Body Confidential learns that a team who squat together, stay together
Personal trainers Sam Witter and John Wilkinson don’t stop smiling... even when you’re quietly cursing them under your breath. Their intensive outdoor workout program – featuring burpees, lunges, tyre pulling and the like - seemed to bring out our sweary side.
There were laughs too (there’s just something about seeing your workmates lunge in lycra which brings out the giggles) from the fit and friendly duo, who launched Project Health late last year.
After noticing more companies were paying attention to their workers’ physical and mental health, Sam and John launched their boot camps to help lure office workers outside and get them moving. The sessions, consisting of high intensity and resistance training, are tough but fun, helping to build both muscle and team morale in the process.
Sam and John’s mission is to ‘pioneer a revolution in health and happiness’
Exposed to the elements, the hour-long morning or evening sessions take place at First Street; where there’s plenty of space for plyometric lunges, slam balls and the dreaded burpees.
Made for both novices and hardcore gym-types, the boot camps are a refreshing change of pace to monotonous and solitary gym workouts.
And there’s absolutely no hiding or slacking - the team work together to encourage each other to keep going.
For instance, pulling a gigantic Monster Truck tyre across First Street takes the strength of two people. Your legs want to buckle, your arms feel limp but giving up would mean letting your teammate down and literally carrying all the weight. So, you power through.
Thankfully there’s no military style browbeating, just persistent encouragement from the Project Health gang.
Sam and John’s mission is to ‘pioneer a revolution in health and happiness’ especially when it comes to workplace wellbeing. The statistics are clear: work is making people stressed. Almost 59% of Brits count work as the main cause of their stress-related illnesses. Yet almost one-in-two (45%) of British businesses do not offer anything to help alleviate this, according to a study of 3,000 UK workers carried out by Perkbox. The report cites group workouts and gym memberships as great ways to reduce work related stress in employees.
Muscle soreness aside, we certainly left the Project Health bootcamp and returned to the office on an endorphin high. Working out amongst your colleagues encourages a healthy competitiveness that keeps you pushing and, when racing each other in a burpee challenge, stronger connections are formed.
After all a team that squats together, stays together.
Find out more about Project Health's bootcamp sessions via the website. Monthly subscription costs £60, where one-off individual workouts cost just £10.
