Best Bootcamp

A cold beer with friends after a long day of work is a fine thing, and certainly a more tempting way to unwind than a three-mile run and a few sets of jump lunges. Unless you’re a member of FitWit, that is. Launched in Atlanta in 2006 by a pair of former teachers/coaches as an after-school fitness and tutoring program for local youth (get it - FitWit), the boot camp quickly caught on with adults because it turned out to be so damn fun. Ask any FitWitter why she keeps saying no to a frosty pint and yes to a harrowing kettlebell workout and the answer will undoubtedly be “the people.” FitWit combines group exercise with individualized workouts by professional trainers so that campers can work toward personal goals with a support system, but without the pressure of unreasonable competition. Camps in Decatur, Grant Park, North Druid Hills, and Midtown make finding the time to exercise easy with multiple morning and evening sessions. A portion of each month’s profits benefit the FitWit Foundation, a nonprofit sister organization that continues the program’s original mission of youth health education. After all the calories burned with FitWit, we can drink to that, can’t we? www.fitwit.com. less...

Sometimes you want to be coddled, crouching in the fetal position, while wind chimes gently wipe your stress away. But what you want isn’t always what you need. You need to relax. You need to stop whining. You need Tough Love Yoga. Run by the highly accomplished yoginis Neda Draupadi Honarvar and Durgaya Palmieri, both certified in Classical Hatha Yoga, TLY de-stresses you better than spinning endlessly on the elliptical (like you’re doing now). Difficulty ranges from beginner’s yoga to bikini bootcamp. Its popular Metal Yoga class at Young Blood Gallery is not easy, but newbies can go at their own speed. The class takes place in the exhibition room, so yogis are surrounded by hanging art and tattooed hipsters. Metal Yoga focuses on maintaining poses and improving flexibility unlike others around town that fixate on aerobic activity. Body-mind wellness doesn’t always come cheap, but there’s a $10 suggested donation for dropping in a class and a 10-class pass is $90. Tough love never felt so good. 636 North Highland Ave. 404-919-1008. toughloveyoga.com. less...