Dubai
The Dubai Fitness Challenge is down to its last three days and the participants Gulf News is following are showing no signs of letting up. How can they if they’re losing pounds and inches they’ve always wanted to lose but couldn’t in the past?
The Dubai 30x30, a citywide campaign for Dubai residents to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day for 30 days, will conclude on Saturday.
Gulf News has been following the wellness journey of two couples — Joseph Wanyaga and Margaret Mandaine, and Anish Panicker and Anshu Anish — from day one to see if the challenge can successfully make exercise and fitness activities naturally part of their lifestyle.
As of day 27 (Wednesday), all the participants were ecstatic as they had lost weight and were experiencing major changes in their bodies.
“I have so far lost 4.6kg. My main motivation is my wife. We promised each other to go tough and hard on our exercises. We literally compete with each other and that gets us going,” said Wanyaga, who works in the aviation industry.
Wanyaga travels a lot because of the nature of his work. But he said he has never missed a single day of the Dubai30x30.
Juggling work, home life, and exercise has been tough for Wanyaga’s wife as well but she said she’s managing.
“It’s been a challenge for me since my husband does more activities than I do. I’m trying to keep up with him. I’m working in the office every day for 12 hours. So when I reach home, I need to cook, and I need to exercise too,” Mandaine said.
“I’ve lost about 3kg but in terms of my body mass, my waistline is trimmer now and my thighs are toning up,” she added.
Indian expatriate Anshu’s waistline is also showing a difference following more than three weeks of walking, yoga and sometimes Pilates.
“I have lost 2.5kg. The obvious change is in my belly, which used to show a bulge when I’m wearing a shirt. It’s now gone and my neighbours are noticing the difference as well,” Anshu, a mother of one, said.
Anish, Anshu’s husband, has also lost weight. Though it’s only 2kg so far, he said it’s a major achievement.
“For the last three years, I have been planning to lose weight but it remained just that — a plan. This time, the initiative gave us the confidence to do it. And losing even just 2kg is something that I have not even done over the last three years. So now, my next target is to lose more in the next six months,” he said.
