Boot camp fitness

The words "boot camp" evoke a variety of images — few of them pleasant. Would any self-loving woman want to be part of something so...military sounding?

Yes, actually.

Urban boot camp won't find you donning a 10-pound uniform while training in extreme weather for hours on end. But it does take the best of boot camp's training philosophies and combine them into an efficient — and dare we say, fun — workout. Boot camp blends resistance training with short bursts of anaerobic cardio. This high-intensity method of interval training is a killer fat burner. "Your body is constantly moving and always doing something new, which is the best way to burn body fat," says Roger Nahas, co-owner of Toronto's Best Body Boot Camp. And the benefits don't stop there. Boot camp elevates your metabolism for the whole day, so your body continues to burn more calories — even after the workout is over.

Boot camp is less structured than a traditional fitness class. You can join a class or grab a few friends, head to the park, turn up some great music and get moving on your own. To help you get started, Nahas worked with More to create the following do-anywhere workout. It requires no equipment and can be done in just 20 minutes. Fit this in two or three times a week, and you'll drop those last stubborn winter pounds and still have lots of time left over to do what you enjoy most in summer. Repeat the following workout three times in a session.