Exercise more. Who hasn’t had this as one of their New Year’s resolutions? It’s also one of the first to fall by the wayside.
You may be time poor or tired, you may be uninspired, or you simply can’t be bothered… any excuse will do. Working your way out of this mindset ends up being a challenge in itself. What’s needed is to be part of an organised exercise regimen that commits you to the task. That’s where the popular exercise programme of a Boot Camp can help.
“Boot Camps are based on exercises the military use to keep their recruits in top physical form,” says Danny Kettoola, founder and trainer for Fitness Evolved Boot Camps. And for civilian exercise purposes, this means an intense hour where an experienced personal trainer puts you (and fellow boot campers) through your paces – whatever your level of fitness.
To put Boot Camp to the test, Healthy Food Guide staffer Kirsty Donovan agreed to undergo Fitness Evolved’s six-week Boot Camp programme.
Kirsty, a mid-30s, working mother of two, knows all too well about feeling tired, time poor and uninspired. But she was determined to do something about it.
“At the beginning of 2010,” she says, “I decided it was time to put myself further up the list of things that are important.” Kirsty chose to focus on her diet and, over the course of the year, she lost 23 kilos.
By the end of 2010, however, Kirsty had plateaued. But she still wanted to shift 17 more kilos.
“I knew I would need to do something about exercise at some point,” she says, “but when it comes to exercise, I get bored. I am easily distracted from a routine and then I quickly slip out of it. I am good at making excuses so doing it on my own, I can easily convince myself ‘not today’.”
Boot Camp’s promise of improved fitness in a short time, as well as the motivator of external accountability, mean Kirsty’s usual excuses are out the window. The 6am starts, rain or shine, three days a week, also make this exercise regimen a serious wake-up call.
“I’m certain my body won’t know what has hit it!” she says, “but I want to push myself both physically and mentally to break through and beat the ‘I can’t’ that my head constantly tells me when it comes to exercise.”
Kirsty
This blog is the opinion and experiences of its author and should not be taken as medical or dietetic advice. Healthy Food Guide has not verified the content and cannot endorse any advice given. Healthy Food Guide recommends seeking professional health advice for specific complaints or symptoms.
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