Thanks to modern lifestyles, alternative healing methods are gaining popularity.
The benefits of exercise are well documented. As modern lifestyles bring their share of health risks, people have become more aware of their bodies and how to take care of them. Instead of the quick fixes of the 70s and 80s, people are opting for more holistic healing methods.
Yoga for the mind and body
Known for its overall benefits, yoga has been carried down through the centuries and has spread its healing power across the world.
Recent studies suggest that yoga can help cancer patients. The M.D. Anderson study, a first-of-its-kind in the US, found breast cancer patients in yoga classes were happier and more productive than their counterparts who didn't practise yoga.
Sunita Bhalla is the force behind Gems of Yoga, one of the first yoga institutes in the country. "Yoga is extremely beneficial for those who have a lot of anxiety, especially senior citizens who are anxious about the future. Yoga's main principle is to stimulate the seven endocrinal glands. These have the effect of making a generally acidic body more alkaline. Yoga also helps reduce one's medical bills and creates more positive energy. The 'victory breath' has specifically this effect and can be done by everyone aged seven to 70," says Bhalla.
Yoga has also been known to help those with gout and intestinal problems. "There is a whole range of benefits that come from practising yoga. The only contra indication is for anyone who has just had surgery. They need six months of rest before starting yoga as it involves a lot of stretching. We also ask clients with retinal displacement to avoid yoga, including those who have had a severe case of burns. Other than these three conditions, yoga is perfect for everyone, including pregnant women," says Bhalla.
Bhalla's class comprises 70 per cent women. She says, "Yoga has anti-ageing properties which draws women while men prefer gyms as they like to build muscle."
The power of pilates
Credited with everything from weight loss to fighting heart disease, Pilates often sounds too good to be true. Established by Joseph Pilates in 1880 in Germany, this discipline has become one of the most popular forms of exercise around the world.
Moira Mcdonald is a physiotherapist who runs the Pilates Studio in Dubai. She previously worked with the American Hospital and transitioned from treating patients to working with people who want to improve their lifestyles.
Mcdonald says, "One of the primary benefits of Pilates is that it improves and strengthens the centre of the body, later strengthening the whole body. Pilates helps improve one's flexibility and is almost a reversal of what is practised in gyms, which sometimes emphasises intense movements for quick results." Mcdonald is the only registered clinical Pilates practitioner in the UAE. She is particularly interested in the use of Pilates as a rehabilitation tool for clients with musculo-skeletal problems.
The studio has an introductory six-session one-on-one course for beginners where the basic principles are taught. "Students can then transition to main classes, tiered to their ability. If someone is coming after surgery they may need three or more sessions of private training. This discipline seeks to provide long term benefits. It improves one's physique and makes the body less prone to injury. It is one of the few regimes that can be practised even at the age of 80," says Mcdonald.
Tai Chi for the soul
Tai Chi instructor Xu Jing has been in the UAE for seven years.
She worked previously with the Hilton Baynunah in Abu Dhabi and now conducts classes in groups as well as on a one-to-one basis in Abu Dhabi.
"Tai Chi helps maintain the right balance in the body. It makes one's legs strong and helps the heart in a number of ways," says Xu Jing. "Tai Chi involves a lot of slow movements. One has to take a long time for each movement, which helps discipline the body. It involves a lot of gentle and slow inhale and exhales which helps the body relax while healing."
Being Chinese, Xu Jing is no stranger to martial arts. She learnt Kung Fu at the age of nine and has been teaching Tai Chi for the past 16 years both in China and the UAE.
There is no fixed number of classes for definite results. Jing says, "It is up to each individual. Of course one must continue the regime for best results. It always helps to do the exercises early in the morning."
Whichever form of exercise you choose, Macdonald advises that you practise it in a safe environment or one that is supervised. "People need to get the right information and integrate this into their routines. If you have to battle with other parts of your lifestyle, exercise will become more of a chore. You have to practise what is best for you without becoming obsessed with it."
