FORT RUCKER, Ala. -- After five weeks of daily workouts, the ladies in the 2011 Boot Camp have settled into a steady schedule of getting and staying fit.
Courtney Vigil, military spouse, said the last few weeks have made her want to keep working out even after the camp concludes Feb. 25.
"I can tell that I can run farther and I'm seeing more muscle tone," she said. "My husband and I have both been eating better by adding more whole grains, lean meats and lots of water. It's now into a routine, so it feels more like a lifestyle change."
Vigil and her fellow campers found out just how much they had improved when the group went for a 2 1/2 mile run Feb. 11 and everyone was able to do it without stopping. The group also cut its running time from week one in half.
"They completed the run in 35 minutes," Lynn Avila, Fortenberry-Colton Physical Fitness Facility fitness specialist, said. "On our first run, we did 2 miles and we had a lot of walkers. It took us over an hour to finish. This time, almost no one walked and nobody fell out. That's a huge amount of progress."
Facing new challenges and getting stronger is another key aspect to the camp. Feb. 15, the ladies were introduced to a workout most had not tried before: swimming.
The group met at Splash! Pool behind The Landing Zone for an hour-long session in the heated pool. Vigil, who admitted to not being the strongest swimmer, surprised herself by outperforming her own expectations.
"For me, this was the hardest thing we've done yet," she said. "I'm not the strongest swimmer. The hardest part was trying to do the laps while holding the (10-pound rubber) brick."
Vigil added that having all the workouts prior to the pool workout helped prepare her for the endurance test.
"I think the five weeks of Boot Camp we've had helped me build a lot of leg strength," she said. "We have a pool at our house, so now I'm thinking of it as a viable workout option. I think some of us thought this would be easier than it was."
Connie Watson, lead guard instructor here, conducted the exercises at the pool and said the campers impressed her with their abilities.
"I took them through what we do with Soldiers during (physical training)," she said. "Once I saw what they could accomplish, I started adding to the difficulty. I had to see them swim laps and judge how much they could do before adding to their workout."
Watson added that swimming is a great way to work out because it's resistance training with zero impact to bones and joints.
"This doesn't have any stress," she said. "Swimming works everything from your lungs to the tips of your toes. You don't feel it as much. There's no pounding on the joints and it helps to control breathing while still giving the same level of intensity as exercising on land."
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