Record 2.2 million participants in the sixth edition of the Dubai Fitness Challenge | News Bharat

Held from 29 October to 27 November 2022, the annual fitness movement included a wide range of free fitness events and activities across the city. The challenge offered an exciting month of inclusive and fun fitness activities at two fitness villages, DP World Kite Beach Fitness Village and RTA Last Exit Al Khawaneej Fitness Village, as well as 19 community fitness centers, a host of events sports and thousands of free programs. classes throughout the city.

In addition, participants had the opportunity to take part in two major fitness events on Sheikh Zayed Road: Dubai Ride presented by DP World and Dubai Run presented by Mai Dubai, in addition to the inaugural Expo City Dubai Sports and Fitness Weekend , which offers more than 45 partner sporting events and more than 13,000 free fitness classes. More than 263,000 participants attended the Fitness Villages and Fitness Hubs alone, who had the opportunity to take part in various activities ranging from paddle and soccer training to rowing and spinning, as well as various fun group workouts and high energy, suitable for all levels of physical fitness. .

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed said: “With the conclusion of the Dubai Fitness Challenge, I would like to reflect on the amazing achievements of the 2,212,246 participants who committed themselves to their health and well-being by participating in the inspiring fitness movement. The participants have led by example to commit to improving their health and well-being and helped transform the fitness mindset of the entire community.I want to thank each and every individual, government agency, business and organization who contributed or participated in this initiative. Together, we are well on our way to becoming the fittest city in the world. Although the challenge is over for another year, I encourage you all to stay active and continue your journey of fitness embracing all that our great city has to offer.”

Ahmed Al Khaja, Managing Director of Dubai Festivals & Retail Establishment, said: “Since its inception six years ago, DFC has inspired numerous fitness and wellness travel success stories, from beginners to enthusiasts of fitness who have reached new milestones. DFC will continue to be a source of inspiration and encouragement for citizens, residents and visitors to Dubai, encouraging them to commit to a healthier and more active lifestyle. View a record 2.2 million participants this year is truly inspiring, including almost 35,000 cyclists for the Dubai Ride and more than 193,000 runners for the Dubai Run on Sheikh Zayed Road. When we look back over the past 30 days, it’s truly amazing to see our city’s commitment to prioritize health and wellness I would like to thank everyone who made it possible for the sixth edition of the Dubai Fitness Challenge It is a very special initiative and one that I am very proud to be a part of t”.

Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of the Dubai Sports Council, said: “With 2.2 million people taking part in this year’s Dubai Fitness Challenge, we have once again demonstrated our continued dedication to maintaining our physical and mental health as a community working together to achieve one goal: a healthier and fitter future for all.DFC was designed to give everyone the opportunity to enjoy the incredible range of fitness facilities the city has to offer, while challenging each other to achieve new goals and adopt a more active lifestyle. The small changes made and healthy habits started during DFC don’t have to end when the challenge does. I encourage everyone to continue prioritizing their physical and mental well-being throughout the year. The sixth edition of the Dubai Fitness Challenge has been another resounding success and I would like to thank everyone involved for this incredible achievement.”

Since its inception, the Dubai Fitness Challenge has seen a steady increase in interest and engagement with the number of registered participants growing by over 180% from 786,000 at the inaugural event in 2017 to 2.2 million in the 2022 edition. Dubai Run participants increased 176% from 70,000 runners in the inaugural edition in 2019 to 193,000 in 2022. Cyclists participating in the Dubai Ride increased 75% from 20,000 in 2020 to 34,897 in 2022. The only annual event in the world makes Dubai. which offers its citizens and visitors a whole month of free and inclusive fitness classes, activities and events, easily accessible across the emirate.

Over the past five years, the Dubai Fitness Challenge has had a significant impact on raising public awareness of the role of physical activity in improving health and reducing lifestyle diseases. Dr Ramadan Al Blooshi, Acting Director of Public Health Protection Department at Dubai Health Authority (DHA) said: “At the community level, the Dubai Fitness Challenge has helped to significantly increase public health awareness and to instill a better fitness mindset in the community. The event has encouraged people to adopt simple but effective lifestyle habits. These public health-driven awareness activities play a crucial role in changing the focus of community members from post-diagnosis care to prevention of lifestyle diseases.This not only improves the lifestyle of the community but also directly helps to mitigate the impact of diseases of lifestyle in the health system”.

Year after year, the annual city-wide fitness initiative has met its goal of positively impacting social well-being through a wide spectrum of wellness, sports and fitness activities. According to a post-DFC survey conducted after the 2021 edition, participants reported immense psychological benefits, including positive self-esteem (28%) and enhanced mental well-being (25%). The DFC survey showed that 52% of total participants logged between 30 and 60 minutes of activity per day, while 24% went further and did more than 60 minutes per day. Overall, 88 percent of all DFC 2021 participants reported achieving their 30×30 goals.

Alongside the growth of the Dubai Fitness Challenge, the emirate has also expanded its community sports infrastructure and free fitness and lifestyle facilities across the city. The Roads and Transport Authority announced earlier this month that it will increase its cycleway network from the 542km achieved in the first quarter of 2022 to 819km by the end of 2026, as part of the Dubai Urban Master Plan 2040. The public also has access to running and cycling tracks and exercise equipment in both parks and beaches. Dubai Municipality has developed running tracks in several parks which currently extend to a total of 37.7 km, while the bike tracks in the parks extend 15.7 km. Dubai Municipality has also developed a total of 12 km of public beach trails. Cycling and running tracks have proven extremely popular with an estimated 1.86 million people using them so far in 2022.

The growing fitness awareness of the Dubai community is also reflected in the emirate’s increased trade in sporting goods. The value of Dubai’s foreign trade in sports equipment in 2021 reached AED 1.22 billion, while in the first ten months of 2022 (January to October), foreign trade in sports equipment reached AED 1.1 billion of AED.