Abu Dhabi: Apart from being a playground for the Formula One fraternity, Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit is spearheading a host of initiatives and events to combat the UAE’s significant obesity problem.
UAE doctors warned earlier this week that 19 per cent of the country’s population has diabetes, which is associated with being obese and unfit.
It’s a worrying statistic and one that Yas Marina Circuit bosses are striving to help drive down through schemes such as GoYas.
This is a women-only initiative that allows participants to engage in fitness activities such as walking, running and cycling on the circuit’s F1 track every Wednesday.
There are also activities such as boot camp, pilates, zumba and yoga.
Sana Al Hammadi, Yas Marina Circuit Digital Manager, said GoYas was set up in April 2013 with a particular aim of engaging UAE national women — a target that has been successfully met.
“Ninety per cent of our participants are Emirati,” she said. “During the launch period, our footfall was 2,000, which went up to 15,000 in October this year. We are anticipating this to go up to 20,000 by the end of the year.
“It’s attractive to people because they can do all manner of activities in complete privacy.”
Apart from GoYas, fitness freaks can indulge themselves in events such as TrainYas, which is for both sexes every Tuesday and which is primarily focused on walking, running and cycling.
Meanwhile, last month, an astonishing 21,000 people took part in Walk 2014, held to raise diabetes awareness.
For the more hardened athlete, every February Yas Marina stages the TriYas triathlon — a gruelling endurance event featuring a swim, a bike ride and a run.
There are a number of other events both for the serious and amateur athlete held throughout the year at the circuit, meaning obesity should no longer be such a weighty issue for UAE medics.
