It’s 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday. A little tired from the night before, you debate whether you should hit the snooze button or slowly make your way out of bed. Come 5:45 a.m., you’ve put your running shoes on … but you’re still in bed.
For the students that go to More Fun More Fit Boot Camp, getting up may be difficult, but they manage to get out to Burleson Park (Sorority Park) by 6 a.m. to be kicked in to shape. The six-week outdoor workout program is for any SMU student looking to stay fit for free.
Guided by four SMU Personal Trainers, students jog, do push ups, sit-ups and other activities all while the sun rises above them. Dedman Trainer Caroline French believes the boot camp to be more fun for some students than other ways of working out, even though it’s at 6 a.m.
“Because it’s so early, it’s a great way to start off the day,” she said.
Not only do students believe that the morning is a nice time to get the day’s exercising out of the way, but the fact that it is different than lifting weights is an attraction.
“The best is exposing people to a whole different way of working out, other than using the weights down in the gym,” said French.
SMU Fitness Coordinator Gina Garcia helped SMU students to start the program to help people get fit, even if they are the ones who do their best to avoid the smell of sweat in the downstairs gym.
“The main idea was more fun, more fit so people get together, work out, get fit, and it’s all for free,” said Garcia. “If you hesitate to go to the gym, it’s great to start with exercises like this.”
For those who have been rarely exposed to rigorous workouts, the program has adjusted.
“People at the beginning thought it was a little more intense, so we made games involved,” said Garcia.
Students not only do sit ups, but they participate in games boosting the cardiovascular system, football drills, or something other than pushing away at a Thigh Master. According to French, both students and trainers get more than toned bodies from the program.
“As a trainer, it’s fun getting to watch people progress,” she said. “Also, a lot of people have made friends, and that probably makes them keep coming.”
While people have enjoyed doing push ups in the morning light, the boot camp sees fewer people on the ground due to the spring weather. At the beginning of last semester, 40 people were running around Sorority Park, however more recently, their attendance has been as low as five people, said French.
Garcia is hoping the weather will improve to bring up numbers; in the mean time, the boot camp is moving inside and still trying to promote their presence.
For students like sophomore Chelsea Stephens, the weather can’t stop the workout.
“I like it in that each time it’s different, it’s always a challenge [whether it’s outside or in the gym,]” Stephens said.
Any SMU student can go to the boot camp from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Burleson Park, if the sun’s out. If the skies are looking threatening, best bet is to head to Dedman.
