Whether it be waiting for your soy latte or sitting in traffic, these tiny moments are filled with flicking through social media; scrolling through an array of strong and inspirational images posted by let’s say, a running club you only ran with once and the gym whose membership you have expired last summer. Oooh, a six-pack in 6 weeks! Gasp, look at that vegan chocolate cake! OMG, if only my legs looked that good in those shorts!
We “like” and “follow” these accounts but the intended inspiration is in vain because the truth is that our soy lattes, biweekly kale salads and once-a-week home boot camp isn’t going to get us those legs or that six-pack. There is a fundamental factor that keeps us from really achieving those physical health goals. We forget that these perfect looking, active individuals are a product of a very different and focused lifestyle; for many of them fitness is their profession.
Without discrediting the positive influence these incredible individuals have in creating a healthier society, completely changing our work and social lifestyle just isn’t going to happen. But why should that stop us from reaching our fitness goals? Surely there is a tweak to our current lifestyle that can still help us achieve them. It was this thought that led me to discover an excitingly fit life without compromising my lifestyle.
It was 4 years ago when, after realizing that physical activity doesn’t require you to be an athlete, competitive or completely dedicated, that I first started exercising on a regular basis.
Like many people, I don’t take sport too seriously. A good understanding of the fundamentals definitely makes a sport or activity more enjoyable but anything more just sucks the fun out of it for me. Over the years I’ve tried Zumba, swimming, CrossFit, running, spinning, as well as short stints of Les Mills, boot camps and other sports and exercise classes. The one constant has been yoga — I love yoga and I’ll always make time for it at least once a week.
Thanks to a short attention span I’m continually discovering the many, sometimes alternative, sports Dubai has to offer. My favourites are the various adventure and obstacle races hosted around the UAE during the winter months. Having participated in over 20 races it’s fair to say that I’m a seasoned contender. I do every race I can, but I never said I do them particularly well.
To me it’s important to be fit and healthy so that I am physically and mentally able to take on life’s adventures, but it’s also key that it’s not at the cost of my work and social life. Not being tied to a gym membership gives me the freedom to try some fun, and sometimes unusual, activities. They’re mostly after work hours and have no obligations so are a perfect alternative to traditional fitness commitments. These activities also provide sufficient training for the events I attend, bearing in mind that my goal is not necessarily to win.
With no six-pack in sight, it’s fair to say I’m not a contender with the super fit ladies I follow on social media. Luckily that’s not my goal. I live a healthy and full life by fitting physical activity into my lifestyle and not the other way around.
This is an achievement I would like to share with others. So I joined up with Abdul R Khatib, a friend of mine and a part-time personal trainer, to create a blog about health and fitness. Which you can find one Instagram & Facebook – ANAfit Dubai [www.anafitdubai.com] focuses on sharing alternative fitness and events in Dubai.
ANAfit Dubai aims to challenge the perception that “fitness & health is gym & diets” by showing people how fun and inexpensive fitness can be in Dubai. There are no inspirational “I can” quotes, only daily updates on what is happening in and around Dubai. With multiple activities available every day it provides everyone the opportunity to fit something active into their daily schedules.
Join a running club 
on Sunday, hula-hoop for charity on Monday, Tuesday’s sunset yoga, trampolining on Wednesday and dance it off on Thursday. Rock climbing or boot camp on Friday and what about a cycle on Saturday? Once you know what’s going on in Dubai it’s hard to find an excuse not to participate. More surprising is the number of activities that are free or at a nominal rate for a worthy cause. All these activities, fitness communities and events are listed on ANAfit Dubai’s website. Their event calendar also covers official health and fitness related events hosted in and around Dubai. With daily updates ANAfit Dubai is fast becoming a reliable source of information.
We blog too, everything from alternatives recipes for favourite treats using local ingredients to the health benefits of that once-a-week kale salad. ANAfit Dubai kits you with the local knowledge needed to achieve a healthier life without major changes to your current lifestyle – a relatable and realistic driving force.
The inspirational stories we follow on social media often represent a lifestyle of someone who trains for a living. The key is not to let the significant lifestyle differences discourage you from achieving your fitness and health goals. Fitness communities like ANAfit Dubai show us how easy it is to incorporate physical activity into our busy lifestyles so that we too can have a healthy and active life!
Words By: Alice Pargiter
Photos By: Prakash Pancholi
