| Make fitness boot camp a part of your corporate | | | | with these basics and, with time, gradually |
| culture and you will build strong teams, increase | | | | introduce new exercises. The trainers are not just |
| productivity and change the lives of your | | | | watching. They are performing the exercises with |
| employees. Successfully organize and conduct | | | | their team members as they guide and encourage |
| your own fitness boot camp program. | | | | them through the workout. |
| Implementation of a corporate fitness boot camp | | | | Three Basic Principles |
| program costs almost nothing and results in | | | | -- Warm-up. Perform toe raisers to warm up the |
| increased productivity, less sick days, cohesive | | | | body. |
| teams and lower health care costs. | | | | -- Stretch. Stretch each body part briefly right |
| For Whom Is Fitness Boot Camp? | | | | after exercising it. |
| Fitness boot camp is designed for all ages, all sizes | | | | -- Strength and cardio. Alternate between upper |
| and shapes, as well as all fitness levels. It is great | | | | and lower body exercises. |
| for beginners and those who have never | | | | This approach is safe and does not require much |
| exercised before as well as for the regular | | | | training to implement. Participants are to stay in |
| exerciser. Fitness boot camp will enhance existing | | | | touch with their bodies and do only what they can |
| wellness and fitness programs or completely | | | | do. If they can only perform a partial motion of |
| replace them. | | | | an exercise, that is acceptable and is still working |
| Perfect For Busy Schedules | | | | the muscles. Use the following list of basic |
| You will learn how – with little or no cost – | | | | exercises to get started. You will find a description |
| to organize your very own fitness boot camp | | | | of these exercises in the book titled Boot Camp |
| cells/teams. I call this the busy person's workout, | | | | Fitness for All Shapes and Sizes by Lt. Col. Bob |
| because it covers the strength, cardio and | | | | Weinstein, USAR-Ret.. |
| flexibility all wrapped into one workout session. | | | | Start With These Exercises |
| Consult with your physician before beginning this | | | | -- Squats |
| or any other fitness activity. | | | | -- Standing crunches |
| What You Get With Fitness Boot Camp | | | | -- Standing lunge |
| -- Variety. | | | | -- Arms and shoulders stretch |
| -- Fun. | | | | -- Triceps and upper back stretch |
| -- Energizing. | | | | -- Standing straddle and stretch |
| -- Builds strong teams. | | | | -- Standing hamstring stretch |
| -- Incorporates company, family and life core | | | | -- Biceps curls, resistance band |
| values. | | | | -- Shoulder press, resistance band |
| -- Complete-body, encompassing strength, muscle | | | | -- Upright row, resistance band |
| endurance, flexibility and cardio. | | | | -- Crunches |
| -- Can be started anytime. | | | | Ground Rules for Fitness Boot Camp |
| -- No strict workout regimen. | | | | There are ground rules to follow. These rules are |
| -- Dynamic, always focused on progress. | | | | designed to build strong, supportive teams and |
| -- Can be done indoors and/or outdoors. | | | | team members. Focus on the basic approach of |
| -- For men, women, teens and children. | | | | the workout to guarantee progress for all team |
| -- For pre-beginners, beginners, intermediates and | | | | members, while having fun. |
| advanced. | | | | Safety |
| -- For young and old. | | | | Keep the workouts safe. Ask about medical |
| This workout is for the company looking for a | | | | restrictions and remind participants to stay in |
| creative way of getting its employees in shape | | | | touch with their own bodies. The workout is |
| while strengthening team spirit, increasing | | | | designed to take the employees out of their |
| productivity and reducing absenteeism. | | | | comfort zone periodically so that fitness progress |
| The purpose of implementing fitness boot camp | | | | can be experienced. The comfort zone will differ |
| cells/teams is to actively take on the role of | | | | for each individual. A team member only modifies |
| getting employees, club members, family | | | | an exercise for medical reasons or due to fatigue |
| members and friends in shape and build strong, | | | | level and then continues to exercise that body |
| cohesive teams. | | | | part. |
| Workplace Benefits of Fitness Boot Camp | | | | Do not allow the question of liability to cause the |
| -- Little to no cost. | | | | program to be rejected or terminated. The |
| -- Use existing employee and management | | | | advantages of this fitness program far outweigh |
| structure to organize. | | | | any questions of risk or liability. Seek legal counsel |
| -- Enhancement of corporate culture. | | | | to mitigate any risk. Require all participants to stay |
| -- Healthier and happier employees. | | | | in touch with their own bodies and do only what |
| -- Enhanced team spirit. | | | | they can do. |
| -- Reduced illnesses. | | | | Simplicity |
