DUBAI // Lulwa Al Rahma and Mo Elzubeir try to maintain healthy lifestyles despite their busy schedules.
Mr Elzubeir, a 36-year-old Dubai resident from Sudan, initially found it was difficult. When he began exercising in the mornings, however, he found it worked better for him.
“It requires a lot more discipline,” he said.
Ms Al Rahma, a 23-year-old Emirati, prefers to get in her gym time after work. “I get tired from work. It’s a struggle because you’re exhausted after work, but it’s worth it,” she said. “The effects, emotionally and physically, are worth it.”
They both exercise regularly. Mr Elzubeir works out two to three times a week and Ms Al Rahma visits the gym five times a week. They also try to follow a healthy diet.
Mr Elzubeir said he was very aware of what he eats, but it was challenging to maintain a decent diet, especially since some food items do not have nutritional labels.
“Unless you buying raw food and preparing everything yourself, it’s very difficult to rely on what’s inside a box, because the labels don’t tell you exactly what the contents are,” he said.
Ms Al Rahma, who began taking her fitness seriously about 18 months ago, said she did not crave junk food anymore. “I’d rather eat healthy,” she said.
She also feels happier since changing her lifestyle. “It releases endorphins, and this gives me a boost after workouts,” she said.
“I saw how unfit I was physically in the mirror,” she said. “Another reason was that I wasn’t fit emotionally, so I thought through exercise, it would help me emotionally too.”
Mr Elzubeir also said he felt happier with a healthier lifestyle, which he has been following since May last year. He also noticed a significant physical improvement.
Mr Elzubeir thought health awareness was more apparent in the UAE than other GCC countries, but Ms Al Rahma said the public needed better health and fitness education.
“They can reach their goals, but they need to work hard and not be lazy,” she said. “They need to be informed about health.”
nbakhsh@thenational.ae
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The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The lowdown
Badla
Rating: 2.5/5
Produced by: Red Chillies, Azure Entertainment
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh, Tony Luke
The winners
Fiction
- ‘Amreekiya’ by Lena Mahmoud
- ‘As Good As True’ by Cheryl Reid
The Evelyn Shakir Non-Fiction Award
- ‘Syrian and Lebanese Patricios in Sao Paulo’ by Oswaldo Truzzi; translated by Ramon J Stern
- ‘The Sound of Listening’ by Philip Metres
The George Ellenbogen Poetry Award
- ‘Footnotes in the Order of Disappearance’ by Fady Joudah
Children/Young Adult
- ‘I’ve Loved You Since Forever’ by Hoda Kotb
Dunki
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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