Need an extra incentive to get fit and try new sports?
Abu Dhabi Alive, a health and well-being show offering the chance to sample a range of activities for free, is running at Zayed Sports City from November 27 to 30. The event caters to all, from fitness freak to couch potato, with leisure pursuits ranging from rock climbing to live Zumba classes.
The event is the first of its kind in Abu Dhabi to take place outdoors and comes just a month after Zayed Sports City hosted Abu Dhabi KidsFest, a similar activities-themed event targeted at little ones, and a week after the Diabetes Walk for Life around Yas Marina Circuit.
These subsidised events show that the Abu Dhabi health and fitness community is keen to provide incentives to tackle the rise in obesity and related health hazards. Cardiovascular diseases accounted for more than a quarter of deaths in Abu Dhabi in 2011, according to the Health Authority Abu Dhabi, and a recent study has also indicated that 41 per cent of the UAE population over the age of 30 suffers from high blood pressure, significantly higher than the global average of 25 to 30 per cent.
“There is a government incentive to get the population of Abu Dhabi more healthy, and we wanted to do it in an entertaining way,” explains Hayete Jelai, the exhibition director at Informa Exhibitions. “There will be two kinds of activities – one is an exhibition, with sports and medical stalls for all ages, and the second kind is the entertainment and sports. There will be a stage so anyone can come and present activities as well, such as cooking demonstrations. And we will provide a closed-off tent for ladies only, so ladies can participate in activities like Zumba and they can feel a bit more privacy.
“This is a fun-filled, family-friendly event and it’s the perfect opportunity for anyone from any walk of life to kick-start a new, healthy way of living. It is a chance to change lifestyle habits by learning about what is necessary for general well-being and improved fitness levels.”
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Daman, the principal sponsor of Abu Dhabi Alive, will be offering free gifts for visitors when they play the Wheel of Health game, as well as entertainment in the form of live street-dancing shows. Free eye-screening will be performed by RSU Healthcare. Unicef representatives will also be present to offer advice specifically for children.
For thrill seekers, Dubai’s Adventure HQ will provide a climbing wall to scale.
Gold’s Gym International will be hosting live fitness classes and giving away free memberships, and the Original Fitness Co will provide fitness challenges for visitors to test their fitness levels. Day one will feature the feared bleep test. Day two will offer an obstacle course, while day three will see visitors planking and day four will include a two-minute burpee performance-evaluation test.
Lotus Holistic Alternative Medical Centre will also be on site explaining how traditional Chinese medicine, reiki and homoeopathy can help relieve stress.
The UAE’s first and only flotation centre will be raising awareness about the benefits of flotation for the body and mind; visitors who book a flotation treatment during Abu Dhabi Alive will be eligible for a 10 per cent discount.
The diet centre Slim’n Lite will offer live cooking demonstrations; Natural Care from Jordan and Palmer’s Cocoa Butter will be giving out free samples.
• Abu Dhabi Alive is from 11am to 8pm from November 27 to 30. Tickets are Dh5 for the day, or Dh10 for four days. Pre-register online at www.abudhabialive.ae for free access to any of the Zayed Sports City facilities, including the bowling centre, tennis courts, beach tennis and rugby field
[ artslife@thenational.ae ]
