By
lea · January 23, 2010
It’s the only place in Dubai that I have found.. so far.. that does a gymnastics class for adults. It’s Sham’s Gymnastics, and yes, I am their first client and it was my first lesson today. I am NAKERD!!!
We started out with some floor work and moved on to crash mat hand springs and the parallel bars. I soon learned you need stamina and some big shoulder muscles for gymnastics.
It’s great for the muscular endurance and my flexibility will definetly benefit – all that pain will soon pay off, I’m confident 
It’s never to late, that’s what I say. So ok, it may feel a little to late, but naah, better late than never. I’ll never be world class, but it’s some of the best and most enjoyable exercise I’ve ever had.
Until next class…
Well Christmas has come and gone and I’m at least 2kgs heavier!
I’ve been very lazy over the last month and it’s a mental battle to get back into the gym; there’s so much else I’ve still got to catch up with workwise (I’ve been lazy there too) but if I keep putting it off it’ll never happen. So it’s time to start thinking about this years fitness objectives.
It’s a great idea to pen-out in concrete terms some specific objectives, something tangible, realistic, measurable, and very importantly, achievable. The last thing you want to do is fail or lose interest so make sure it’s not too outrageous. Where do want be in another years time and what do you want to achieve in this wonderful new year? For example, I want to decrease body fat to 17% by the end of 2010
Once you figure it out, you might want to go all the way and write it up as a contract with yourself. Print it out, sign and date it, and frame it somewhere prominent to remind you of your objectives. A contract is not set in stone remember, if you find you’re under achieving, review the contract, renegotiate the deal, and update it!
Good luck for 2010…
By
lea · December 5, 2009
Ah yes, the food diary! Many of us have been asked to keep one but most of us are reluctent to do so – or at least do it AND be honest about it.
Keeping a food diary for a short while can provide for some very insightful information regarding your diet; its paramount if you are looking to make improvements in your diet as the nutritionist will want to assess your current eating habits before proposing any changes. Maybe you want to lose weight? The food diary provides the bottom line, how many calories are you currently eating in a day?!
So what goes into a food diary? Its just a couple of simple entries. You’ll want to record the date and exact time of day, details of what you ate and an estimate of how much, and you could also mention what you were doing or your mood at the time you ate. It may also be relevent to include details of any exercise or activities that you have done during the day.
Rather than be shy to show or embarrased about your diet, bite the bullet and put it all down as accurately and completely as you can; it won’t be long before you’re seeing the benefits of your honesty as the pounds start to drop off
For more information on our nutrition and weight management services feel free to contact us and book a consultation.
By
lea · November 21, 2009
Well yesterday was a real buzz, I spent my day attending the I-Combat instructor course, and of course, that means I get the rotten end of the stick for a change when it comes to some fitness and combat training! That’s right, me and the other trainees spent the full day punching, kicking, kneeing and elbowing through pads and partners with everything we had and under the watchful eyes of our instructors Jade and James of Impact Training – who of course enjoyed every moment… from a distance.
I-Combat, as the name suggests is a specific type of fitness workout that utilises a combination of techniques taken from boxing, Muay Thai, kick boxing, etc, to get the heart rate up and get every muscle you knew you had – and then some - working out hard hard hard! Training is tailored to individual clients of all levels and is great for basic through advanced fitness clients looking for something different and challenging in a workout.
For those who attend 360 Combat Club training much of this will be familiar already as Kapap training also focuses heavily on combat conditioning using similar techniques. It’s great to get a different perspective though and see how this type of training can and is being applied in the fitness industry where it is less about surviving a deadly assault and more about getting everyone involved and out of their arm chair.
Well as usual a great day out and I think it’s safe to say that we all went home knackered, but with smiley faces – as you do.
By
lea · November 10, 2009
I’ve been a Reiki level 2 ‘practitioner’ for a good few years now but this weekend I finally attended on the Reiki Master Teacher course and took my first step toward Reiki mastership, which included learning the process of attuning others into Reiki.
The day started out by revising our fundamental level one and level two knowledge and some revision of the history of the Usui Reiki system.
