Mall walking is the hip new way to fitness

Dubai - The walkers say that mall walking is also a great way to stay fit in a hot place like Dubai

Burning a hole in the purse with all that shopping? How about burning those hard to melt calories instead? This leading shopping destination in Dubai is becoming a crowd-favourite fitness spot.
In a bid to beat the scorching Dubai weather, walkers are hitting the shopping malls to meet their Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC) goals. Mall walking is a form of exercise in which people walk or jog through the usually long winding corridors inside.
Combining brisk walking at a speed of 6 km/hour, with short bursts of circuit workouts, mall walking - according to Scottish national fitness coach and personal trainer David Craig - is an excellent way to burn calories and socialise with like-minded people.
Craig leads a group of mall walkers every Sunday morning at the Mall of the Emirates (MoE), Dubai. The shopping destination also organises a series of complimentary workouts, including Flywheel (stationary bike), FlyBarre (Pilates), and mall circuit sessions. Craig, also the manager of Flywheel at the mall, said that more women hit mall walking sessions than men do. The sessions start every morning at 8.30 am and continue for about an hour.
"Mall walking is certainly a great workout option. It is low impact, and the entire thing is organised in a safe environment and it's a lot cooler than training outside. Since the walking starts before the mall opens, walkers have plenty of space to even break into a brisk job inside the mall corridors," said Craig.
Australian national Julianne Young moved to Dubai in January and has partaken in several mall walking sessions at MoE. "I used to do it regularly back home in Australia. It's a great way to make new friends as walking/running on your own can get boring or repetitive," she said. Other than walking in the mall, Julianne spends an hour walking her dog every day. Indian national Raji Raghavan has been a regular mall walker. "When the weather is better, I enjoy walking around the small makeshift pond outside the mall," she said. "The weather is mostly hot in Dubai, and mall walking is a great way to stay fit. I also do yoga and make it a point to walk 2-3 km every day," added Raji.
Speaking about the DFC, the walkers said that mall walking is also a great way to stay fit in a hot place like Dubai.
Craig noted that mall walking has several physical benefits for the lower body. The circuits, as well as the walking, provides a great workout for the lower body. "The glutes, quads and calf muscles are targeted while walking. It's a great cardiovascular exercise and when combined with the circuits, people really sweat it out," he added.
The exercises start at the Ski Dubai foyer and Craig takes his students on a few loops around the mall and stops occasionally for circuits like squats, lunges, etc. The session is closed with a cool down set, including light stretches and breathing exercises.
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai Fitness Challenge
• Dubai