Bootcamps: Kick Your Butt Into Gear (on a budget)

It’s that time of year again—Spring! Okay, maybe not officially, but here in Vancouver, we like to declare it Spring earlier than the rest of the country. Why? Well, because we can. Hereabouts the flowers come alive and the sun starts to—gasp!—actually feel warm a few weeks before it starts to seem verdant elsewhere. It’s one of the reasons that I put up with a long and rainy winter, because I love Spring. Take your summer and your fall, cuz Spring is where it’s at for me.

A few sunny days in a row also means you start to remember the beach exists. And if you’re anything like me, that means you start thinking about the wintertime pounds you’ve packed on. Fear not, intrepid Vancouverites! For there are many ways to get fit, even for gym haters like yours truly. And one such fitness method, albeit an adventurous one, is the bootcamp. Specifically, the outdoor bootcamp.

I was reminded of the idea of an outdoor bootcamp in my repeat viewing of Bridesmaids the other day. There’s that awesome scene in the park with Annie (Kristen Wiig) and Lillian(Maya Rudolph), where they hide behind a tree while a bootcamp is in session, following along with the exercises until the instructor catches them taking a free class. As they run off, Rudolph as Lillian shouts, “Sorry, we’re on a budget!” Amen to that, but the cool part about most bootcamps is you get the workout without a huge gym cost, which, aside from my general gym hatred, is the reason I’m shopping for bootcamps as we speak.

Turns out that Vancouver, being a Spring-y city, is rife with potential places to bootcamp. There’s Survivor, the biggest and best known, which has the benefit of multiple locations and years in the biz. Then there’s SEAL Team bootcamp, which is based on the rigorous training (and discipline) of Navy SEALS—might be a little too scary for little ol’ me. Luckily, there are plenty of ladies-only bootcamps, too, including one called Bootycamp that’s aimed at getting your backside in beach shape by summer. That might be the ticket! And that’s just the beginning—there are many more besides.

So, which to choose? Well, it’s definitely going to depend on your own taste, but most bootcamps are by nature flexible (being outside in a west coast city will do that), and if you ask for a trial class, some (like Survivor) will often have a free first class or a great deal. I’m headed to a Bootycamp class this weekend; fingers crossed that it’s a good one. I’ll let you know…if I make it through.

And yeah, I am going to pay…though I did consider the Bridesmaids method before remembering I’m a terrible runner and escape was risky. J

Have you ever done a bootcamp? Which would you recommend?

image via BNowack