Benefits of Outdoor Bootcamp

During my regularly scheduled class sessions, I teach an indoor bootcamp class on Tuesday mornings. We workout in a dance/aerobics studio. We have a view of the trees from our second story studio, and access to lots of equipment like steps, weights, bands, and stability balls. Of course, the room is climate-controlled, has fans, and shades we can close in case there is too much sun.

Outdoor bootcamp in the park has none of those particular perks. When the weather outside is cold, hot, wet, windy, or whatever, we simply experience it. When the sun shines in our eyes, we either squint or put on sunglasses. When the wind blows, we might shiver.

Being outdoors might seem like the lesser of the two options, but outdoor bootcamp is truly the best.

Sure, being indoors is more comfortable in many ways. But that's not what bootcamp is about! Bootcamp is not supposed to be comfortable. Bootcamp is supposed to push us beyond our regular, everyday boundaries into new experiences, including difficult and intense challenges. We don't crawl through the mud under barbed wire, but we do experience our own moderately challenging activities.

Of course, as a bootcamp leader, it is my job to make sure these challenges are safe and smart. We want to get a great workout, but we don't want to end up injured. For me, this means offering lots of options. I find alternatives when necessary, ways for all levels of students to participate in all activities without compromising safety.

When we work out in the park, there are natural challenges and obstacles for us to overcome. We use the terrain, the hills, the pathways, and the stairs to provide environmental challenges. There is no way we can get the same experience inside a studio. Stepping up onto one single step (even repeatedly!) is never going to offer the same challenge as jogging, running, jumping or hopping up an entire staircase! The park also has plenty of benches, wooden and metal, which provide stable surfaces for step-ups, step-hops, and box jumps. Our indoor studio has folding chairs, but these are nowhere near as stable as a park bench. There is no way for us to execute box jumps in the studio.

Outdoor bootcamp makes everyone feel like a warrior. We overcome the elements in every class. Working out in the winter, in the cold, in the fresh air and sunshine, gives us a big boost of positive energy. We feel brave and courageous, able to conquer anything in our path!

So this winter, get outside whenever you can. Even just taking a brisk walk when it's cold and sunny can do wonders for your mood and attitude. Don't let the weather control you! You are a brave winter warrior!