Boot Camp is about exercise, making friends and forming bonds.

Starting a fitness routine can entail anything from taking a long walk after dinner to joining a full service health club and working out for several hours a day. Increasingly, people hoping to get into shape have been turning to a new option: military-style fitness boot camps. Based on exercise and training regimens developed by the US Armed Forces, these programs promise to give "recruits" good solid workouts and the skills they need to stay fit and healthy once they return to their normal lives.

Jay Kerwin is a former Special Operations commando and a graduate of one of the US military's most punishing boot camps. He uses his training, knowledge and experience to run California's Operation Fitness Boot Camp, where he helps his recruits achieve their personal fitness goals through intensive one-on-one training. Here he offers a behind-the-scenes look into a fitness boot camp.

• A fun alternative. Kerwin looks at fitness boot camp as a way of getting into shape while having fun and meeting new people. His recruits aren't stuck in a stuffy gym staring at a treadmill's electronic screen, they're out in the fresh air working out while the sun shines and the birds sing.

• Variety. Every day of boot camp is a little different. Drills can include weight lifting, running uphill or up a set of stairs, or obstacle courses. Without the recruits being conscious of it, the instructors are getting them to work all of their muscle groups.

• Positive feedback. According to Kerwin, the positive feedback that instructors and fellow recruits give out is one of the key advantages to fitness boot camp. When you have 15 people yelling for you and really pushing you to do your best, succeed, and improve, it can be a terrific motivator.

• Results. Kerwin loves seeing the results that his recruits attain. By week four of his course, he often sees recruits who were previously unable to do more than eight push-ups doing 15 or 30 military style push-ups. It's an amazing thing to witness and a real confidence-builder for both the instructor and the recruit. It can also be, he stresses, a really good time for everyone.

For more information on fitness boot camps, contact a program in your area or check out the following organizations and websites:

Operation Fitness Boot Camp
323-938-6179, www.bootcampla.com/main.htm

Platoon Fitness
888-752-8666 (PLATOON), www.platoonfitness.com

Boot Camp Fitness
913-341-8208, www.bootcampfitnesskc.com