Benefits of BMF boot camps - recommended activity levels

Hi! My name’s Harry Callaghan and I’m Park Manager of our boot camp style classes at Cannon Hill Park in Birmingham.

During my post-outdoor boot camp chat with our trialists last week, I was asked a fairly pertinent question: "Why should I do BMF fitness training classes? How will it benefit me?"
 
 So here's my response.

The benefits of group exercise can be broken down into the psychological and the physiological effects. These work together to enable one to exercise successfully.

Psychological Effects - the "feel good factor"

As humans, we continuously look to boost our self-image. Furthermore, we are now more aware of how group exercise can reduce stress in our life as it provides us with a channel to exert it. It is also now accepted as a prescribed treatment for the reduction of clinical depression because the endorphin release provides a “magical” feeling and sense of achievement. This has been proven through many academic studies.

Physiological Perspective - the health benefits

It is evident that regular exercise can have the following benefits:

• Reduced hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Reduced risk of heart disease and stroke (now the biggest cause of illness and death in the UK)
• Weight management (an increasing concern with the modern “computer generation” children)
• Increased levels of our "good" cholesterol (HDL)

It was at this point I introduced the trialist to one of my most successful weight loss clients. In 10 months of BMF, training three times per week at our outdoor boot camp, he lost seven stone. The BMF member started in the Blue (beginner) group and now has the potential to join the Green group. This transformation, in less than a year, is remarkable.

Recent research has proven that high-intensity short duration activity has the same success as the outdated low-level, long duration cardio sessions. At a BMF outdoor boot camp, we strive to deliver high-intensity sessions over a period of 4-8 minutes with ability differentiation. This will not only result in a huge increase in fitness but for those interested in weight loss, it is ideal.

Whilst some key benefits of exercise were discussed, BMF is about more than just exercise science. Enjoyment is a key factor to successful training and BMF’s social network and instructor led group-training lends itself to this every outdoor boot camp.