Time to put your boot in

GET fit, shape up and enjoy better health with the rest of the family – this is what the owners of a Port Elizabeth- based exercise programme want to encourage families to do. The co-owners of Boot Camp Academy SA, formerly known as Extreme Boot Camp, Kenneth Maade and Sharon Jessop, are offering one reader of The Herald the chance to exercise together with their family at their outdoor fitness programme.

"We want to break bad sedentary habits like too much TV, PC games or internet use, as well as ensure that families spend more quality time together getting fit and healthy together," said Jessop.

"The sessions offer an alternative for everyone who is bored of overcrowded gyms and long, ineffective cardio workouts. They are suitable for both men and women of all ages and fitness levels – athletes and non-athletes," she said.

Although this fitness academy has previously catered for individuals, with its new group-focused training programme it is hoping to reach a wider market.

The programme is derived from basic military training and incorporates different bodyweight based exercises like squats, lunges, burpees and push-ups. Confident that not even the rain could hinder these outdoor sessions, Jessop said their fitness routine appealed to families as they "don't use machines or heavy weights and can all be modified to suit everyone's fitness and ability level.

"Inasmuch as the exercises are designed to suit each family member, each one works at their own intensity and ability," she added.

Qualified and experienced trainers supervise campers at four levels: rookie, foot soldier, paratrooper and delta force.

"A rookie, for example, will do easier exercises that focus on fundamentals like technique, while a foot soldier is the intermediate level, where the trainer starts to introduce more advanced exercises. A paratrooper is the pre-advanced level, introducing plyometrics (jumping and bounding), and a delta force camper will be asked to do advanced, difficult exercises. This level is mostly for your athletes," said Jessop.

The academy stretches fitness bounds further by adding nutrition education and monitoring clients' monthly progress.

"We reinforce the idea of exercise as a lifestyle rather than a quick fix," Jessop said.

With branches in Port Elizabeth and Knysna they plan to expand business to reach other cities.

Sessions run for an hour from 5.30pm at the Pearson and Victoria Park high school grounds, the Baakens Creek Mashee Golf Course, in Kragga Kamma, and at Knysna High School in Knysna.

Depending on how often one wants to burn off that fat – classes are one to five days weekly. -