Before long, we’re into our level three knowledge where we quickly find out that there are even more symbols and more Japanese words to learn – phew! And I thought we’d sorted all that at level two!! The master symbols are introduced at level three and learning how to use them will complete our basic Reiki toolkit, as well as strengthen our prowess in giving Reiki as new Reiki masters – good stuff!
As with the first two levels in Reiki, there is a third level attunement; no crying today though as I shut the door behind me and the new symbols are sealed into my aura.
Well that was the easy part, what came next was a lot of fun and games; now it was our turn to learn ‘how’ to attune others to all three Reiki levels. This is going to take some practice! Remembering the symbols, remembering the sequence – fortunately my Reiki manual is very clear and I’ll no doubt be using it to attune cushions, teddy bears, and our dog over the next few weeks until it all eventually sinks in for good.
To end the day, the class included a Crystal Workshop which really was helpful and makes for a great knowledge addition for any would-be Reiki practitioner or master.
Overall it was just a great day and a great learning experience. Our Reiki teacher Jackie is just brilliant too – but she may now have to step aside to make room for a new Reiki Master Teacher in-da-house!
By
lea · November 4, 2009
Well finally I got back out there for some running, it’s been a while and wow did I need it!
It was painful at first and my running partner nearly killed me, but our half-hour run was so good I’ve decided to change the 360cc timetable to add running (or other cardio) into the equation. Yes, the first 30 minutes will be a beach run if for no other reason than to knacker us out for the training session that will follow!
Why do we want to be knackered for training you ask? Basically, training whilst fatigued is probably the closest we can safely come to mimicking the adrenaline dump experienced in a real-life situation. For example, fine motor skills are out-the-window and what you’re left with is the simple ability to throw whatever you’ve got left at your opponent – gross motor skills driven by the pure determination to win.
Hard cardio training also plays an important role in pushing our mind and body to the limit – to the point that we feel like we just can’t go on – and it’s at that point that we as self protection trainee’s can learn to push-through our personal threshold and develop a ‘never give up’ mentality. This mental aspect is core to our training philosophy! Our regulars will recall participating in ’mob’ training at some point, a technique that involves firstly tiring yourself out, e.g. by sprinting a few laps, and then being encircled and pounded by an aggresive surrounding crowed – a no-win exercise that develops this survival attitude.
Cardiovascular fitness is of course vital in the self protection arena. Although our initial goal may be to drop the guy within the first 3 seconds of a conflict, reality is that you will most likely be faced with more than one aggressor and fitness is going to be vital. Or, maybe your game plan is to run away – which would of course be futile if your attacker were to be fitter than you! Cardio should therefore be apart of a self protection training programme. Personally I’ve gotten a bit lazy over the years and 360cc training has been mostly focused on close quarter combative skills and techniques, with the caveat that everyone knows how to exercise and should be doing so in their own time. Of course, some do and some don’t; with work and other commitments it’s understandable and I myself have been guilty of proclaiming that ’I just don’t have time.’ It’s time to pick it up, get out there, and enjoy!
The article states it uses hardware that is available “wherever building supplies or landscaping materials are sold,” not ACE Hardware or Speedex here in Dubai then – unfortunately for me. So my quest continues to find 1.5 inch PVC tubing WITH the the same-size elbow and connector joints. Looks like a trip to Satwa then.
When I’m done, I’m expecting great things from my homemade parallettes which were described in the CrossFit Journal, ‘Really Cool Homemade Parallettes’ (issue 13, Sept. 2003). What are parallettes? Basically, they look like a pair of small parallel bars and are used in gymnastics - great for developing coordination, accuracy, agility, and balance – not to mention they look like great fun!
I’ll update this page on my progress once I can find all the parts!
—-
Update: 6th November
Thanks to Nasser Al Matrooshi Trading, Satwa, I have most of the parts in hand. With the exception of the tube endings (which they gave me the wrong sizes) it’s all glued together and sat outside to dry overnight. Alas I’m not sure it’ll be useable just yet as the frame wobbles without the tube endings; I’ll give it a go tomorrow and let’s see…
By
lea · October 31, 2009
Whoever said trampolining is for girls? Talk about a good workout! I could barely walk after finishing a one hour class; an hour divided between me and three others that is!
