Beach boot camps were trending nearly a decade ago, but the outdoor workouts seemed to disappear as more and more people moved indoors for gym memberships or Zumba and mixed martial arts classes.

“Outdoor classes started to decrease in popularity,” said Damon Trevor, a personal trainer who runs the Team Move classes at Ala Moana Beach Park. “Fitness DVDs that were convenient to do at home started becoming the trend along with big gyms that have the latest fancy and expensive equipment.”

Trevor is determined to keep his outdoor class going because of the extra benefits that participants receive, including a dose of sunshine-induced vitamin D, which is essential to the body.

“You connect with Mother Nature as a whole, something that we have lost with the rise of technology,” Trevor said. “And, of course, there’s also the soothing therapeutic effects that a sunset, sunrise or getting a glimpse of the ocean can have on one’s overall psyche.”

His clients have a range of needs. Some are struggling to maintain regular workouts, others to lose weight. Some have athletic injuries they’re trying to overcome. Trevor can empathize with those challenges — and he has a 7-inch scar to prove it.

He swam competitively in high school and worked as a certified swim coach and lifeguard. But at 18, he was diagnosed with a malignant tumor in his calf. After surgery and months of therapy, he wanted to get back into competitive sport. Trevor began training and competed in marathons, triathlons and ocean races.

“Everything that I experienced in training for my races, I’ve applied it to training clients — from injuries and setbacks to accomplishments,” Trevor said. “I know what the human body, especially the mind, is capable of doing. When they suffer and go through their trials and tribulations, I suffer with them because I know the feeling. Empathy was the greatest skill that I could have ever learned. No certification or degree can teach you this.”

Setting

You’re right on the beach, the sun setting in the background, which provides enough distraction to get through some of the grueling exercises. The class meets on the beach side of Ala Moana Beach Park, across from the outdoor gym station.

The Workout

We did planks, pushups, step-ups onto a low wall and lots of yoga stretches in between. Resistance exercises were done with partners using towels and ropes. One person would create resistance and the other would pull. Sandbags, medicine balls, battling ropes and dumbbells are also used. Walls, tables, poles, stairs and open fields to run are all accessible at the park during the workout.

People of varying fitness levels and ages participate in the class. Trevor will walk around and correct posture and form, something I truly appreciate.

He can accommodate up to 12 people but typically has about eight in his class, leaving him time to help clients individually during the workout.

Benefits

Strength, endurance, body awareness and flexibility are among the benefits. The workouts are functional and allow the body to move naturally. A variety of muscles are worked with the different movements.

“You’re not confined to a machine with a fixed and restricted movement pattern, which can lead to repetitive stress and injuries to your muscles and joints over time,” Trevor said.

User Review

Judy Layfield started taking classes about four years ago with her twin sister, Jory Cummins. Both 62-year-old women live in Kaneohe and have managed to stick with consistent and regular workouts. “If left to myself, I’d pretty much just walk,” Layfield said. “Each class is a different routine so you don’t get bored and your body doesn’t get used to doing the same thing.”

Cummins agreed. Being outside is fun.

“Having a workout outside is mentally refreshing and a mood booster,” she said. “The most challenging part of class is trying to keep up with the athletic types, but we are encouraged to work at the level that we can handle while striving to push our own boundaries. I have arthritis in my toes that becomes challenging at times, but I want to work through it.”

Try it Out?

If you enjoy exercising outdoors, check out this class. The beach backdrop with the setting sun is quite enticing.