Boston Company's Workout Pledge Helps Military Wife

Supports the Michelle Obama-led White House Initiative ‘Joining Forces’

Kristen Cohen, wife of specialist Benjamin Cohen of the 1-182^nd Infantry Regiment, is without her husband for the next year while he is deployed overseas. Instead of letting the worry of her husband’s well-being affect her health, Kristen met the stressful times with a healthy promise to herself:  stay in shape and meet new people by joining a workout group.  

Enter Ultimate Bootcamp, a Boston-based outdoor fitness company renowned for their challenging, yet personable Fitness Trainers.  Earlier this year, inspired by the White House initiative Joining Forces, Ultimate Bootcamp pledged 500 hours of free fitness classes to Massachusetts military families and Reservists.  When Kristen learned about the pledge, she jumped at the opportunity and enrolled in a  free 4-week long Ultimate Bootcamp fitness program.

Kristen and Ben Cohen

From 6:30-7:30pm, 3 days per week, Kristen found new strengths as her Bootcamp instructors cheered her on through group relay races, stair runs and muscle toning exercises using the great outdoors as the gym.

“I joined Ultimate Bootcamp to meet some new people since I am alone for one year. Having a group to workout with motivates you to push yourself hard since people are going through the same pain.  I loved it so much I joined for another 4 week session!” Kristen says smiling.

Joining Forces was created by First Lady Obama and Dr. Jill Biden to provide a grassroots pathway for Americans to support the efforts of the National Guard, Reservists and their immediate family members.  For Ultimate Bootcamp Co-Founders Jill Tomich and Peter Lavelle, Joining Forces made giving back to their community simple.

“It’s fantastic to see people like Kristen out there with us, benefitting from such an easy yet healthy initiative” says  Lavelle. “Any opportunity to help military families is a great opportunity; seeing the actual physical gains of these individuals is even more satisfying!”

Lavelle also commented on how Kristen is able to use Ultimate Bootcamp to connect with her husband as he, too, works out daily with his buddies on base. “Once my husband gets back we will do a summer boot camp session together next year!” she quipped.

Opportunities are still available to take advantage of Ultimate Bootcamp’s 500 hour workout pledge. Those interested in participating in a 4-week Ultimate Bootcamp fitness program free of charge can find out if they’re qualified by logging on to www.ultimatebootcamp.com/joiningforces.

About Ultimate Bootcamp

Founded in 2004 by Boston fitness experts Jill Tomich and Peter Lavelle, Ultimate Bootcamp has grown to become the largest provider of outdoor fitness programs in Eastern Massachusetts. 11 locations throughout Greater Boston and Metro West have housed over 6,000 bootcampers who tone muscles, run obstacle courses and push their physical limits in Ultimate Bootcamp’s 4-week, results-driven workout programs.  Ultimate Bootcamp continues to set industry standards by hiring positive, encouraging fitness trainers who can make a participant's belly ache with laughter, not just sit-ups…hence their motto: Ultimate Fitness. Ultimate Fun.

www.ultimatebootcamp.com

About Joining Forces

With the backing of President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, and in the spirit of Let’s Move!, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden are spearheading the Joining Forces campaign and recently wrapped up a cross-country tour to meet with communities, businesses and organizations that are supporting the nation’s military families. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) is facilitating the connection of military families to fitness providers.  They’ve set a goal of inspiring fitness professionals throughout the nation to donate a total of 1 million hours of fitness services to Joining Forces.  www.whitehouse.gov/joiningforces  www.acefitness.org

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Photos: Von Hippel-Lindau Disease Fundraiser Workout

Arsenal Park, Watertown MA
This past Saturday, Ultimate Bootcamp Instructor Jeanine Babineau led an awesome outdoor workout to raise funds for the VHL Family Alliance.

A note from Jeanine:
"Thank you so much!! This means a lot to me and my family."

Photos from the event:

Vibram Five-Fingers Study Video

Are your shoes causing more harm than good?

This is the question that has led to the explosion in the popularity of barefoot running, natural running shoes and the popular ChiRunning technique. It's thought by some that the extreme cushioning of running shoes leads to more injuries because it changes a person's natural running stride.

When wearing running shoes, many runners tend to make first impact in the heel first, instead of the forefoot.

In a recent American Council on Exercise study, researchers took a look at Vibram Five-Fingers shoes and how it can change your running position.

Outdoor Workout Fundraiser - Finding a Cure for VHL Disease

Saturday, August 27th | 9:00-10:30am | Arsenal Park, Watertown, MA

When long-time Ultimate Bootcamp Trainer Jeanine Babineau asked if we could help her organize a fundraiser workout for VHL Disease, we had never heard of it before.

