You may have seen them jogging, squatting and burpee-ing* around a park near you; a vision dressed in vests of red, blue and green.  These ‘recruits’ are part of the British Military Fitness programme that operates in parks all around the UK.  Think serious bootcamp – these guys are all serving or ex-Army trainers, many of whom also have fitness qualifications outside of the military.

I hit Finsbury Park, one of the newer homes to BMF to dip my toe into some serious training. The sessions begin with division of the group into three (hence the different coloured vests).  Before memories flood back of being the last (wo)man standing after team picking, don’t worry; recruits are divided up by self-classified fitness ranking.  Blue for beginners!

BMF training is a combination of running and all sorts of other moderately painful exercises: sit-ups; press-ups on the incline; squats and some bizarre leg rotations with a partner that could surely not be broadcast pre-watershed.  Most attempts to talk to my fellow group members were cut short by my need for oxygen, or from their hands looming towards my face whilst aiming for my ear lobes (target practice for sit-ups).  The girls I chatted to were big fans and provided some healthy competition as well a bit of welcome encouragement during the team games that we played at the end of the class.

BMF really is like being back at school during a PE lesson, if PE was more fun, varied and motivating, and also instructed by a buff guy in camouflage trousers. This is the perfect exercise if you hate the gym but need the support of others in order to keep schlepping along when you exercise.

The trainer gets you moving, and I mean really moving, for almost an hour, leaving one feel smug, energised and only a wee bit sore.  Then the next day came.  If post-exertion pain is an indicator of effort then I have to give myself five stars.  Be prepared to suffer!

If you need some serious fitness motivation and a serious fitness motivator to crack the whip and get you sweating (actually that sounds pretty good…) then BMF is definitely for you.  What could be a more perfect antidote to sedentary urban working life than a thrice-weekly jaunt around some of the capital’s finest parks?  You can also get to know your fellow recruits as each park has a social schedule with regular drinks and get-togethers (Finsbury Park is particularly good for this, I am told).

BMF operates all over the UK and costs between £20 and £46/month depending on where you live and often you want to train.  Go to http://www.britmilfit.com to find out more – everyone is eligible to try a session for free so you have nothing to lose apart from a few post-summer pounds!

*a hellish hybrid of a squat thrust and a star jump.  Not easy!