AR
UR
A recent report on Sunday stated that more residents across Dubai has expressed their commitment to exercising daily thanks to the 'Dubai Fitness Challenge' (DFC). They have also reported a boost in their mental health and wellbeing due to regular exercising.
The report has been published by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). In its 2021 edition, DFC witnessed an increase in the number of people completing their ‘30x30’ target. Furthermore, 88 percent of participants - up from 85 percent in 2020 - committed to a minimum of 30 minutes of daily exercise for 30 days.
Launched in 2017 by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, the DFC has become immensely successful within a few years.
Surpassing targets
On Sunday, DET underlined that many residents last year went “above and beyond” the 30x30 target. Notably, about 36 percent of the people dedicated more than 60 minutes to their health and fitness while 12 percent spent more than 90 minutes exercising each day.
At the same time, 28 percent of participants have reported an improvement in their self-esteem while one in four said participating in DFC enhanced their mental wellbeing. The challenge also helped in reducing anxiety among 24 percent participants and encouraged higher levels of relaxation among 22 percent of them.
The fifth edition witnessed an increase in female participation in the challenge, with 41 percent of women in overall participants’ numbers. The DFC has attracted all age grouos with the participation levels peaked between ages 18-39.
Continuous growth
Over the period of time, the DFC has grown exponentially. The number of participants has increased significantly from 786,000 in its inaugural year to 1.65 million people participating in the year 2021. It represents nearly half of the population of Dubai. Some of the major events of the challenge including Dubai Run and Dubai Ride, which began in 2019 and 2020 respectively, also witnessed record participation in 2021 with 146,000 runners and 33,000 cyclists taking to Sheikh Zayed Road.
In response to the report, Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), hailed the vision of His Highness in making Dubai one of the most active cities in the world.
"Today, we are proud to share that the number of DFC participants in 2021 represented almost half of Dubai’s population – an increase of 110 per cent since the Challenge began five years ago," Al Khaja said.
SOURCE: Gulf News