Do you find yourself thinking "If only I could start again... If only I had more time to prepare healthy meals and eat properly... If only I had the motivation to exercise enough to stay slim, keep fit and be healthy...?"

For most of us life is demanding and for many of us it’s easier to focus on work, the kids, our partners and our friends. More often than not, we put ourselves last and we tend to stop all physical activity. In the long term this can be detrimental to our health and wellbeing and to bounce back from this can be very challenging.

There are fitness programmes out there that know how difficult it is to get back into shape. Adventure Boot Camp has teamed up with Schick to offer you the opportunity to put yourself first for a change.

Cape Town ladies can enter the Schick ABC Challenge and stand in line to be selected as one of the three lucky ladies who will be chosen to compete in the three-month challenge taking place between May and September.

Selected contestants will learn how to achieve long-term holistic lifestyle change, gain a better understanding of health and wellness and share in prizes valued at over R100 000!

Tanya Ellis from Durbanville, Cape Town was last year’s challenge winner. She lost an incredible 5.3 percent body fat, a total of 70.5cm and 12.3kg during those three months exercise and living healthily.

Not only did she make drastic changes to her body shape, she has transformed her relationship with food, exercise and most importantly her self-image. Tanya started the competition weighing in at 104.5kg.

Her main reason for her entry was to regain control of her weight and to help her with her struggle to fall pregnant. Her doctor recommended she lose weight before turning to other invasive procedures.

As an emotional eater she ate for the sake of it and so opted for junk food instead of healthy snacks but through the challenge, she learnt how to balance her meals and incorporate regular exercise into her daily routine.

"I gained huge amounts of self confidence and finally felt like I was worth every minute of every day," says Tanya.

"My marriage also blossomed and since winning the challenge I have decided to change my career and study to become a personal trainer. I want to inspire other women to be healthy and ultimately happy with who they are in their skin."

We asked Adventure Boot Camp trainer Robyn Borowsky to comment on why it is dangerous to do little or no physical activity and she explained that avoiding physical activity is dangerous because it allows for you to create a lifestyle which creates or contributes too many preventable emotional, physical and all round health risks.  

This lack of physical activity is actually considered one of the leading causes of preventable deaths and without physical activity you are putting yourself at risk for problems such as: anxiety, depression, cardiovascular and respiratory problems, diabetes, blood pressure problems, obesity, cancer and osteoporosis.

And everyone and anyone who doesn't exercise and live healthily is at risk. Borowsky says that a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise a day is recommended by professionals.

"The average person should exercise at least three to four times a week for an hour at a time – with a minimum of 20 minutes of cardio per session."

"Any light cardio based workout would be the first step- be it walking around the block, to the park any distance for at least 30 minutes and later add in cycling, swimming or running even maybe start a dance class or something fun."

"From there a great place would be to look into a gym or something like Adventure Boot Camp where strength work is combined with cardio-based work and flexibility and one can learn about the world of exercise."

Not only will you regain your strength, flexibility and confidence, says Borowsky, but also help to increase your metabolism, improve your heart health and beat weight-related disease such as heart problems, strokes, colon cancer, and more.

Get your body moving and enter the Schick Adventure Boot Camp Challenge before 20 April 2012.

Complete the entry form online before the 20th of April and join The Challenge Facebook Page on to stay informed! 

Prizes include three consecutive boot camps; bi-weekly consultations with Dietician, Kim Hofmann, and Life Coach, Megan Galloway; a goal mapping workshop with The Fairy Godmother; Garmin Fitness devices; Schick kick start packs; clothing from Zadah Designer Wear; hair, skin and beauty treatments and much, much more.

The grand prize will be awarded to the contestant who shows the most holistic lifestyle change and the prize includes a R20 000 Schick Spa Weekend Escape, a photoshoot with Elton Willenburgh, a Women’s Health subscription, a year’s supply of Triaction sports bras, a year’s membership to ABC, a GSG flat iron as well as a second weekend away courtesy of The Protea Colloseum Hotel.

T&C’s apply; please ensure you read them on www.adventurebootcamp.co.za/challenge.php5 before completing entering.

Visit the Schick website for further information on their product offerings.