Daily Times

A new wave of an overrated intensive physical exertion, called boot camp, has taken the elite by storm. It’s considered a trendy and social way to lose weight fast. This article is an analysis of the theory, implementation, and post-exertion effects.

Originally the idea came from penalization at the correctional facilities. Besides the rigorous daily schedule of activities, extra physical exertion was inflicted as a punitive measure on troublesome inmates. A similar pattern is followed at many army camps, where intensive physical training follows regular drills. In fact, the word “boot” has its origins in army training.

Soon TV shows in the United States matched fit and ambitious celebrities to hit military boot camps to test their physical endurance for increasing viewership. Having to watch their favourite movie stars waddle through creepy swamps, bear the muscle failure, suffer the toughest obstacles and finally match the abilities of military personnel, made Americans fall in love with Boot Camp theory.

The idea was so big that it was introduced by gyms in the US, as outdoor group training or indoors as circuit training style. Boot camps were not designed for the frail and the faint-hearted. However, it has been falsely promoted as a quick weight loss remedy to novice exercisers. It is an appealing proposition as its time-bound such as one month or 42 days and thus sold as a cost-effective method for speedy weight loss.

Boot camp fever

Given the increasing popularity of this fitness concept, many trainers see it as a big market to lure in people who cannot exercise regularly or are not willing to exercise on a sustainable basis. The participants are inducted from all and sundry, regardless of age, physical conditions and infirmities, otherwise it will not make business sense.

Initially, the participants may lose some weight at the boot camp. Saira, a 31-year-old participant, shed three kilograms and her husband lost five kilograms within 30 days but then she said that it all came back. The quick weight loss is mostly due to excessive sweating during the intense workout. Most people presume that with sweating can cause one to lose weight. Sweat is basically water, sodium chloride, and potassium (what we call electrolytes). Dr Craig Crandall, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre, says that sweating does not rid your body of “toxins; it’s not like parts of the junk food you ate are going to escape through your sweat.” Men and women have different numbers of sweat glands anywhere from two and four million. Men will sweat more and superficially lose more water weight. Stew Smith reports at Military.com that during three to four hours of ocean swimming, most of his Navy seal class lost 10 to 15 pounds by sweating. Researches have shown that excessive sweating can damage kidneys and cause cardiovascular-related issues. Some caution is required as boot camps are not suitable for diabetics, heart and high blood pressure patients.

Scores of people have come to me for yoga sessions to heal injuries to their back, shoulder, knees or ankle due to overtraining at boot camps. Even though one fills up a form with all medical details, it is not possible for trainers to address each person’s individual fitness needs. Everyone ends up exercising at high intensity. Overuse of free weights for beginners will most likely cause muscle bruising, ligament tear (such as rotator cuff), or lower back pain. These injuries can last months to years. For beginners, boot camp is not an option, regardless of the fact that it can kick-start their weight loss programme.

Parents must practice caution before having kids below 18 years join in. Their nutrition needs and physical activity requirements are different from adults. Trainers must use all prudence to deter young participants to use dumbbells or free weights. Heavyweights can permanently imprint the burden of the muscle on the bone. Raheela’s 13-year-old daughter was made to lift as much as 10-kilogram dumbbells in a boot camp in Islamabad. The kid just got hungrier and stocky in shape.

Participants need to run a due-diligence check on a number of trainers for the course. Ideally, a beginners’ programme should have a ratio of one trainer for eight people at maximum. This is important for spot checks to correct alignment for each individual to prevent injuries and obtain optimum results. Best to avoid boot camps as large as 100 participants with only two or three trainers.

Unfortunately, the prestige that boot camp enjoys is a hangover of fit celebrities. Boot camp scams need to be checked from the perspective of quality control as well as health standards.

The writer is a wellness and yoga expert