Your fitness routine has undergone an overhaul, and you are hopefully already enjoying the physical and mental benefits of moving for 30 minutes a day as you celebrate completing Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC).
DFC sets out to be just the start of a fitter future for its participants, but how do we find the momentum to keep moving? Ask anyone who’s taken part in a sporting challenge – they will tell you that some days you simply can’t find the energy to get your workout in. So, now is the time to reflect on your personal highs and more challenging points of DFC, and get conscious and purposeful about your new lifestyle. It’s time to get planning.
The first step of commitment is a psychological one. Take your fitness seriously – your body will thank you for it, and remember, you owe it to yourself. Rather than an approach of ‘if I can fit it in’, workouts should be scheduled like every other important appointment.
With hundreds of fitness classes, events, and activations on offer during DFC, you hopefully had the chance to try a mix of activities and find something different, or have perhaps unlocked a passion for a new activity or reignited an enthusiasm for a sport. Here’s where to begin – for your new regime, choose types of movement which make you feel good both before and after. If you are dreading your workout, you are probably not going to do it. A long-term lifestyle of wellness requires a mindset shift to view movement as a joyful – if necessary – part of your weekly schedule. This is one key step to keeping up your get-up-and-go.
So, now you have a solid idea of what you enjoy, get the diary out and plot your workout times. Planning is essential to ensure you prioritise your movement, and remember, it is an investment in yourself which will always pay back two-fold. Enlist friends and family members, and have a look for ways to socialise together which combine movement. Catch up with friends with a take-out coffee while taking a brisk walk, or opt for a morning of cycling, ice skating, swimming, trampolining or even roller skating with the family at the weekend. And remember, studies show that exercise is more enjoyable, and you can usually push yourself a little further, when exercising outside versus inside. So, make sure to make the most of the glorious winter weather.
A large part of DFC’s success is the element of the daily goal, which gives you a regular sense of achievement,Continue to set yourself short-term goals that are regularly attainable, and you will find you are far more likely to stay motivated over time. Procrastination is minimised when you have a defined path to success, and can focus on what may feel like baby steps, but which build your confidence, and of course your fitness, and eventually amount to a complete lifestyle transformation. So, try to continue setting yourself small goals to tick off and celebrate. That will help you on the days you need to dig a little big deeper.
Team sports or activities which you can enjoy with a group also bring an encouraging environment of team spirit and sense of not wanting to, quite literally, let the team down. You are probably less likely to cancel a game of Padel or squash with a friend than you are a solo run at the end of a long working day. DFC showcased the extraordinary wealth of sports on offer across the city, and a guarantee that there really is something for everyone. So, find your fitness tribe and commit to each other as well as yourself, and on the days that you might not fancy it – your fitness friends can help cheer you on.
You can also treat yourself to a carefully curated playlist or audio book, which you only listen to while you’re exercising or on your way to a class. Offering another incentive will help reframe exercise as something to look forward to, and if that means also getting some audio book listening under your belt, well that can surely only have a positive impact on your mind and lifestyle as well.
And remember, if you slip, just get straight back to it. Be flexible with yourself and rather than an all-or-nothing approach, and know that even a shorter workout is better than none.
Whatever movement you choose, keep your mind on the wonderful feeling that endorphins promise at the end of each workout, and give yourself that gift as much as you can. Head to the content hub on www.dubaifitnesschallenge and use the ‘Find Your 30’ section as a free fitness resource, and source of inspiration, to maintain the commitment to a fitter future.
This year’s Dubai Fitness Challenge was organised by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and Dubai Sports Council; with Presenting Partners DP World, Dubai South Mai Dubai, and Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA); Association Partners Sun and Sand Sports, Blue, Dubai Chambers, Emirates Airline, Emirates NBD, Etisalat by E&, La Roche Posay, MIRA Developments, Mubadala Health, Optimum Nutrition, talabat, AVIV, Shamal – Kite Beach and Emaar; Official Partners Aster Hospitals, Clinics and Pharmacies (healthcare partner), Arabian Automobiles Co, Cigna, Emarat, Lipton, SIRO and TechnoGym; Media Partner Arabian Radio Network (ARN); and Government Partners Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services, Event Security Committee, Dubai Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), Dubai Municipality, Dubai Police, and Emirates Schools Establishment.
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