The best boot camps to kick-start your year

We all know that getting off on the right foot come January is easier said than done, with many of the best-laid plans fizzling out sooner rather than later. If that sounds familiar, a boot camp might be a good way to jump-start your fitness in 2016. Here are some of the best.

Champneys Boot Camps, various locations, UK

Pioneers of the wellbeing movement in the UK, Champneys opened the country’s first health spa chain in 1970 and remains at the top of its game 45 years later. It runs boot camps at all four of their resort destinations – Tring, Henlow, Forest Mere and Leicestershire’s Champneys Springs – which combine country hikes, circuits in the gym and team games with world class nutrition and individual health and weight monitoring.

Prices start at £399 per person for a two night camp, champneys.com/boot-camps/

GI Jane Bootcamp, Kent/Sussex or Thailand

If you’ve got a feeling that only military intervention will counteract those Christmas calories, look no further than GI Jane: a residential, women-only week-long course on the Kent/Sussex border. Early starts and high intensity training are on the agenda here, with Iron Man sprints and assault course sessions interspersed with games of netball and dunks in barrels of freezing water. Don’t say we didn’t warn you. Sun seekers might prefer the new courses on the beautiful Thai island of Koh Samui, available to book for next October.

A week-long boot camp in Kent costs £995 per person, gijanebootcamp.co.uk/

The Island Experience, Ilha Grande, Brazil

The beautiful Ilha Grande is the setting for this luxury boot camp, and is the perfect place to unplug from the modern world. With motorised transport banned on the island, you’ll have no choice but to explore via the stunning hiking trails and jungle paths which cover the camp. Sea kayaking, snorkelling and yoga are also on offer here, and in-house nutritionist Ariana will help you detoxify with a tailor-made diet plan combining fresh vegetarian ingredients with the bold flavours of Brazilian cuisine.

Rates start at £1,250 per person, per week, based on sharing a room, theislandexperience.com/locationIlhaGrande.htm

The Ashram, Mallorca

Bringing the spirit and rigorous routine of California’s original Ashram destination a little closer to home, this getaway will see you hiking, kayaking, circuit training and practising yoga and Pilates on the Mediterranean jewel of Mallorca. Ashram’s diet plan is based on dense nutrient delivery rather than calorie counting, with fresh produce from the organic garden going towards veggie versions of Spanish classics like tortilla Espanola, coca de trampo, and paella.

An all-inclusive week at Ashram Mallorca costs £3,423 per person, theashram.com/AshramMallorca/