Dubai is hosting the 6th edition of Dubai Fitness Challenge on Sheikh Zayed Road to encourage residents to lead a healthy lifestyle. Read more to know about the importance of following a healthy lifestyle.
Dubai is one the most popular places in the world and for the right reasons too. People from all walks of life come to the Emirate to make it their home. The city is an engineering marvel and offers vast opportunities to lead a luxurious fulfilling life. However, underneath all this, several factors affect the health and wellness of its residents.
The extremely hot temperatures of the city and long working hours affect the health condition of the people leading to obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and heart diseases.
What Do The Facts Say?
The low pollution levels, abundant sunshine hours, and the average cost of a gym membership have placed Dubai among the world’s top healthy lifestyle cities. According to a new report by the UK - based Lenstore ‘Healthy Lifestyle Cities Report 2022’, Dubai has been placed second (after Vienna).
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular illnesses account for one-third of all deaths in the UAE each year, with diabetes-related deaths on the rise as well. Diabetes affects roughly 20% of adults today.
The concept of Wellness and Fitness has become the talk of the town and people are starting to put deliberate efforts to stay healthy. This idea of wellness has been reinforced by the consistent efforts of the city to ensure that its residents stay healthy.
'Health is Wealth,' we've been taught this since we were children, and properly so. We also understand that health isn't something you can buy off the shelf. It must be earned by choosing to live a healthy lifestyle.
How to Live a Healthy Lifestyle in Dubai?
Walk It Out or Sign up for a Gym Membership
Let’s be honest, even if our destination is a mere 10-minute walk, we still prefer to take a taxi or bus to avoid the heat. This makes walking in Dubai uncommon, even for short distances. This is why despite having summer for a good chunk of the year, Vitamin D deficiency is quite common in the city.
Excessive physical activity or exposure to extreme temperatures may lead to mild symptoms such as muscle cramps, heat rashes, or heat stroke in severe cases.
Take advantage of the new parks and other unique spots cropping up all across the city or sign up for a gym membership. Many of Dubai's walking tracks now have soft, sponge-like surfaces that are ideal for running. Even if it’s too hot outside to exercise during these months, a modest home regimen of half an hour of exercise every day can be sufficient to maintain your fitness.
Stay Hydrated in Dubai’s Summer Heat
The majority of us do not drink enough water on a daily basis despite it being necessary for our bodies to function correctly. Water is required for performing body activities, eliminating waste, and delivering nutrients and oxygen throughout our systems.
Especially during the summer in Dubai, sweating can lead to losing excess body fluids, which is why it’s a must to replenish it. The amount of water we require is determined by a number of circumstances, but an average adult requires two to three liters each day.
Drinking adequate water can even help you burn more calories throughout the day by increasing your metabolism. In fact, drinking warm water before meals helps with digestion and saves you from overeating or consuming too many calories.
Follow a Healthy Diet in Dubai
While this advice is true for everyone across the globe, it is especially true in Dubai. The harsh weather combined with a demanding work life can lead to eating hasty meals on the move and skipping exercise entirely.
After a long and tiring day, ordering something from your phone or eating out is likely to be your preferred choice. While we understand that it’s not a particularly healthy choice, the convenience of it all, as well as the time saved, leads us to overlook the health elements of the foods we consume.
During the warmest months of July and August, eat a nutritious diet and keep track of your fluid consumption. Eating oily fish or other fortified foods provides vitamin D to compensate for any lack of direct sunlight. And of course, don't forget to include natural fluids such as fresh juices, cold soups, and water in your meals.
Reduce Salt and Sugar Intake
High salt consumption can increase blood pressure and raise the risk of cardiovascular diseases. While sugar gives sweetness and a pleasing flavor, sugary foods and beverages are high in energy and should be consumed in moderation.
Since cardiovascular diseases and diabetes are among the major causes of death in the country, it’s best to keep control of your salt and sugar intake. Avoid adding too much salt while cooking and substitute it with spices.
Chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension can be avoided by leading a healthy lifestyle. Smoking, inactivity, and mental stress, as well as high sodium, alcohol, and saturated fat intake, can all have an impact on our overall health and longevity. Furthermore, packaged foods account for the majority of the added salt in our diet, so aim to avoid them wherever feasible.
Aim for a balanced diet by consuming proper proportions of a range of foods on a daily basis. Make sure you avoid fried foods and creamy sauces and treat yourself to healthy alternatives instead.
Try Out Meditation Classes in Dubai
The advantages of meditation are simply too many to be overlooked. Its most significant advantage is stress reduction among many more. Meditation leads the body to produce less stress-related chemicals while producing more mood-enhancing chemicals, instantly boosting the practitioner's mood.
Meditation can help you achieve a sense of quiet, peace, and balance, which can improve your emotional well-being as well as your general health.
During meditation, you should concentrate your attention and clear your mind of any muddled thoughts that may be bothering you and producing stress. The advantages don't stop when you stop meditating. Meditation helps you stay calmer throughout the day and may even aid in the management of certain medical conditions.
Beat The Heat with Dubai’s Indoor Activities
The scorching summer heat and long working hours aren’t exactly good motivators to exercise. In addition, the convenience of ordering food from the comfort of your home through several delivery services promotes a sedentary lifestyle.
It is advised to avoid going out during the hottest part of the day. Due to the heat and working atmosphere, exercise programs, especially pool-based activities like Aqua Zumba, are frequently held at sunrise and dusk - maybe give them a shot!
While it may appear wildly paradoxical, the sun-drenched Middle East has a very high rate of Vitamin D insufficiency.
Cultural behaviors, genetic composition, and skin color are all factors that contribute to this. Moreover, the region's traditional dress covers the majority of the body, reducing solar absorption, especially for women. Furthermore, the region's very high temperatures limit the time residents spend outside.
Get Enough Sleep
Getting enough sleep is important for both your overall health and your skin. If you want to improve the health and appearance of your skin, consider adding a few extra hours of sleep to your plan. Proper sleep has also been linked to better concentration and cognitive performance, both of which can help you be more productive at work.
As you sleep, your body produces growth hormones, which aid in cell and tissue repair and skin rejuvenation. Sleep also encourages the production of cytokines, which are proteins that help the immune system battle ailments like skin infections.
When your mind is racing at a hundred miles per hour, falling asleep can seem like a daunting task. In order to fall asleep faster, take some time to relax before going to bed. To help you slow down and get in the correct attitude for sleep, try a relaxing hot bath and avoid screen time before hitting the bed.
Don’t forget your sunscreen when you head out!
Excessive sun exposure can hasten the aging process, cause skin rashes and blistering, and even result in skin cancer. The only way to stay cool in the summer is to stay hydrated and protect your skin from the sun. While drinking water is an excellent way to stay hydrated, your skin requires extra protection during the summer months.
It's crucial to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen and try to stay in the shade as much as possible, especially on those scorching hot summer days.
Living a healthy lifestyle in Dubai isn’t the toughest thing to do. With a little bit of patience and consistency, you can be sure to achieve your health goals. Following these tips will help you on your fitness journey and lead you to live a healthy lifestyle in Dubai.