UAE residents climbed 201,265 stairs at Dubai Fitness Challenge this year

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

This year Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC) 2021 was joined by a record 1.65 million participants who participated in thousands of free fitness events, activities, and classes across the city between October 29 to November 27.

Fitbit returned for the third consecutive year as the official health and wellness partner of DFC and inspired UAE residents to recognise their personal strength to take on new challenges.

This year, the newly introduced Climb Together - a stair-climbing workout challenge, saw 1,219 participants use their combined strength to climb 201,265 stairs or 28,780 meters vertical height.

This achievement is equivalent to 3.25 times the height of earth’s highest mountain - Mount Everest, standing at the certified elevation of 8,848.86 meters above sea level.

UAE residents used their combined physical strength to complete the Challenge, but people’s own definition of strength now encompasses more than attributes of physical strength. According to a UAE survey conducted on the behalf of Fitbit by Course5 Intelligence, 50% of respondents recognize strength as a combination of mental and physical traits while 33% defined strength as the ability to deal with the stresses and challenges that life could present us in our daily lives.

Commenting on the phenomenal turnout at DFC  2021 and the success of the Challenge, Prateek Kewalramani, Head of Marketing - MEA, Fitbit at Google said, “It’s because of initiatives like DFC, UAE residents are able to restart their fitness journey, recognise their physical and mental strengths and achieve incredible results every year.

“With the new introduction of Daily Readiness Score on Premium, Fitbit users were able to learn each day what’s best for their body and if they should go for a high-intensity workout or should prioritize recovery and focus on various wellness activities being offered at DFC this year.

“DFC continues to give the residents an opportunity to embrace an active lifestyle which directly aligns with Fitbit’s mission to make everyone in the world healthier.”

Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment said, “Under the aspirational vision of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Fitness Challenge saw a record participation this year. We were very pleased with Fitbit’s continued commitment to the initiative and their support to make Dubai an even happier, healthier, and more active city.”

From high-intensity workouts to yoga classes to community wide events like Dubai Run, DFC gave UAE residents of all ages and abilities an opportunity to have a broader view of the key aspects of our health - activity, sleep, nutrition, and mindfulness. In addition to motivating and supporting the residents to achieve their 30x30 during DFC, Fitbit also organized an interactive consumer event with health and wellness experts to foster conversations around the importance of looking after physical and mental health as part of a holistic approach to managing our personal health and stay inspired post DFC.