Abu Dhabi residents to get to walk, jog around Yas Marina Circuit

Abu Dhabi - Third health and fitness initiative launched at Yas Marina.

The Yas Marina Circuit, venue of the Formula One Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, is not just about motorsport.
The circuit has teamed up with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC), the Health Authority - Abu Dhabi (Haad) and the National Health Insurance Company - Daman, to introduce a new government health and fitness initiative called 'StartYAS' in a bid to get Abu Dhabi residents more active.
Starting October 11, from 6pm to 10pm, StartYas will run every Sunday and the circuit will open its gates to anyone who wishes to use the iconic circuit to improve their fitness. Residents can either walk, run or jog on the 5.55-kilometre grand prix circuit.
Building on the success of the existing TrainYAS and GoYAS evenings that sees more than 4,000 people per week running or cycling at the circuit, StartYAS offers residents of Abu Dhabi even more opportunity and choice, and is an ideal way to start the week for those seeking to take charge of their own health and fitness.
"Before, we had little food but we used to walk a lot or do some activity. Now, we have lot of food and we walk very little or do not do activity at all. Over the past years, we have seen a significant rise in chronic diseases associated with unhealthy lifestyles, obesity rates, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. For this reason, and as part of our commitment to maintaining a healthy community, we at Haad have prioritised raising awareness around the importance of adopting healthy lifestyles," Dr Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of Haad, said at the launch, at the Yas Marina Circuit, on Tuesday.
The latest data shows that nearly 20 per cent of the Abu Dhabi population is diabetic, and that an approximately equal percentage is pre-diabetic.
Aref Hamad Al Awani, general secretary of the ADSC, said: "Our goal is to get every single person possible to participate in regular exercises. We partner on such initiatives to increase awareness of the benefits that walking, cycling or running can bestow and would urge everyone to start their week in healthy and positive manner with us on Sundays.
"In this respect, we are having 40 community sport events for this season. These events include different types of games as we aim to encourage all segments of the community to practise various and suitable sporting activities in order to lead healthy lifestyles."
Long-term improvement in the nation's health is a key strategic goal of National Health Insurance Company - Daman, Dr. Michael Bitzer, the company's CEO, said.
"We are long-standing supporters of TrainYAS and GoYAS, along with other events at the circuit through Daman's ActiveLife initiative," he said.
Al Tareq Al Ameri, CEO of Yas Marina Circuit, said the addition of a third weekly health and fitness activity cemented its position as a true community space and will make a significant contribution to the well-being of residents in the UAE.
"With already more than 250,000 visits to the Circuit for health and fitness purposes alone, we have developed into a space that offers a wide range of opportunities to get active and stay fit. Along with our partners, we are investing in the future health of Abu Dhabi.
"With the exciting new addition of StartYAS, we are delighted to be able to provide such a comprehensive and flexible programme to people of all ages and ability."
james@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi