Is your boot camp legit?

Earlier this year I heard about a news cast where the Atlanta City Council was going to vote on reducing the programs offered in Piedmont Park because the fields were becoming degraded from overuse. Immediately I felt the need to write to the council people and explain to them NOT to cut the programs, but to begin to regulate the use of the fields in off hours. That means, regulating Boot Camp.The regulation of Boot Camp, or outdoor fitness, is a cause near and dear to my heart. As a pioneer in the outdoor fitness boot camp arena, my company was one of the first to obtain permission to use the public parks through obtaining permits and paying fees to the counties. Yes, that’s right; we have to pay fees to use the parks as a “for-profit” company. No, this doesn’t upset me. It actually seems very logical.As a business owner, I need to obtain a business license, file for a tax ID and pay rent for the space where I run my business. Just because my business is run in a remote location, doesn’t mean that “rent” isn’t necessary. When I use the park four days a week to run my boot camp, I should be helping to pay for the general maintenance of the facility I use. Although my customers are local residents and their tax dollars go toward park upkeep, so should some of the profits that I make while running my business on that land.Additionally, as a business owner, I have to think about how to keep the space where I run my business it tip top shape. So I try to use a different field every day, not running down the same space with 100’s of jumping jacks in the same 10’x10’ space. By doing this, I save on wear and tear on the field and I provide a safe place for my clients to workout. Overused fields are the number two cause of injury (dehydration is number one) in an outdoor workout because participants can easily turn an ankle in a field with holes. When we come across such a field we immediately report it to the parks department and then we don’t use the field. Because we pay fees and have relationships with our parks departments, we can do this.When companies squat on park land and don’t obtain permits or pay fees where necessary (not all counties are the same), they can’t call the county and complain or report the holes, thus creating an unsafe environment for their participants. The lack of permitting in public parks also poses another threat – serious injury with no insurance. Because many of the companies running boot camps in public parks are just personal trainers, they don’t have liability insurance. Some don’t even have business licenses. Furthermore, some personal trainers don’t even have a simple certification on the basic principles of training and human physiology. Without regulation, you won’t know who you are dealing with until you are injured. God forbid should some become seriously injured – who would be held accountable? The trainer with no insurance? He doesn’t have any money. So you sue the county. Now all of your fellow participants have to pay through higher taxes and programs like mine that follow the rules also suffer because then the parks become more stringent. So how do you tell if your boot camp is really legitimate?Ask to see their business license. If they have a physical location, all you have to do is look for the county permit on the wall.Make sure your trainer(s) are certified in group fitness and have experience. The best trainers will have multiple certifications. Our trainers go through a nationally approved certification for Outdoor Fitness. Look for NASM, ACE, AFAA, NSCA, and ACSM. If you don’t see one of these initials next to your trainer’s name, make sure they have coaching experience or a long list of references.Make sure the company you choose for your boot camp follows the rules. Do they have permits? If they don’t, you could be fined for being at the park/facility when you are not supposed to be. If the boot camp program has a food plan, which most outdoor programs should provide some guidance due to the rigorous nature of the workouts; do they follow the USDA guidelines? Unless your trainers are also dietitians (not nutritionists), you should be getting a lot of education, but not specific meal plans to follow. Check out myfoodpyramid.com to see the limits of the USDA plan.