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Attend 'Bikini Boot Camp' vicariously
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In 2002, Manhattanites Melissa Perlman and Erica Gragg took a leap or, rather, a lunge of faith and moved to the Mexican coast, south of Cancun, dreaming of running weeklong fitness retreats.
Now, their Bikini Boot Camps are a rousing success, attracting thousands yearly to their beach resort, Amansala, for vacations packed with yoga, meditation, healthy eating and hard-core workouts.
But if you can't make it to Mexico, the duo's program is distilled in a new book, "Bikini Boot Camp: Two Weeks to Your Ultimate Beach Body" (Broadway; $17.95).
The basics:
The plan: A balanced 14-day regimen of yoga, circuit-training, walking, natural food and meditation/journaling; detailed, daily instructions on what to do, including weekly shopping lists for healthy homemade meals.
The fitness: The yoga routine is a great introduction for beginners.
A section on circuit training, however, will be familiar to anyone who's spent any time in a gym.
The food: Relies heavily on grains, veggies, nuts, fruits, fish and chicken; the 76 recipes include interesting dishes like grilled ginger shrimp and pineapple poached in orange juice and brown sugar.
Bottom line: Sure, this would be a lot more fun on the beach (see http://www.amansala.com to book an actual boot camp).
Some suggestions, such as daily journaling, may be tough to incorporate in a real-life routine.
And you won't be bikini-ready in just two weeks unless you're already pretty close. Still, for a reasonable jump-start to a healthier life, this might be a plan worth trying.
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