| -- Reduced loss of work time. | | | | As a team progresses, new exercises can be |
| -- Reduced injuries. | | | | incorporated into the workout, periodically |
| -- Increased productivity and performance. | | | | changing the routine, location or sequence of |
| -- Weight-loss and weight management. | | | | exercises. Introducing something new keeps it |
| -- Nutritional guidance. | | | | interesting. |
| -- Stress relief and stress management. | | | | Fun |
| -- Enhanced communication. | | | | The fun factor cannot be emphasized enough. |
| Appoint Team Leaders | | | | The workouts are all performed in a light, upbeat |
| Appoint team leaders for each cell, which will be | | | | and positive atmosphere with an emphasis on |
| made up of approximately six to twenty | | | | mutual respect and concern for all team |
| employees. This is a company-wide approach, | | | | members. Humor is an important element, as long |
| from senior management all the way down to | | | | as it is not demeaning, inappropriate in language, |
| front-line employees. Any member of | | | | or content. No foul language is to be used by any |
| management can simply step in and join the | | | | team member. Treat the workout like a game |
| workout with any of the teams to promote their | | | | and have a blast. |
| relationships with employees while working on | | | | Variety |
| their own fitness and demonstrating, by example, | | | | Variety is the spice of life. In addition, variety is |
| how important this is. Management participation is | | | | one of the principles that keeps the workout |
| a non-threatening way for senior- and mid-level | | | | interesting and actually plays a role in surprising |
| management to join in on what is offered as | | | | the neurological system into supporting greater |
| serious fun with special emphasis on fun and | | | | fitness progress. |
| teambuilding. | | | | Complete Body Workout |
| Decide on how best to organize your initial team | | | | Complete body workout means strength, cardio |
| cells and appoint team leaders or coordinators | | | | and flexibility. It also means upper body, lower |
| (one for each cell). Then, assign one individual to | | | | body and abs. Every workout will include all of |
| support all team coordinators of all the cells and | | | | these in varying degrees. This is easy to apply. |
| to track the programs. That individual could be the | | | | Simply spoken, what you will do is jog or walk; |
| wellness coordinator, supervisor, manager or | | | | stop and work a body part; jog or walk; stop and |
| some other employee. That individual should | | | | work a body part until the entire session is |
| already possess a heightened level of enthusiasm | | | | complete. |
| for fitness and have a desire to help others. | | | | Are you indoors and can't go outdoors? Be |
| Different Fitness Levels Train Together | | | | creative and perform the exercises while |
| All fitness levels train together. Have all employees | | | | alternating between upper and lower body. You |
| sign a waiver for the program. If any members | | | | will get a cardio workout as well. Every session |
| have medical issues, those employees would then | | | | may have a different emphasis. For example, the |
| only perform those exercises that are permissible | | | | upper body may be emphasized, while the other |
| by their physician; for example, walking but no | | | | areas are still being worked. The order of |
| jogging, no abs work, no squats or lunges due to | | | | exercises may be random, as long as there is |
| knee injury. Often a simple modification of an | | | | alternation between upper and lower body. |
| exercise is possible. Those with medical | | | | Core Values |
| restrictions would then perform their alternative | | | | The core values of the company are to be |
| exercises during the time the rest of the team is | | | | consciously practiced and illustrated during the |
| performing their (unmodified) exercise; or they will | | | | workouts. Core values are designed to make us |
| simply modify the team's exercise to a safe | | | | better employees and better persons. For |
| range of motion suitable to their medical limitation. | | | | example, the core values of the U.S. Army are |
| Organize Fitness Cells | | | | loyalty, duty, respect, selfless-service, honor, |
| Those employees who work together on a | | | | integrity and personal courage. A clear |
| regular basis should be organized as a part of the | | | | understanding of the company core values is an |
| same fitness cell. You can organize the cells by | | | | essential part of the training. During each training |
| department or cross-departmental. Have | | | | session, a particular core value or values should be |
| managers or peers come together; mix various | | | | emphasized to talk about. This can be |
| management levels. Rearrange the mix of | | | | accomplished by selecting an appropriate quote or |
| employees every six months, if you desire. | | | | quotes or a life or business scenario or anecdote |
| Whether your business is customer service, sales, | | | | that best demonstrates the core value. |