Jeanine explained that her father James Babineau (pictured here with his daughters) was diagnosed with Von Hippel-Lindau Disease (VHL) in 2005. This genetic disease is the random growth of numerous life threatening tumors in various parts of the body, which if left untreated can result in blindness, paralysis, brain damage, and even death. Upon being diagnosed, Jeanine's father has undergone SEVERAL surgeries in his pancreas and kidneys, and has endured many painful procedures. He is truly a “walking miracle” and inspiration to his family. Unfortunately, there is no cure for VHL...yet.

We would like to invite you to join Jeanine as she leads a motivating, outdoor workout to raise funds for the VHL Family Alliance. Burn major calories and kick your weekend off to a fantastic start knowing that you took a step in helping others lead a healthier life.

And be sure to say hello to Jeanine's mom at the raffle table before, during or after the workout. All proceeds from the fundraiser will go towards finding a cure for VHL and supporting family members of those who have VHL disease.

If you would like to attend the inspiring VHL Fundraiser Workout, online registration is required. Visit www.ultimatebootcamp.com/vhl/.

Are You Eating on Purpose?

Introduction by Ultimate Bootcamp Co-Founder Jill Tomich:
One of the tasks I urge my clients to take on is make 80% of their meals from smart food choices found at the perimeter of the grocery stores. It's there that you'll find some of the most nutritious, healthy foods like fresh fruits and veggies, milks and yogurts, and lean cuts of meats. Whether you joined Ultimate Bootcamp to lose weight, tone up, or increase your sports performance, fueling your body with high-quality meals is important for reaching your fitness goals.

When I met our guest blogger Tracy Harrison - a health counselor based in Framingham - I loved that she was singing a similar tune. In today's Ultimate Bootcamp blog entry she asks a simple question that could change your outlook on food completely: "Are You Eating on Purpose?"

[Read more about the Ultimate Bootcamp Diet philosophy]

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It’s almost “back to school” season…a time when we all tend to buckle down and get back to basics. We have so many wonderful goals and dreams and desires and plans! But most of us don’t often think about the fuel we are putting in our bodies in order to get us there. Do you really know what’s in your food?

Let’s start with something many of us use to begin each and every day: non-dairy creamer Do you use it in your morning coffee or tea? Many people do. It’s an enticing choice, both convenient and inexpensive. And we are gently led to believe it will help us avoid the supposedly “terrible” fat in cream. Well, here’s what you are ingesting: Corn syrup solids, partially hydrogenated coconut or palm kernel oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, sodium caseinate, dipotassium phosphate, mono- and diglycerides, sodium aluminosilicate, artificial flavor, annatto color. Let’s see what we have here: more sugar, chemicals, metal, toxic transfats... If one of your 2011 resolutions was to develop Heart Disease, this is a fantastic way to head in that direction!

If you read a food ingredient list and think, “nothing in here sounds like real food”, you are unfortunately going to be right often. Corn syrup is a ubiquitous processed sweetener that when eaten regularly increases appetite and promotes both obesity and diabetes. Of greater concern to me, however, is what comes next in line. Anytime you see the phrase "partially hydrogenated" in an ingredient list, you are dealing with transfats. Food manufacturers use transfats because they extend the shelf life of processed foods. Cookies, crackers, chips, pastries, and soups can remain artificially fresh for (literally) years. Does that sound natural to you? Eating even small amounts of these artificially modified fats has been shown to increase harmful cholesterol, decrease beneficial cholesterol, promote inflammation, interrupt normal brain function, and increase your risk of coronary heart disease by 100%. But unfortunately you won’t find this kind of warning on a food package.

But it gets worse. With increasingly negative press about transfats in the media over the past decade, companies have gotten quite savvy at misleading consumers. Don't be deceived by banners on the front of a food package claiming "zero grams transfats". The FDA allows manufacturers to say "zero" if a serving of their food has a half of a gram of transfats or less. Keep in mind that their definition of a "serving" might be as small as two crackers or one cookie. But what if your personal daily serving is six or seven?

The average American eats out of convenience, often haphazardly, and frequently with poor information. That same average American is also exhausted, overweight, on medication, headed toward chronic disease, and unable to pursue the lives we most want. But it just doesn’t have to be that way! Real health does not have to be boring, complicated, tasteless, or too hard to schedule. It just needs a little priority, education, and planning.

If the idea of focusing on your health feels overwhelming, I have good news for you. You don’t need to turn your diet upside down overnight. And diets, fads, and gimmicks are almost never sustainable. In my experience, it’s the small, informed, step-by-step changes that create long-term, disease-free health. Plan now to make a commitment to your health this autumn. Start by reading food ingredient lists. What’s in your food? If something on an ingredient list doesn’t sound like a real food, it probably isn’t. We become what we eat – literally. So what are you becoming?

