mentally challenging workout with a community of like-minded people to cheer you on.

Boot camp gives you the boost you need to finally lose weight and get in the best shape you can. It also holds you responsible and makes you mentally stronger. It’s a workout you’ll want to come back to day after day. Here are six reasons why.

1. You’ll See Results Quickly

It doesn’t matter if your goal is weight loss, increasing stamina or getting stronger, or all three, boot camp can get you there quicker than your old, boring gym routine. Classes encompass a mix of cardio and endurance exercises that’ll keep you moving the whole session. This keeps your heart rate up for maximum caloric burn, an average of 600 calories per session.

In addition, boot camp generally involves alternating periods of very vigorous activity with periods of more moderate exercise. This qualifies as high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Which increases your cardiovascular fitness more than steady-state cardio (according to a 2014 analysis printed in the British Medical Journal of Sports Medicine).

A 2017 study in the “Journal of Diabetes Research” found that “women who completed HIIT workouts lost just as much fat, as women who performed steady-state cardio but in substantially less time”. To Sum up, when you join a boot camp, you won’t need to spend hours on the treadmill to get results.

2. You’ll Find the Support of a Community

Going it solo on the running machine can be depressing. Roaming around the weight room among strangers who hardly make eye contact can make you feel like the gym is a lonely place.

But you’ll find the atmosphere of a boot camp to be considerably different. In fact, you’ll observe that many boot camps use their strong community spirit as a selling point. Entering the class, you’ll see welcoming faces that become familiar after a while. During sessions, you’ll provide assistance to each other when the going gets tough.

According to a 2017 study in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, exercising with a group can improve your life. In the 12-week trial, a group of students exercised in two groups, a group exercise class or independently (or with up to two partners).

Researchers assessed the students’ physical, mental, and emotional quality of life and stress levels weekly. Those who exercised in the group had significant improvements in the quality of life measures and markedly decreased stress compared to those who exercised alone or with a friend or two.

You will find people at boot camp who share your goals, like losing weight or training for an endurance event. When you have the community to share in those goals and celebrate milestones, you’re much more likely to stay in the game. And who knows, you might even meet your BFF or find romance among your new fitness pals.

3. It’s a Workout You Can Take Anywhere

Boot camps tend to rely on exercises you can do with your own body weight. Attending boot camp often means you’ll quickly master how to get in a workout anytime, (almost) anywhere.

So, if you travel for work and can’t make it to class, you can do many of the exercises you’ve learned in boot camp in your hotel room. Or, if your finances become tight and you have to take some time off, you can do the routines in your living room. You’ll have an arsenal of exercises you can draw from, so you’ll never have a reason to miss a good sweat session. It’s not as good as making it to class, but it gives you the freedom to be independent.

4. It Can Help You Lose Weight

Struggling on your own with low motivation, lack of support, and no guidance can hold you back from reaching your weight-loss goals. Many people battle their weight for years because they don’t work out regularly or intensely enough, they get bored with the same old fitness routine, they don’t strength train. They don’t have anyone to hold them accountable.

Bootcamp can check all those boxes by providing regular classes that are intense, fun, and effective. With a community of people to support you and hold you accountable and coaches who offer guidance.

And working out with a group of people of different fitness levels might boost your calorie burn. Researchers looked at how people perform in groups and found that those who work out in a group with people they perceive to be better than them increased the duration and intensity of their workouts by up to 200 percent.

If weight loss is your primary goal, choose a boot camp that specialises in this area. These will typically highlight weight loss on their websites and provide both fitness instruction and a nutrition component. Of course, boot camp in and of itself isn’t weight-loss magic; it all depends on you doing the work and sticking with the program.

5. You’ll Become Mentally Stronger

Learning to push yourself when the going gets tough is a life skill many people don’t ever practice in the course of their daily lives. Believe it or not, boot camp can help. In fact, before they became a mainstream fitness craze, boot camps were used primarily for reforming convicts and soldiers who committed criminal acts.

Boot camp is “a workout that kicks serious butt, in a way that may leave you gasping for air and sore, but that also builds that empowering. A transformative attitude that only comes when you’ve pushed yourself past the limit that you previously thought you could go,” says the website of ATG. “Turns out that this is the same recipe that helps to build your mental toughness.”

It takes willpower not to give up when your muscles are burning, and you don’t think you can do another rep. But you’re there to give it your all, and your classmates and coaches aren’t going to let you fail. Although you may want to quit, you’ll soon develop the ability to do just one more rep — and then another. Over time, this strengthens your mental muscle and enables you to go further in other areas of your life.

6. You’ll Find Out Exercise Is Actually Fun

It’s true: People do love working out, and you can too! Typically, people hate to exercise if they haven’t found the proper workout. Going to the gym, plodding along on the treadmill, wandering around the weight machines wondering what to do is uninspiring for plenty of people. Many end up doing the same exact thing every time they go to the gym — and then quit when they can’t take the boredom anymore.

Finding a workout that’s fun can increase your ability to stick with an exercise program, according to a 2016 study into Psychological Health. Every day is different at boot camp. You may never do the same workout twice, so you’ll never experience the mind-numbing repetition of your old gym routine. You’ll constantly be introduced to new exercises, taught new skills to master and challenged mentally and physically — and you’ll feel rewarded by the results.

You’ll look forward to coming to class each day because of the good vibes and community. For many people, boot camps and other group workouts become fun social outlets. There will still be running, but you never know. You might even learn to love it!

ONCE YOU HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE YOU COULD EVEN BECOME AN OUTDOOR FITNESS TRAINER