The Living Arts - October 2007
Boot Camp
by Michelle Hackney
Remember when we were kids? The days were full of playing with our friends outside, running as fast as we could and cheering each other on. Those were the days when exercising was fun. Now we call it “working out” and we need to schedule time for it. Committing yourself to an exercise program that you’ll not only tolerate but love can be the best way to jump-start a lifetime of fitness. Yet, traditional workouts like kickboxing and aerobics aren’t for everyone. If you’re searching for an exercise program you can stick with, consider playing outdoors like you did as a child.
Increasing numbers of people have become tired of crowded gyms and have turned to organized outdoor workouts where fallen logs become platforms for push-ups; tree branches double as chin-up bars. Those who’ve tried outdoor workouts say that exercising alfresco offers benefits that can’t be found indoors.
Salvador Convento, owner of the United States Karate Academy, has liberated exercisers from the gym by offering “Boot Camp,” a one-hour, fresh air, full-body morning workout, twice daily at two inspirational locations in San Diego.
"There’s always psychic clutter in a gym,” says Convento. “The weights clanging, the discussion, the music. Now you’ve got five or six TVs going at the same time. A workout outside clears your head and gives your ears some time off.” Convento’s approach also offers two other very important factors: someone to hold you accountable (test your limits) and the camaraderie of others.
Those who have tried outdoor workouts agree that the most tangible benefits of outdoor exercise are the feelings of enjoyment and freedom. This translates to more frequent participation. Boot Camp participants claim to be enticed with the joys of a sunrise and the brisk breeze off the bay and often find that they become more flexible in their approach to fitness and life.
“I am an avid practitioner of Yoga and Meditation, so I did not know how the Boot Camp was going to fit with my own personality so early in the morning,” said Jamie Getzwiller, owner of Yoga-Syz. “But, there is something wonderful about getting together to have a complete mind, body and spirit experience that early. Sal has the enthusiasm of a child and the will of a prize fighter and is able to help change our lives as we make a conscious decision together to strengthen the foundation of our day.”
Scripps Mercy Physicians Medical Group states that people respond to the peace of mind and freedom of the outdoors. Scripps also says that exercise sharpens focus and decision-making skills. Convento creates the optimum balance in Boot Camp by combining exercise with the outdoors. Participants enjoy an increasing sense of awareness, better concentration, a feeling of tranquility, oxygen-filled fresh air, enticing smells and a reconnection with the Earth.
The human body was not meant to sit for long periods of time like most office workers do today. While we spend hours sitting still in that office chair or watching our favorite television program, our spine’s healthy lumbar curve flattens, placing stress on our disks. When we stay in one position for several hours, our circulation reduces and allows lactic acid to build up, leading to muscle fatigue. Studies have shown that allowing time for exercise outdoors relaxes the mind while isolating, tensing, and releasing muscles that also relax the body.
As a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, ex-officer and Navy pilot Convento has embraced his military roots and marries it with the principles of “Tao”. These classes offer oneness of man and nature. Students are taught discipline, confidence, relaxation and meditation. Convento guarantees that everyone will be impacted through his classes. His intention is that students become more self-actualized and turn their own dreams into reality. Convento does this by focusing on six key elements: discipline, self-esteem, fitness/flexibility, confidence, perseverance and goal setting.
“I am certain that I have formulated methods that clear the mind for understanding and that reconnect my students to the earth so that they may live in harmony and can turn their own dreams into reality,” says Convento.
“Boot Camp has given me clarity, focus and discipline,” said David Rangel, a real estate investor. “It’s not just the fitness aspect that makes this class enjoyable—it’s the combination of interacting with awesome people, having a motivating person like Sal as an instructor, and the chance to get out of the office to push myself as far as I can go physically and mentally.”
For a limited time Mr. Convento is offering new members half off the first month with a 100% money-back guarantee. Visit www.sd-bootcamp.com or call 619.342.5548 for more information. Michelle Hackney is a stay-at-home mother and freelance writer in San Diego with seven years of writing experience.