San Diego Sports Medicine Doctor John Martinez, M.D. tells you the TOP 5 SAFETY TIPS WHEN LOOKING FOR A NEW FITNESS BOOTCAMPS.

It's obvious that Fitness Boot Camp workouts are the latest fitness craze. Fitness Boot Camps offer an inexpensive alternative to individual one-on-one personal training with a strong social and group training atmosphere but with professional instruction by personal training staff.

However, fitness boot camps do have some potential negatives.

Some fitness instructors may lack the knowledge base or skills required to ensure a safe boot camp workout environment for a group that contains a wide range of fitness and endurance levels as well as understanding how to modify the workouts for people with injuries or medical conditions.

Here's our top five tips on what to look for when selecting a fitness boot camp, whether in San Diego or Pieoria.

Top 5 San Diego Fitness Boot Camp Safety Issues Checklist

1. Instructor certification: Check to see what certification the boot camp instructor holds. A national certification such as a C.S.C.S. (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) or certification from the American College of Sports Medicine, Cooper Institute or National Strength and Conditioning Association all require a broad knowledge-base as well as passing a rigorous certification examination.

2. A focus on nutrition: Attempting a fitness or weight loss program without an emphasis on educating members about proper nutrition is setting you up for potential failure with your weight loss goals. Does your boot camp instructor provide nutritional advice and support? Healthy eating habits are an important component to a successful weight loss and fitness program and should be part of any long-term boot camp program.

3. Does the boot camp instructor know how to modify exercises?
It should be obvious that a first-time, overweight, out-of-shape boot camp participant should not be doing the same boot camp exercise routine as the regular and active class members. Each exercise should have well-defined modifications for either the out-of-shape or the very fit in order to challenge each participant at their own fitness level. If your potential boot camp instructor doesn't know how to change or modify an exercise if you have an injury, look for another boot camp!

4. Availability of the instructor. How available is the boot camp instructor before and after class? It's common to have questions especially as a new boot camp participant. A good fitness instructor should make themselves readily available for 10 to 15 minutes before and after class to answer questions, discuss nutrition plans, demonstrate specific routines or handle any other potential issues that may arise. If your potential instructor doesn't stay around to handle questions, then neither should you.

5. Body weight exercises before resistance exercises: Exercise is a progression of building upon a strong foundation. Whether you're working with a private one-on-one personal trainer or in a group setting like a fitness boot camp, its essential to have mastered the basic exercises such as squats, lunges or core stability exercises just with your own body weight before adding additional weights or resistance. Progressing too quickly can lead to poor form and the potential for injury.

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