| banking, law office staff, fire and rescue, hospital | | | | Enhance Workplace Performance |
| staff, law enforcement, school, college or | | | | The practice of core values of a company is very |
| university, or small business with a handful of | | | | important for the long-term success of the |
| employees, boot camp fitness cells are right for | | | | company and for great employer/employee and |
| you. | | | | employee/customer relations. |
| Indoors or Outdoors | | | | All people have different skill sets and different |
| Another exciting aspect of fitness boot camp is | | | | levels of performance. The object of fitness boot |
| these workouts can be done anywhere, whether | | | | camp is to make all team members feel |
| indoors or outdoors. Keep it interesting by | | | | appreciated and motivated regardless of |
| changing workout location, where feasible, and | | | | performance levels. That is the secret to |
| look for opportunities to incorporate your | | | | enhancing the performance of all. |
| environment into your workout. For example, | | | | Team members will all have different fitness |
| park benches are great for performing dips, and | | | | levels. Some will have stronger upper bodies, |
| the entire team can wrap their resistance bands - | | | | some will have greater flexibility, and some will |
| also called exercise tubes - around a tree for a | | | | have better cardio. Each team member focuses |
| group upper-body exercise. | | | | on his or her individual fitness progress based on |
| Flexible | | | | his or her very own fitness level and not the |
| You choose a time to fit your schedule. Whether | | | | fitness level of other team members. All team |
| it is 10, 20, 30 or 60 minutes for fitness boot | | | | members support each other in their individual |
| camp, it all adds up to an accumulative health | | | | quests to improve. Fitness boot camp is not only |
| benefit. I strongly recommend at least twice a | | | | about physical strength, it is also about mental |
| week, once a week at a minimum, as a part of a | | | | strength. |
| corporate program with emphasis that the | | | | Mental Fortitude |
| employees work out four to six times per week | | | | Mental fortitude pushes us to improve and go |
| all told. If you cannot schedule fitness boot camp | | | | beyond our present fitness level. In order to |
| twice a week, schedule the frequency that will | | | | improve mental fortitude, 100 % effort is |
| work. Make it a part of your corporate culture | | | | required of all team members. One hundred |
| and your employees will take this into their | | | | percent effort means that if a team member, |
| private fitness routines. There is a clear | | | | during the course of an exercise, gets so fatigued |
| connection between fitness and workplace | | | | that the complete exercise cannot be performed, |
| performance. | | | | then that team member will not simply quit, but |
| Combine Workout with a Business Meeting | | | | will modify the exercise to the point of being able |
| Combine a meeting with fitness boot camp. There | | | | to continue. Without a struggle, there can be no |
| is no better way to get those creative juices | | | | progress. This is where the mental fortitude is |
| flowing while problem solving than to engage in | | | | actually being strengthened again along with the |
| hearty exercise. Start with an issue to be | | | | body. Strengthening of mental fortitude will carry |
| considered or a problem to be solved, and then | | | | over into the workplace. This is very powerful. |
| perform an exercise or two. Stop and discuss. | | | | This keeps the mind and body in the mode of |
| Then do it again with the next agenda point, until | | | | saying, "Hey, I can do this! I will not stop! I won't |
| all issues and muscle groups have been addressed. | | | | quit!" This is what adds the challenge to the fun. |
| Who says you cannot combine work with | | | | Count Reps Aloud Together |
| pleasure? | | | | All team members will count exercises with |
| Anyone Can Do It | | | | repetitions aloud and enthusiastically. The only |
| The training is easy, and the exercises are very | | | | exceptions are laryngitis and those who cannot |
| basic and easy to perform. The mix of exercises | | | | speak. This works the diaphragm and has a very |
| follows the principles of simplicity and fun. | | | | positive team-building impact on team members. |
| Technically, this is called functional training. | | | | If you happen to be in an environment that will |
| Functional training focuses on training the body | | | | disturb others by counting aloud, whisper instead. |
| how it is used in activities of daily life. | | | | Start your fitness boot camp corporate wellness |
| Train the Trainers | | | | program today. |
| Once you have identified your trainers, they need | | | | Please mention the author when citing or |
| to be trained. To implement this program the | | | | reprinting this article. The author is Lt. Col. Bob |
| trainers will only need a few basic exercises. Start | | | | Weinstein, USAR-Ret. |