From free yoga to bootcamp classes: the UAE health news and events you need to know about

Take part in a free boot camp with GFX Fitness enthusiasts looking to shake up their daily workout routine can head over to Bay Avenue in Dubai for a free boot camp conducted by GFX gym. The session will take place on Saturday, February 29, from 9.30am to 10.30am on the lawn next to the Skate Park in Business Bay . Trainer Ryan Watts will take the group through various body-weight workouts, including burpees, squats, planks and lunges. Participants who are 18 years or older can register for the event through the GFX app or call 04 425 5940. All you need is your own mat to sweat it out on. XYoga returns to Dubai Dubai’s much-loved fitness festival is back, and will be taking place XYoga Dubai returns to on Kite Beach on Friday and Saturday, February 21 and 22, from 8am to 5pm. Participants can expect two days of complimentary classes, talks, workshops and meditation sessions, geared towards all ages and fitness levels. XYoga Dubai Organised in conjunction with Dubai Holding, the event includes offbeat sessions such as acro yoga, live piano flow, jivamukti yoga and Arabic yoga. Some other styles that will be introduced this year include budokon yoga (a mix of martial arts and callisthenics), a pain and movement workshop, andplus Dad & Me, and Mummy & Me, classes. Traditional yoga practices such as ashtanga, kundalini, vinyasa flow and beginner’s yoga will also be available. Meanwhile, the festival will kick off with a morning class on the Friday led by Bollywood actress and model Esha Gupta. Other international yogis expected to attend are Australian adventure yogi Sjana Elise and “yoga bro” Jacob Manning. The Art of Living institute, which focuses on yogic breathing, will also offer classes. Yoga Market comes to Abu Dhabi Bodytree Studio is bringing back its popular Yoga Market event, providing residents of the capital with back-to-back classes on all things health, wellness and mindfullness. On Friday, February 21, the studio will open its rooms and outdoor area for classes and workshops for all, even children. Guests can expect to find Nancy Zabaneh teaching kundalini yoga at 10am, while a Back to Basics: Your Journey to Low Waste talk by Sarah Siblini at 2.30pm will look at how to cut back on waste and become more sustainable. New to this year's lineup is 15-minute Shiatsu massage tasters, as an expert gives guests the opportunity to indulge in mini-massages, and a private sound healing session. Finally, those attending can end the day with the popular Soul Awakening music event by Kirtan Dubai group. The event will take place from 8.30am-4pm and is free to enter. However, tickets to workshops and classes are priced at Dh200 for the day. For more information, contact 02 443 4448 or info@bodytreestudio.com . Yogafest makes its Al Ain debut After its many outings in Dubai, the free-to-attend wellness event Yogafest is coming to Jahili Park, Al Ain, for the first time on Thursday, March 5, from 6pm to 9.30pm and Friday, March 6 from 8am to 6pm. The festival will include a number of workshops, classes and talks on all things health and wellness, and is open to all age groups and abilities. Guests can also expect themed tents for yoga, meditation and family time, as well as indulge in some retail therapy at the marketplace where vendors will showcase sustainable products. While entry is free, registration at www.eventbrite.com is mandatory . Don't forget those yoga mats and water bottles, either. Try the fasting-mimicking ProLon diet It's been rumoured to do everything from stimulating weight loss to reversing the effects of ageing. And now ProLon, the world's first five-day fasting mimicking diet, has launched in the UAE. ProLon was developed by Dr Valter Longo, author of The Longevity Diet . Dr Joseph Antoun, chief executive and chairman of the board at L-Nutra-Inc, the company that owns ProLon, says Longo saw a connection between fasting and ageing. "Five days of fasting stresses the body enough that it goes into a process of rejuvenation, which is good for weight loss and anti-ageing. When the cell stops seeing calories coming from the outside, it starts eating the debris within - it's a process of clean up called autophagy," he says ProLon is a plant-based meal programme that follows this strategy and provides meals for five-day periods in a month in grab-and-go boxes. When one isn't following the diet, they can go back to what they were consuming earlier, although a pescatarian or flexitarian diet, ie a diet with mostly vegetables and fish, is recommended. A standard ProLon box comprises of nut bars, kale crisps, olives, soups and herbal teas, with specific instructions on when these should be consumed, and calories consumed on a daily basis range from 700 to 1,100. The Prolon diet is available online for delivery, and is priced at Dh1,150 for a five-day meal plan. A daily cuppa may be good for bone health Here's another reason to savour your cup of coffee in the morning. A recent study looked into the association between coffee consumption and bone health, and found that people who habitually drink the beverage had a higher bone mass density that non-coffee drinkers. Published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism , the report analysed the coffee consumption habits of 564 people. "Three metabolites, in particular, were associated with an increase in bone density in the population, and also, a decrease in the risk of fracture," said Dr Chad Deal of Cleveland Clinic in Ohio . The study is particularly of interest as the relationship between coffee and bone health has been studied before with conflicting results; past research has suggested that the more caffeine a person drinks, the more calcium leaves the body. "For all those folks who drink lots of coffee and are concerned about [its] health effects, this is good news," said Deal. Life’n One to host immersive meditation workshop for men On Friday, February 28, German sound artist and meditative healer Hansu Jot (pictured above) will host the Men’s Immersion workshop at Life’n One meditation centre. The session includes short lectures, kundalini yoga, breath work, sound healing, chanting and interactive exercises aimed at finding purpose, fostering healthy relationships, increasing emotional intelligence and generating prosperity. It, and aims to provide a safe space for men to explore their spiritual side. Jot’s premise is that men should “hold the space of clarity and connection [to] allow spiritually empowered women to relax and thrive”. Set to take place from 5.30pm to 7.30pm, the workshop is priced at Dh250.

From free yoga to bootcamp classes: the UAE health news and events you need to know about

Plus: immersive meditation for men; what to expect from the ProLon diet; and coffee deemed harmless to bone health