When you think of the word “boot camp,” do visions of scared youth in fatigues being yelled at by sergeants spring into your head? But that’s nose angry sergeants are preparing those young ‘whipper snappers’ for combat. They are readying their minds and bodies, molding them into soldiers. But that’s not the only type of fitness camp that exists. There are boot camps to overcome drugs or alcohol. Others are called ‘fat camps.’ And, still others promote a healthy lifestyle, focusing on nutrition and exercise. Spiritual or religious retreats can also be considered boot camps. All these boot camps focus on one thing: the transformation of an unhealthy behavior into a healthy one.
The most important thing for any exercise program candidate is motivation. You have to want that change for yourself. It has to be a means to achieve a goal – or even a dream – that you have. You have to be able to visualize yourself as you want to become. Maybe your goal is leaving that first impression that draws interviewers to give you jobs and the people you want as life partners to envision you as theirs. Maybe you just want to be able to finally wear those clothes hidden in the back of the closet, because the no longer do for you what they did before. Maybe your unhealthy eating has caused a serious illness and you need a lifestyle change to stay alive. All of those goals make for a highly motivated camper.
Age should not be a factor for elimination. You’re never too old or too young for a fitness boot camp. I’ve had people in my camp anywhere from pre-teen to 84. My favorites are pregnant women or women who are trying to get their figures back after giving birth. Next on my favorites list are the older folks who have stopped or reduced their normal exercise routine. The pounds have crept up and the metabolism has either ceased to function or is barely functioning. Post-menopausal, pre-menopausal, peri-menopausal or menopausal women are next on my list of favorites. But, in reality, age doesn’t matter.
All shapes, sizes and stages of fitness are boot camp candidates. You could be morbidly obese and not having even walked around the block in the past few years. You could be in excellent shape and on a great diet and exercise program, but you want to make sure you are working all of your body, not just certain parts. You could even be somewhere in-between these two extremes. You don’t do anything that can hurt you. Any exercise can be modified to suit your desires, needs and limitations.
Kal Gunay is a Boca Fitness Trainer [http://www.southfloridaexercise.com/boca-raton-fitness-trainer-personal-fitness-trainer-in-boca-raton-fl] and owns a Personal Fitness Training [http://www.southfloridaexercise.com/boca-raton-fitness-trainer-personal-fitness-trainer-in-boca-raton-fl] business in Boca Raton, FL.
