Parents Urged to Make Exercise a Routine Part of their Child’s Day
Residents are choosing to live in Dubai Sports City because it allows them to lead a healthier lifestyle and offers their children the chance to grow up in an environment where sports are part of daily life, it was revealed today.
The first residents of Dubai Sports City are mainly families who have moved into the Victory Heights villas which are on the doorstep of the project’s Academies Campus, where children will be able to receive world-class coaching in football, rugby, cricket, swimming and hockey, as well as access to a running track and a hi-performance centre.
“My family and I have lived in Victory Heights since May, and one of the main reasons we moved here was to take advantage of all the sporting facilities, as part of a healthier approach to life,” said Lindsey Russell, managing director of real estate firm Gulf Platinum Properties, who has one young daughter.
“Exercising when you live in other parts of Dubai means getting into your car and driving to a gym or park, but living here it’s easy because all the facilities are right on your doorstep. It is important for me that my daughter grows up to be a healthy teenager and adult, and that she sees exercise as part of normal behavior, rather than something she is forced to do. I will be signing her up to one of the Academies as soon as she’s old enough,” Russell added.
Childhood obesity in the UAE is up to three times higher than international levels, with 22 percent of children classed as overweight and 14 percent as obese, according to the most recent data.
The UAE also has the second highest rate of diabetes in the world, with around 25 percent of the national adult population affected – most cases are the type 2 form of the disease that is directly linked to obesity.
“Many parents do know about the importance of exercise in protecting their children from chronic disease such as obesity and diabetes in later life, but promote school studies and grades over sports,” commented Naima Saleh, Chairperson of the Emirates Medical Association’s Social Committee, who is a physiotherapist in Dubai and mother of two.
“However, parents have to start giving more importance to healthy lifestyle, because what’s the point of getting good grades if you do not have health,” she added.
Mudassar Nazar, head coach at the ICC Global Cricket Academy, which is based in Dubai Sports City, echoed the same sentiments. “Children across the UAE need to be see exercise as a normal part of their daily lives if we are to see a reduction in the alarming rates of obesity and diabetes that currently exist in the country,” he said.
“One of Dubai Sport’s City’s main goals is to develop a healthy sporting culture across the UAE. The world-class facilities here are open to everyone who wants to start enjoying a healthier lifestyle,” he added.
