Let’s make fitness a habit!

by Lalitha | Oct 27, 2021

Join Pratimoksha for ‘#Dubai30x30’.

It takes around a month for a new habit to set in. With the Dubai Fitness Challenge 2021 just around the corner, why not take advantage of this fantastic opportunity to make exercise and a healthy lifestyle a habit for life?

So come on find your 30! It could be any form of exercise that gives you an energy boost. The Dubai Fitness Challenge this year runs from October 29 to November 27. The initiative by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, is celebrating its fifth anniversary and once again challenges citizens and residents to ditch their sedentary lifestyles, take control of their expanding waistlines and get moving. The Dubai Fitness Challenge urges us all to spend at least 30 minutes a day in some form of exercise, be it jogging, swimming, gym workouts, cycling or maybe Yoga! A number of fun-filled events and wellness sessions and talks are a regular part of the month, serving to inspire everyone. Pratimoksha has also lined up a number of programs specifically for the month. The challenge is an eye-opener for the whole world to integrate health and wellness into our lives, and most importantly make it a habit.

Is health the utmost priority in Dubai?

A recent Gulf News article gave readers a chilling look at the top killer diseases that take more lives every year, and Covid doesn’t feature in it. “Cardiovascular diseases … claimed 49,416 lives per day — 2,059 per hour, or 34 per minute.” (Gulf News October 10, 2021) It quotes WHO data to project that 30 million lives will be lost annually worldwide by 2030, due to poor lifestyles, going on to say that poor food habits, lack of exercise and pollution are the main causes of most lifestyle diseases — the top two being heart problems and strokes.

The International Diabetes Federation reports that 1 in 5 – or nearly 19.3% – of UAE’s population is diabetic and this is naturally a huge health concern. Hence the Dubai government initiative to highlight the importance of health and wellness. It’s significant to understand that lifestyle diseases are mostly avoidable. By adopting good eating habits and exercising for at least 30 minutes a day, we all can steer clear of diabetes and hypertension and obesity, to a large extent.

As in all issues, the UAE government is at the forefront when it comes to the happiness of its citizens and residents. Hence they place a lot of emphasis on wellness programs in the corporate world and the fitness challenge is an incredible initiative to encourage more and more companies to give utmost priority to their employees’ wellbeing and help them achieve work-life balance.

In fact, Yoga sessions work very well in a corporate setting, as staff can be guided through a gentle sequence right at their desks, with no need to even change from their work clothes. And a 45-minute session will energise them because Yoga is all about establishing a mind-body-spirit connection, guaranteed to boost productivity and health.

Pratimoksha supports Dubai Fitness Challenge 2021

Pratimoksha – Enlighten Yoga Center has rolled out a host of corporate and individual programs to mark the month. Everyone is invited to participate in our 30-day challenge — 5 days in-studio practice coupled with 2 days of home practice. The program will help you build a great foundation in Yoga by helping you get all the basics right. Step by step we will help take you towards achieving moderate to more difficult Asanas. By joining a one-off 30-day program, not only will you be learning a new discipline, but you will also be forming a new habit that will serve you for life. After the 30-day challenge, we will guide you on how to create a customised home practice.

Call 050-3955613 for more details on the 30-day challenge and also to enquire about special discounts and offers being offered this fitness month*.

Companies need flexibility in terms of programs and timings so they can weave wellness sessions into their unique workdays. Recognising this, Pratimoksha is offering programs that can either be delivered at company premises, or online, and even at the Pratimoksha studio. Depending on the time companies have, they can opt for all 30 days; or 16 days — the latter working out to 4 sessions a week; or 8 days, which will be twice a week.

As an extra incentive, Pratimoksha is offering an introductory discount of 20% (on-site) and 50% (online) for all corporate group bookings until 27^th November 2021*.