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Camp Your Way to Fitness
Get Fit in the Great Outdoors
By Phyllis Ring
Women-only group camping activities are increasingly offered all over the country, many sponsored by urban YMCAs to help women get away from it all. The Washington, D.C., Y's Women's Wellness Weekend, held at 
a lakeside camp in Maryland, makes camping a source of rejuvenation as well as fitness. Part outdoor odyssey, part spa, these weekends feature massages, facials and manicures, along with camping, hayrides, trail-riding and ropes courses. Workshop sessions address wellness issues, healthy cooking, financial planning, yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates.
The annual YMCA Women's Fitness Camp in Elgin, Ill., offers women a fitness jumpstart on the summer. While they get away for a camping week full of physical activities and informal workshops, they also can enjoy low-fat, low-calorie meals that they don't have to cook themselves. Like many similar camping-style programs, this one supplies most of the equipment.
Camping Women, an organization that aims to provide safe camping experiences for women, offers a variety of camping opportunities, instruction and outdoor resources. They charge only the fees necessary to cover the expense of each event, and welcome new members from all over the United States and the world.
Whether you choose to pitch a tent or stay in a cabin, you can find campgrounds just about anywhere you go. Sites in most will have a fire pit and bathrooms nearby (some with showers). For basic equipment, if accommodations aren't provided, you'll need a lightweight, sturdy and waterproof tent. Always bring tent instructions with you, as the poles can all begin to look alike, especially in dim light toward the end of the day when you're tired, Gale says.
