Clothes may indeed make the woman, but Kristi Dowler is a reminder that the woman first needs to fit the clothes. After 12 years of working in fashion retail and a few years at Gap’s corporate headquarters, she finally decided to follow her real passion: helping women look and feel great through fitness. Already a sports enthusiast, she became certified as a personal trainer and group instructor and launched VyAyr Fitness. She drew the name from the words vitality and air and says it is meant to signify “the energy to live your life.” In this boot camp–style program for women, all classes are held outdoors near Crissy Field; this February she’ll open a South Beach camp as well. As in army basic training, workouts combine sprinting, push-ups, sit-ups, sand work, resistance training, and hand weights, and Dowler even throws in some yoga—all to deliver results fast. Starting this kind of program is a dream she’s had since she was a girl. “You can ask my mom. I told her when I was 17 that I wanted to open my own fitness business.” As for why she excludes men, Dowler believes that women with similar fitness goals best encourage each other minus the anxiety of working out around men. We asked this inspiration (she recently ran the Headlands 50K race, adding 4 extra miles to make it an even 35 for her 35th birthday) how to take that daunting first step into a new regimen, and along the way, she busted her least-favorite exercise myths. VyAyr Fitness, 415-412-1558, www.vyayr.com.

How do you encourage people to get started who are at a lower fitness level?
When I meet women who say, “I could never do that,” I share success stories from current campers as well as my own experiences. I also tell them why it helps to exercise in a group. Partner drills help keep people motivated. And I explain that nearly every exercise can be modified, so they needn’t worry about things being too hard.

Do I need any special equipment?
I steer away from cross-training shoes, which generally aren’t supportive for sustained outdoor activity. Trail runners or running shoes are best—they allow you to work out on cement, rocks, trail, and sand all in one day. Since we do a lot of push-ups in our class, leggings or long pants are better than shorts because they protect your knees from rough ground. Gloves are also a good idea (I love Brooks Vapor-Dry). Sugoi makes great jackets, and a microfiber hat will keep your head warm and dry.

January’s the time people turn over a new leaf. But how do you keep that momentum going after the initial enthusiasm wears off?
Variety. You’ll never get bored if you change the workout every day. I follow up with people when they don’t show up. Sometimes it’s to ask about a sore knee—other times it’s to encourage them to stop pushing the snooze button!

What’s most efficient for burning calories?
I always say the best exercise is any exercise, and consistency is key. That said, any cardio for 20 to 30 minutes or more is particularly effective. Power walking, jumping rope, running, biking, rowing, swimming are all great choices.

What’s the easiest way to tone muscle without weights?
Exercises where you use your own body weight as resistance—push-ups, squats, lunges, pull-ups, planks, and sit-ups—are some of the best ways to tone up. But don’t work under the assumption that trouble areas can be “spot reduced.” Fat cannot be “toned up” through weight training. Stored body fat is reduced by increasing your calorie expenditure, which we do through aerobic exercise and controlling nutrition.

What makes your boot camp different?
Mine focuses specifically on women’s needs, whether they want to lose that holiday weight and feel good in clothes or run a marathon. Also, I don’t split my camp up into different levels, so whether you run a 15-minute mile or a 7-minute mile, the class is mixed together, which keeps everyone pushing themselves.

Do you ever get funny looks?
One day there was this woman on her cell phone, and I heard her say, “You should see them! There’s hundreds of them and they’re all doing jumping jacks.”

Just out of curiosity, what exercise do you do besides the classes?
I run an average of 10 miles six days a week and do 45 minutes of weights three to four times a week, along with yoga a couple days a week.

Since I can’t work out that much, sometimes I feel as though I might as well do nothing. C’mon. Even if it’s just a 30-minute walk, you can lower your blood pressure, relieve your stress, and boost your energy and immune system. Honestly, if you can only do five minutes, that’s still better than nothing. Pick an exercise you love, and make it fit into your schedule at least three times a week.

How do you plan to kick off the New Year?
A fun run followed by black-eyed peas and an omelet. I’m trying to organize a run for New Year’s Day and see how many people I can get to show up.

Fitness fairy tales
Dowler busts some of her least-favorite myths.

1. All women who lift or do resistance training will bulk up. Most women do not have the testosterone levels of men and will not bulk up to the same extent. Women who are predisposed to bulking up can reduce it with lower-impact movements. Weight training is necessary for strength and maintaining a high metabolism. It also increases bone density, which may help prevent osteoporosis.

2. Fat will turn to muscle if you start strength training before losing weight. These are two separate and distinct tissues. While doing cardio, you also need strength training to build your muscles. The more muscle you have, the more efficient your body is at burning fat.

3. “Lose 10 pounds in 10 days.” There is no quick fix. To see lasting results, you have to make lifestyle changes, but slowly, so that you’ll be more likely to stick to them.