Last month on a sunny Friday afternoon after work Theo and went put ourselves through our paces for a weekend boot camp with the lovely ladies that run Body and Mind Reboot in Bedfordshire. With both of us living fast-paced, busy, stressful lives, we both needed a weekend away, with limited phone access where we could run, walk, punch, jump and kick the stress out of us. I needed sometime away from ‘work’ and also to put my fitness and health at the forefront of my mind, both pushing my body to its limits and learning about healthy eating, habits and mindset.
Set in the Bedfordshire countryside around 40 minutes from London, Body Mind Reboot or BMR is located on a farm, away from the noise and hustle and bustle of the city. It might only be 15 minutes from Milton Keynes but it feels like it’s in the middle of nowhere, with fields as far as the eye can see and the only noise you can hear are the birds and the tractors. The most popular reboot in the 3-day boot camp, where residents check in on a Friday afternoon and check out again on a Monday morning. So we packed up our suitcase for the weekend, including 2 x workout gear, 1 x swimming costumes (for the hot tub) and some chill clothes for the evenings and between sessions.
The accommodation at the retreat is a mixture of converted barns and outbuildings, located around a courtyard area, with seating, where you can sit in the sunshine on a warm day. They offer shared accommodation primarily, but as me and Theo went together we had our own little apartment with kitchen, lounge and bedroom.
First stop on the Body and Mind Reboot retreat is a 1-2-1 session with the resident personal trainer, in our case the fab Jake Wilkins. The focus around this boot camp is mindset, nutrition and education. Weight loss can be a result of a reboot but it’s refreshing to see that BMR doesn’t focus on the scale but rather measurements, something which the personal trainer Jake is passionate about.
The boot camps are of course no miracle solution and actually having done the weekend, I’ve realised now the hard work begins when you leave. It’s more about how you implement everything you’ve learnt in to your normal life. A 3-day boot camp is not going to change your mindset wholly, and you certainly won’t lose any weight if you don’t continue once you’ve left.
On the Friday when you arrive, you check in, meet everyone and then have a 1:1 with Jake, before getting stuck in with your first HIIT session and yoga, before dinner with the group, and then bed. It was an early night for us after a busy week at work too!
On both Saturday and Sunday, the days start with a really lovely walk through the fields in the local fields, and I really loved this element of the day. I am not usually a morning person, but getting up with the sunrise and heading out for some fresh air really kick started my brain and body and I felt so much better for it.
After the walk it was back to the main barn for breakfast, which varied on each morning, but was either eggs and toast, porridge or yoghurt and berries.
Throughout both Saturday and Sunday, we did four hours of different sessions per day, including HIIT, boxing, circuits and yoga. Then intermittently throughout the two days there were also workshops on nutrition, digestion and mindset. Most of the sessions are taken by Jake, the personal trainers, who was amazing all weekend. He was tough, but didn’t scare you in to pushing too hard. It was the perfect balance!
The exercise sessions are all outdoors, weather-permitting and a combination of boxing, circuits, weights, with a little bit of cardio mixed in. Different weights are provided for the different levels you may have in the group, and after only a few hours with the lovely group of ladies and gents, you all become so close and supportive of each other, shouting each other on during circuits and boxing.
And so onto the food – my favourite topic. As part of your 3-day boot camp, you are provided with 3 dinners, 3 lunches and 3 breakfasts. Dinner is provided on the Friday; breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks on Saturday and Sunday, and breakfast on Monday. There were always apples and bananas, tea, coffee and water if you needed a little pick me up and you’ll be surprised to learn none of us really felt hungry throughout the weekend, despite being in a calorie deficit of 1,500 calories.
Overall, Theo and I had a wonderful weekend. I left on Monday feeling refreshed, toned, positive and ready to tackle the week. I loved the chilled out atmosphere of the retreat, and the array of sessions on offer. Jake was also amazing, and Theo especially liked Jake’s character and tone with both him and the rest of the group, encouraging him to push himself with an understanding tone added in.
I lost around 2lbs in weight, but I gained far more than that in knowledge and mindset. I have made lovely friends with some of the ladies in the group, and will keep in touch with them in the future. So many of them inspired me that weekend and I am forever grateful.
What’s included in the 3 day boot camp & when do you need to arrive?
Check in Friday from 2pm, check out Monday 10am
Your Price Includes:
- Accommodation on a shared basis – all rooms have ensuite & Wi-Fi
- All training sessions
- Delicious, nutritious meals freshly prepared every day
- Nutrition workshops
- Gut & digestion workshops
- Growth mind-set workshops
- Goal setting, time management, resilience & accountability workshops
This is a review post after I was invited to attend a 3-day boot camp at Body Mind Reboot. All words, thoughts and images are my own unless otherwise stated.
Prices start from £395
