Today’s motivation comes from Lynn Calicchio as she shares her fitness boot camp experience:
I am not a runner. Never have been, never will be. I admire those who do, but it’s not for me and I imagine that I am not alone. For me, 6 miles on an elliptical for an hour is a true accomplishment, so finding new and fun ways to exercise has been a journey.
I like non-traditional exercise. It started long before I could walk. You see, my Dad is a professional ballroom dance teacher and I literally started to dance before I could walk by standing on his shoes while holding onto his fingers. The last couple of years I have taken Zumba, Yoga, Pilates and Spinning, and love them all. I like to bike and inline skate, have added rock wall climbing, kayaking, kangoo workout and kick boxing to my must try list, and plan to dust off my tap shoes in the fall. Yes, you could say I am on a quest. There are so many ways to get active and maintain a healthy lifestyle at every physical level and every age. And don’t forget the tried and true, walking! The only obstacle is mental.
To be relatively good at any of these, however, you need a certain level of strength which led me to my latest fitness adventure; Get Sexy Boot Camp. Don’t let the name fool you. Glamour was not part of this package. GSBC offered a great deal for a one month trial via Groupon and I jumped at it. Not knowing what to expect was half the fun. All I knew was that it was a 30 minute workout led by a trainer. It is amazing what can be packed into 30 minutes. The program was circuit training utilizing all muscles groups and giving you a cardio workout as well because you were constantly moving and increasing reps. I did the class three days a week for three weeks. The fourth week is a rest week. Each day had a different workout routine for a week and then the week was repeated for the month. Five stations alternated different muscles groups to maximize the workout. The exercises were varied including pushups, planks, burpees (I hate burpees!), kettlebells, free weights, squats and lunges. All to music and all timed at different intervals. Are you tired yet? I was. Each time around it was up to you to push yourself faster and harder, but it paid off in the end. I honestly didn’t think a month was going to give me anything but a sample of the program. To my surprise, I quickly saw results. Not a dramatic “drop a dress size in 30 days” kind of results, but a noticeable change in strength and toning. The program also included a trip to Whole Foods for a nutrition class, which was a great learning experience beyond shop the perimeter.
My overall goal is to be healthy, and strength training has given me an extra tool to accomplish that, along with good nutrition. If it ends up having a positive effect on how I look, that’s a bonus. But the real prize is the way I feel. I am grateful for groups like FitMilwaukee and DailyMile for the inspiration, motivation and encouragement. Now, instead of letting Life get in the way of exercise, I’m making exercise a part of my Life. You can do anything for 30 minutes! Get up and Get moving!
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