At the time of writing this, Sham’s Gymnastics in Umm Suqeim is the only place (I know of) offering any kind of gymnastics classes for adults. I’m one of the lucky few who’s got in on the action
Saying that, the UAE Parkour team just emailed my saying that parkour classes would be starting soon in Dubai. I like to think of parkour as the grownups version of gymnastics, something that we can all take part in without the hassle of having to religiously point our toes and straighten our arms.
Gymnastics in general is an excellent sport for all ages – if you can find a class – developing muscle strength, endurance, and muscle motor control. Trampolining too is sure to get your heart muscle going if you’re looking to try something different and something that is most definitely fun – and in the case of a beginner such as myself – very entertaining.
By
lea · October 30, 2009
There’s not much you can do once your comfortably seated on an aircraft, except to sit and wait ’till you safely reach your destination. However, there are a couple of things you can do that will increase your safety in general when traveling by plane and your chances of survival in an emergency situation; here are a couple of suggestions:
- Plan to check-in and proceed through customs immediately when arriving at the airport. Once you have past through all that security you are less likely to be the victim of a stray bomb or mad gunman.
- Feeling nervous? Keep an eye on the crew. They are highly trained and fly thousands of hours each year. Bumpy rides, turbulance, and damn near misses are part of their job description. If they look worried, tighten your seatbelt! Otherwise, try to relax and enjoy the ride and all the quirks of air travel. Safety in flying is well proven and time tested.
- Baggage falling from overhead lockers is one of the biggest single causes of passenger injuries today on airlines, be aware both when exiting the plane and in case you are seated in an aisle seat.
- Take off and landing are the most risky times during a flight, keep your seatbelt securely fastened during these times, and try to always wear your seatbelt throughout the flight.
- Always listen to the safety briefing, pay particular attention to the location of emergency exits. Count the number of seats to the exit door so that you could find it in the dark if you had to. Make sure you understand how to open the doors in an emergency.
- Check the location of your life jacket and understand how to use it. In the event of an emergency, DO NOT inflate it until you are outside of the aircraft.
- In case the oxygen masks are dropped, always sort yourself out first, even before your child. If you fall unconcious you will not be able to help anyone else.
- As always, the rule is “don’t panic!” In the event of an emergency you will stand a far better chance of survival if you keep your cool and have already pre-planned your exit or survival strategy.
Here are some useful links regarding general airline and airport safety:
- www.faa.gov/aircraft/safety
- www.airsafe.com
Some top tips for travellers whilst staying in a hotel or other public lodging. Applying these principles will be dependent on the threat level at your location. Try to assess the possible threats and decide on the precautions that you will taking before arriving.
- If possible, stay on the lower floors, such as the 2nd and 3rd. In case of fire, most rescue crews will be able to access your room, else it’s a reasonable height from which to formulate an escape plan, e.g. out of the window (be sure to make a plan BEFORE something happens). A ground floor room increases the risk in case of easy criminal/terrorist access or stray bullets.
- As soon as you arrive, locate the nearest emergency exit. Visualise how you would make your way to it in the dark. Count how many doors down and note other features on the route. If possible, practice locating the exit with your eyes closed.
- Try to get a room at the backside of the hotel. Most hotel lobbies and vehicle drop-off points are located at the front of the building and have easy access, making them more vulnerable in case of a bombing.
- In case of a bomb (a rather loud bang and some shakin’), get on the floor and into a safe location such as under the bed or in the closet. Stay away from windows and glass and DO NOT go to the window to see what just happened! The blast of a bomb may cause glass to shatter and potentially fly in your general direction; it is also a common tactic that a secondary device be exploded shortly after the first to cause maximum damage. Be aware of this in case you are directed to evacuate the building, and especially if you are directed to a nearby car park or the hotel’s fire meeting point.
- Always keep your door locked and be suspicious when you are not expecting a visitor.
