Boot Camp: A Great Way to Get In Shape

 I went to drop off forms for my sons last week to join a swim team. They were not excited about it, but I was not excited about the thought of them parked in front of a television all summer.

They have been begging for music lessons, so I cut them a deal: if they give swimming a chance, I would sign them up for guitar or piano lessons in the fall. As I left with their summer activity secured, a flyer caught my eye: Boot Camp.

Boot Camp seems to be about as popular as Zumba these days. I’ve been invited to go to several boot camp sessions with various friends, but the thought of getting up at 5 a.m. to do jumping jacks and wind sprints was not appealing to me. Besides, I’ve done boot camp before when I went through basic training for the Air Force. I was not going to pay someone to stand over me screaming that I’m a pansy because I can’t squeeze out one last sit up.

But just like the broccoli I’ll keep putting on my kid’s plates until they finally break down and eat it, boot camp invitations were popping up everywhere—in playgroups, school functions, and girl’s nights. All that exposure led me to follow my fellow lemmings over the cliff.

I grabbed a flyer. It was for Doran Fitness, not five minutes from my house and it was at a much more reasonable time than daybreak: Monday's from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Thursday's 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. I decided to go on Monday, which gave me all weekend to hem and haw on whether I would actually make it to the class. I was nervous. The class had met a few times already and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I pictured a tight-knit group of super-soldiers clad in cammo pants and black tanks all pointing with their bulging oiled muscles and laughing with Austrian accents at the puny little stick girl who had to do push-ups on her knees.

What I found as I walked through the front door of Doran Fitness was, of course, much different than what I imagined. The young men at the front desk were smiling and helpful. Each boot camp session was free for members, but $10 for the nonmembers. I fell into the latter category, but I considered it a deal since most personal training sessions cost well above $40 and this was going to be a small class.

The “recruits” I met were normal men and women (just like me!). They were fit, but not intimidating powerhouses. The instructor introduced himself as Jay Mack. He didn’t seem to be like my Sergeant at Lackland AFB. Sgt Barnett was a bulldog of a man that could bring you to tears with a glance. Jay was more like a supportive brother—the kind that would go for a run with you then help you build a birdhouse later, motivating you the entire time.

I got a great workout without feeling like I wasn’t going to be able to move the next day. Jay offered helpful tips for doing the exercises correctly and to garner the best results. I jumped rope for the first time since grade school. I don’t remember it being so hard. Along with leg raises and push-ups, Jay led our group on a 2.5 mile run. Everyone was encouraged to go at their own speed and we were all supported. The only yelling I heard was cheering.

All the exercises we did in class can be done anywhere since they utilize a lot of calisthenics and require no gym equipment. It was so much fun to work out with a great group of people and I can’t wait to go back next week.

This boot camp experience was so much better than my last one—no offense Sgt Barnett.