So, after 18 months of exercising, I decided I needed to “rev” up my workout. Body Pump was and is still great. Running, not so much. I still hate running. For me, it is boring and jarring on my knees and while it might increase my aerobic ability, I really wasn’t continuing to see any improvement in my muscle tone.
So I started to investigate a summer Boot Camp. I thought, well, this might be fun. Being around other people. Outdoors. I liked the idea. I am definitely a morning person, so it had to be early. The earlier the better. I found one about three miles from my house and it started bright and early at 5:30am. Perfect. By the way, it was all women. Not that being all women was very important to me. I have a pretty good sense of “self-worth” and have never really worried too much what others thought about my shape. I was really trying to get more fit.
I think it is important for any of you who really want to implement a fitness program, that it fit into your lifestyle. So if you aren’t a “morning” person, find one that is available later in the day or evening after work if necessary. I am always whipped in the evening and just want to “chill-out.” Mornings worked for me. Boot Camps are really available all around the country, single sex or coed. You just need to do some research. Most will let you test them out for a couple of sessions. You can usually choose from one to five days per week. Obviously you will see better results the more you exercise.
On my first morning, I showed up with a water bottle, exercise mat and some weights, and oh yes, some bug spray…mosquitos were relentless this summer. There were around 10 women of all sizes, I being the most fit and smallest. There were 22 year olds and 55 year olds. Most were grossly out-of-shape, anywhere from 30 pounds to 150 pounds overweight for their height. Some could barely do a brisk 1/4 mile walk.
One caveat: while you want to get fit and probably lose some weight, don’t let anyone intimidate you into doing more than you feel your joints and heart can manage. A physical from your doctor is in order before you begin.
While I was in pretty good shape, I am always mindful of being careful with my shoulders. There are some exercises that I have to modify. I always go with what I know they will handle. That is not to say that I didn’t push myself in all other areas of the exercises. You do want to get out-of-breath, probably feel some joint and muscle soreness, especially the first few days.
I did this Boot Camp for two months. While I didn’t see a huge difference in my overall weight, my endurance and strength were markedly different. I had much better muscle tone. I could definitely bike a lot farther. The exercises varied every day. So did the results of the other nine people. Even the biggest, most out out-of-shape woman was running, yes, running, a mile.
What I encourage you to do is get out there and try something, anything, and never be embarrased. There will be people in better and worse shape than you are in. You will find strength in the comaraderie of others.
Have you started an exercise program or struggled to get into shape? Share your thoughts in a comment.
Diane 
