Dear Reader,

Welcome to our new segment called Tizi Review where you will find review articles on different services and products in the wellness space ranging from fitness facilities, restaurants & juice bars, active retreats, fitness apparel, fitness classes, among many more! Have you ever attended a boot camp? If not, you will want to stick around for this one.

According to Very Well Fit, a fitness boot camp is type of group exercise class that mixes traditional calisthenic and body weight exercises with interval training and strength training. Most boot camps are designed to push you harder than you would in your normal workout routine which is why it resembles a military boot camp. Most boot camps are done outdoors, but sometimes they are held in a gym or fitness facility. This is the case with the Sweat Station Boot Camp; an initiative that was started by Polycarp Otieno, his brother Thomas Olamg'o, his girlfriend Benie Amanda and Chiki Onwukwe.

The class which brings together almost forty people, takes place twice a month every month at Alpha Fit. The trainers of the boot camp are @chikikuruka, @shiva_bliss and @ed_mujumba. You are guaranteed of challenging exercises that will keep your heart rate up for two hours, all whilst making new friends.

Whereas fitness is one of the keys to self development, Sweat Station has also been able to encourage a community spirit of giving back to society. One is required to pay a fee for the boot camp but the proceeds go to feeding the homeless in the streets of Nairobi and eventually building something sustainable that will empower them to earn a living. What a great cause!

The boot camp runs for 2 hours and it is divided into sessions where you all warm up together with a routine choreographed by Chiki. By the end of this warm up session, your heart will be racing and you'll probably be drenched in sweat ready to take up the next challenge. The motivating ambiance at Alpha Fit and good music keeps your energy up through the entire boot camp.

The warm up is followed by a variation of exercises that are designed to tone you up while building strength. The exercises involve box jumps, lunges, squats, push ups, burpees, jumping rope, among others. The entire session makes for the perfect full body workout because you will be engaging every muscle in your body.

The boot camp also promotes team work by having the participants workout in groups at different stations. A team leader is picked in each group to ensure they complete all the exercises within the given time and most importantly, to make sure the team members use the correct form. Working out in teams fosters healthy competition and you get to make new friends all whilst pushing each other through the vigorous exercises.

Also, did we mention that if you are lucky enough, you might end up breaking a sweat next to the band members of Sauti Sol?

The boot camp is concluded with a cool down and stretching session. At this point, you will be patting yourself on your back for making it through the two hours of intense exercises! You will definitely be geared up for the weekend.

Once you are done with the hardest part, there will be a food station courtesy of Paula's Fit Kitchen where you can buy healthy fresh wraps because you will be in need of ample replenishment!

Sweat Station takes place every consecutive Saturday of every month. The next group class will be taking place this coming Saturday at Alpha Fit from 10 am to 12pm; be sure to follow them on instagram @sweatstationbootcamp to keep up with all the upcoming classes. I hope to see you there!

Yours in Wellness,

@loisemachira

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