MY BODY beautiful
... and it’s all thanks to a boot camp – on the party isle of Ibiza
THE sun had just risen, hanging low in the sky and casting golden light over the flat water. Small waves lapped my board and although I was concentrating, I felt completely relaxed. Nearby one of my fellow paddleboarders shrieked with delight – a giant stingray had just glided under her, perfectly visible in the clear Mediterranean Sea.
Earlier we had driven past bleary-eyed clubbers, just finishing their day as ours began. They were having the more traditional Ibizan experience – dancing the nights away on the party island – while I was here for a week at The Body Camp, a holistic health retreat for mind, body and soul.
If you’d told me a few years ago that I’d spend a week off working out, eating 80 per cent plantbased food and abstaining from alcohol, I would have laughed. But as a mother of two children under five, I feel exhausted most of the time and exist on their leftovers, plus wine and chocolate.
As I approach my fourth decade, I’ve realised I need to look after myself for the sake of my children as well as myself.
I’d been following The Body Camp on Instagram for a year, inspired by their fun workouts – tennis in fancy dress, paddleboarding and dance routines. The team didn’t seem to take themselves too seriously, which made them much more appealing than military-style boot-camp instructors.
Home for the week was a white villa with twin and double rooms and a huge pool. There were also three tepees in the garden to house extra guests, so there were 16 of us in total.
The motto of the camp is positive vibes only, so muscles aren’t ‘sore’, they’re ‘sexy’; you aren’t ‘starving’, you are ‘looking forward to refuelling’. It sounds silly but it’s amazing the impact a shift in language can have.
Rick, a former Marine, was our unlikely wellness coach. He gave talks on confidence, attitude and diet as well as leading some of the workouts. There is nothing preachy about The Body Camp, although most of the staff embrace the vegan and alcohol-free lifestyle. When I asked which was the healthiest choice of alcoholic drink (I have kids – I’m not going teetotal!), it was answered with consideration. The answer is clear spirits, just in case you’re wondering.
We did so much that the week flew by – my favourite moments were dancing our socks off to 1980s music, the tennis lesson which got me past a hatred of the game, hiking along the coastline, The Baywatch workout, paddleboard yoga, and endless hours chatting. We learned so much from the staff but also from one another, and on the final night tears were shed.
I lost two inches from my middle and one from my bust – but the week wasn’t about losses, it was what was gained that mattered: confidence, fitness, strength, knowledge, and respect for my body and what it can do.