One of the things I do as a health counselor is help people to get beyond myths and advertising to discover what’s really in their favorite foods. Then we work together to find healthy alternatives they truly enjoy. If you don’t read food ingredient lists today, I encourage you to start! I often say the front of a food container is just a commercial; however, the back gets us a lot closer to the truth. Look for the phrase "partially hydrogenated" and avoid these toxic fats. Despite media hype otherwise, you are truthfully much better off choosing organic half-and-half or cream for your morning coffee and tea.

It’s back-to-school time, but perhaps it can also be a back-to-health opportunity. Maybe this is the right time – the right year –to focus on you and your self-care. Many times we get so busy taking care of others that we let our own health wane, bit by bit. We postpone our own health wellness thinking we’ll have more time next month, next year,… Don’t let the precious days of your lives pass you by any longer. Make the choice to prioritize your health. Choose to eat on purpose.

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Tracy Harrison left an accomplished 15-year career in high-tech to pursue her passions for nutrition, coaching, and teaching. Tracy’s expertise areas include blood sugar management, gastrointestinal issues, fatigue/exhaustion, healthy cooking, myth-busting education, and how to truly have fun with life – no matter how complex it seems. She offers individual counseling and group programs as well as corporate seminars. Learn more about Tracy and sign-up for her free, biweekly e-newsletter at www.eatonpurpose.com .

Boston Bootcampers Conquer Obstacle Course Races

"When I got out of my car, I could hear the buzz and feel the energy – the place was packed and people were psyched and partying." remembers Ultimate Bootcamper David Elston-Pollock.

What the 50 year old communications professional describes isn't a New England championship game. It isn't a New Year's Eve bash. It's not an explosive rock concert at Fenway Park.

David is reminiscing about his experience at last year's Warrior Dash obstacle course race.

"The course was 1.5 miles up the mountain and 1.5 miles down, and it was packed with great obstacles – among other things, a 20 foot swamp with water up to the middle of your chest, a water slide, fire jump and crawling through mud with barbed wire above."

Obstacle course races are all the rage. They range from uber-competitive 48 hour races where 80% of racers are not expected to finish to 3 mile races a fitness newbie can conquer with proper training. One common thread amongst all obstacle course races: running isn't enough.

South Boston resident Diane Staib accompanied David at many of the New England obstacle course races. "The most challenging part of the obstacle course races was climbing the walls."

David echos that sentiment. He found the hills and any obstacles that involved upper strength to be the most difficult.

David and Diane ran 4 obstacle course races last year: Spartan Race, Rugged Maniac, Warrior Dash and Ruckus. Both of them joined Ultimate Bootcamp for specialized obstacle course training sessions before the races.

"Ultimate Bootcamp gave me confidence in my physical capabilities – I felt like if I could do bootcamp, I could do anything." says David proudly. "I was never an athletic kid. After the first few months at bootcamp, I found I was in front of the pack, high-fiving and fist-bumping with people after certain drills and was fitting in with other athletes and enjoying myself".

While some shy at the thought of boot camp workouts for fear of "keeping up" with the group, it was the group camaraderie that helped fuel Diane's success.

"I learned that I can push myself farther than I ever thought I could. I know you don't need a lot of equipment to work out and see results. Team encouragement is so important and really helps."

If you're thinking about running an obstacle course race in New England this year, Ultimate Bootcamp is here to help your training in 3 ways.

1. We'll be posting obstacle course training tips over the next few weeks on our blog. Add these drills and exercises into your current training regime to take your training to the next level.
   
   
2. Saturday morning, 90-minute Bootcamp classes will feature total body workouts so you can work on your weaknesses and perfect your strengths. Bootcamp Basics (for beginners) and Blast (for advanced) are scheduled most weekends.
   
   
3. If you want an ultimate obstacle course race training experience, a 4-week Ultimate Bootcamp program will help push you beyond your limits with unparalleled focus and motivation. Every class is different. Every class you'll conquer challenges you wouldn't think possible. Every class you'll get a shot of encouragement from your Trainers and team mates.
   

"Just get out there and do it and don't worry about what anyone else may think!" Suggests Diane. "You can do it! Go at your own pace and have fun at it!"

[View Photos and Videos of the 2010 Obstacle Course Training hosted by Ultimate Bootcamp]

Diane, David and Ultimate Bootcamp Trainer Kim D.
Spartan Race Ready Clinic hosted by Ultimate Bootcamp
David near the finish