Do you spend the most productive hours of your life, sitting in a chair in front of a computer screen? Do you have lunch at your desk, staring at said screen while you mull each mouthful? Does the daily exercise you get amount to a walk to the toilet, or on admin day, one or two to the photocopier?
After having the soul and energy sucked out of you thus, you can be forgiven for ordering a takeout for dinner or stooping to microwave-meal standards. You can also be forgiven for re-assuming your daytime pose, munching said meal in front of the TV, albeit in a less productive, more comatose state. You can be, but forgive you we won’t. Here at Time Out Abu Dhabi, we take our health seriously. Our office pertains of yoga fanatics, die-hard zumba enthusiasts, the organic Gestapo, and a man on an Atkins diet. It sounds comical, but in the world we live today, how else does one off-set the consequences of our lifestyles?
First the bad news: the figures (unintentional pun) are grim. Statistics released last year, by the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi, showed that 20 per cent of expatriates and 36 per cent of Emirati nationals suffered from obesity. Even more depressing is the reality that it’s not just grown-ups who are tipping the scales or being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. With our children in danger, a change of lifestyle, nay a change of outlook, is in order. This is not an issue that can be tackled with temporary diet plans, or bariatric surgery. It’s about changing our relationship with food and picking up new pastimes which don’t necessarily have to involve running on a treadmill.
Now the good news: despite statistics showing that there is an escalation of the obesity problem, they also show a nationwide determination to deal with the issue. The Zayed Sports City (ZSC) initiative, ‘Get Fit’ is one such effort and it guarantees that this Friday will not be a lazy one.
The day-long event is intended to encourage Abu Dhabi citizens to embrace a healthier lifestyle by making all sports facilities in the ZSC complex available free of charge. This will include coaching, training and seminars by some of Abu Dhabi’s top sporting federations and clubs, who have come on board to raise awareness of activities and organisations that are available to help people keep in top shape.
Zayed Sports City, which intends to establish ‘Get Fit’ as an annual event, boasts of world-class sporting facilities for families. The complex houses a sophisticated fitness centre, multi-purpose stadium, Olympic-sized ice rink, 9 full-sized grass pitches, a bowling alley, mile-long tracks, and an ATP standard, grand stand center court, tennis compound.
There will be a set schedule to follow throughout the day, but denizens will have the opportunity to try out whatever tickles their fancy. After all, the object here is to give people a taster for new and different sports they might want to pick up as regular pastimes.
The point many of us seem to miss is that being fit doesn’t necessarily have to be boring, and in this vein ‘Get Fit’ is certainly on the right track. From salsa classes and muay thai boxing, to tennis lessons and paddle coaching, ‘Get Fit’ promises to have something on offer for everyone’s tastes and age-range. As for the little ones, they will be cajoled to compete with the likes of bouncy castles, zorb balls and a fantastic prize drawn at the end of it all. Top that off with eating tips and a cooking class, intended to help educate little ones about healthy food (and the benefits of preparing them in your own kitchen no doubt,) and we could say it’s a solid step in the right direction already.
Get Fit will run throughout Friday November 18, from 3pm – 9pm at Zayed Sports City, Airport Road (02 403 4200).
