It was with fear, but plenty of determination that I clicked the ‘register’ button on the Adventure Boot Camp for Women website.
I had got to the point that most women reach a few times in their lives – the point where enough was enough and lounging on the couch was just not as desirable as it once was. My waist had expanded (not dramatically, but I was no longer my svelte self) and lethargy over took me a lot of the time. To make matters worse, I was losing enthusiasm at work as a result of feeling tired and lazy.
It was time to find a suitable exercise routine. Yoga seemed like a good option, but it became very expensive and quite frankly moving through the same sequence over and over again is a bit boring. The gym was next, but the temptations to skip workouts or cut sessions short to loll in the steam room were too great. Eventually, a friend of a friend offered his me reasonably priced personal training but he upped and went to the UK.
And so I found myself on a website, signing up for an eight-week, five-days-a-week exercise regime at the Western Province Cricket Club in Rondebosch. All I needed was a yoga mat (check, for aforementioned failed attempt) and a small set of weights.
On the first evening, I was extremely nervous. It was cold. It was getting dark. There were women in Lycra. Our Adonis-like trainer introduced himself, handed out free razors (Schick was a sponsor), did a check to see if there were any injuries, and we were off. A quick walk around the field lulled me into thinking this would be easy. Then came the jumping jacks… and the tricep curls… and the lunges!
After 30 minutes I was tired, but not exhausted. By the end of the hour, endorphins were rushing through my body and it was great. The training is a balance of cardio and strength training, working on different muscle groups and focused toning (not building up great big guns). While the sessions are tiring and challenging, each woman needs only work to the best of her ability. There are mini circuits where the aim is to complete a number of reps, but everyone stops once the first woman is done. This means no one is waiting around for those who are less fit, but also if you’re a newbie, you don’t have to stress about finishing everything under the watchful eyes of the fitter women.
I have completed three and half weeks of my boot camp and the change is amazing. I have slept like a baby almost every night and am genuinely excited to go to boot camp each day. Not only is it a huge accomplishment for me to have gotten through this much exercise, but I feel better about myself, have more energy and my waist may very well be shrinking again. Being outside and getting the blood pumping while running around the field, cracking jokes with other women and seeing my own progress have all had a positive effect on my mental and physical state. There might be no “Om” chanting, but it’s made me calmer all the same. In fact, there is nothing like a good old-fashioned workout in the fresh air.
Adventure Boot Camp for Women has camps all over the country and you only need to commit a month at a time. There are no joining fees and the more camps you complete, the more of a discount you will receive. Visit www.adventurebootcamp.co.za for more information.
