"I live next to Wandsworth Common, in London, which is a popular spot for bootcamp classes, so last March I decided to give one a go. I wanted to get fit and was feeling quite stressed at the time – my work as an NHS nurse with a specialism in paediatric safeguarding [responsible for child protection] can be very challenging – so I was looking for a healthy way to deal with the pressures of the daily grind. I convinced my flatmate to join me, and honestly thought I’d only last a couple of classes – but I loved it and now go four times a week.
There were ten of us at the first session, all women aged from their early twenties up to mid fifties. I worried it might be cliquey, but couldn’t have been more wrong – the atmosphere was amazingly supportive and fun.