I was recently introduced to Senkai, who are now my newest clients and just happen to be the most passionate, dedicated team of personal trainers on the planet. In the name of research, I booked myself onto their boot camp in Bordeaux – France. I wondered how the children would cope, but not only did they positively encourage me to go, they even suggested, I take the husband! And so it was, with children packed off to best friends, we packed ourselves off to France.
The weeklong boot camp was everything I had hoped and more and even thought it rained constantly, nothing could dampen our spirits as we got out in the fresh country air and tried something new each day, which took us beyond our known limits. We returned home lighter and fitter, but beyond that and of far more value was the lesson it taught me – that to give 4 of the 168 hours available in a week, to exercise is time well spend and of vital importance.
Senkai boot camps can be booked by a group of friends or college who want a tailor made service or you can join their next retreat in September. For further details click here

Senkai’s tips for a fitter, healthier you
1. Split your workout routine into 65% cardio and 35% weight training / core and abdominal work.
2. Running or power walking is one of the best forms of exercise you can do and it does not require a gym – just step out of your front door and get moving.
3. Train early in the morning and on an empty stomach as that way you burn body fat rather than the food you have just consumed. If you want to train later in the day, make sure you leave a two-hour gap between eating.

4. You can lose weight by eating well, but to change your shape requires targeted training. And the other positive by-product of this is that it helps preventosteoporosis and arthritis – especially important to women.
5. Eat five to six small evenly spaced out meals a day as the more Regularly you eat the higher your metabolic rate will be and so you end up burning more calories. Each meal needs to consist of protein, carbohydrates and good fat.
6. Eat fish and lean meat and red meatonly once a week cut out bread (I can’t do this one) and limit dairy. Drink 2 litres of water per day.