Summer is no reason to remain cooped up in your home. Here's a round-up of things you could do to keep your body and mind engaged — from using the time to get fit to helping out at a local charity.
There's no excuse for not shaping up this summer with the kind of deals fitness centres are offering. If you join Fitness First this month, there is a chance to win a holiday for two to South Africa. "Each person joining for the month of July, August and September will get a chance to win a summer getaway for two. The promotion is on for three months covering three destinations over three continents — July will cover Africa, August will cover Europe and September, Asia," says Jacqueline D'souza, Commercial Marketing Manager, Fitness First Middle East.
The Big Apple in the Boulevard at Jumeirah Emirates Towers is offering a special three-month single summer membership for Dh1,190, along with access to the outdoor swimming pool at The Health Club (from Sunday to Thursday), one complimentary spa treatment at H20 The Male Spa for men or The Health Club for ladies during the membership, a complimentary one-hour fitness assessment, one-hour personal training session and one Hypoxi trial session and 20 per cent discount on spa treatments at H20 (valid between July and August) or The Health Club. This offer is valid for July and September. For more information mail The Big Apple at JETleisure@jumeirah.com or JETh2o@jumeirah.com
Hayya! health clubs offer special membership fees this season where you can sign up for three months and get the fourth month free. Promotional rates include Dh995 for an individual, Dh1,495 for a couple and Dh1,995 for a family.
- For more details visit www.hayya.com or www.dubaisummeroffer.com
Tempting offers
Burj Al Arab's Assawan Spa and Health Club has some tempting deals lined up. Assawan Spa offers a selection from a choice of well being, Shiatsu, Balinese, Kahuna, Abhayanga and aromatherapy massages. Select one of these five stimulating full-body massages and receive a complimentary hydrotherapy bath treatment infused with ESPA aromatherapy bath oils. Treatment is for 55 minutes and costs Dh600. The offer is valid until September 30. This special offer also includes complimentary use of the Assawan Spa and Health Club facilities. The promotional price does not apply on Saturdays. Discounted rates do not apply to this promotion.
- For details email BAAassawan@jumeirah.com
VLCC offers a ‘guaranteed' healthy gift from LG's premier healthcare range. All patrons are entitled to a gift when they sign up for VLCC's select signature slimming packages. Depending on the packages, the gifts could include air-purifiers, vacuum cleaners, solar DOM steam oven, washing machines, refrigerators, air-conditioners etc. The offer is valid until the end of DSS.
Shape Express has a promotion for summer called summer freeze. This gives members an extra four weeks freeze time in their six to 12 months package along with the usual four and eight weeks freeze respectively. Now they can enjoy their holidays without any loss in the membership days. This freeze can be taken at one stretch or broken down in two-week blocks. You can get more details at the Shape Express' branches at Bur Dubai, Jumeirah and Sharjah. The promotion is valid until July 31.
The DSS 2008 spa packages allow visitors and residents to discover some of the finest spa establishments offering premium therapies and treatments at discounted rates. This happens only during summer, and this year, DSS has joined hands with 25 spas. For more information visit DSF website www.mydsf.com
Good deeds
If your mind is taking a charitable turn this summer, here's the way to go about it.
Get in touch with the Al Noor Centre for Children with Special Needs, who are always on the lookout for volunteers. You could either work with the children during the summer camps or help with the day-to-day running of the organisation. You could also engage in fund-raising activities such as selling raffle tickets, greeting cards and calendars or work as a networking volunteer campaigning for sponsorship of events and funding. The only condition is that you should be above 16 to volunteer for Al Noor.
If you are more interested in the welfare of animals, you can lend a hand to K9 Friends or Feline Friends. Summer is the time when a lot of fosterers go on vacation, leaving animals temporarily homeless. You can adopt them for the summer.
Or if you have time to spare, you can help these organisations take care of abandoned animals and also participate in fund-raising activities. However, to volunteer for K9 Friends you need to be above 16. If not, you need to have an adult with you at all times. Feline Friends allows children below 12 to volunteer only if a parent accompanies them.
And if it's the environment that's your concern, you can join forces with Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) to bring about change.
You can collect empty toner and ink cartridges, batteries and waste materials made of plastic, paper, glass and aluminium and drop them off at the EEG's office in Jumeirah every Saturday.
People who want to volunteer can send in their application forms and CVs with a short note on how they can help in protecting the environment and the number of hours they can put in. EEG will process the application forms and select volunteers based on the workload in the office. It is also looking for families to volunteer for a study on power usage during summer.
- For more information, visit www.alnooruae.org, www.k9friends.com, www.felinefriendsdubai.com, and www.eeg-uae.org
Sport
If you are a fitness buff looking for a new sport to try, fencing is a good skill to learn this summer. An art form that is now more well known as a sport, it challenges both your body and mind.
You can get in touch with Dubai Fencing Club, Quay Health Club, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai or Emirates Heritage Club in Abu Dhabi.
A fencer needs high fitness levels. It might take a few classes before you get the first steps right. Only after you master the basic movements will the lessons progress to higher levels. All that you need is your workout clothes. Most clubs lend their equipment for fencing, so you may not have to buy anything.
Dubai Fencing Club has classes for beginners on Mondays from 7.30pm to 9pm. Advanced classes are available on Saturdays from 7.30pm to 9pm and Wednesdays from 6pm to 7pm. It has classes for juniors on Mondays from 5pm to 6pm and Fridays from 11am to 12pm.
Emirates Heritage Club conducts classes three times a week on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Beginners classes are from 5.30 to 6.30pm and advanced classes from 7pm to 9pm.
Dubai Fencing Club charges Dh45 per session or Dh400 for a block of 10 sessions while Emirates Heritage Club offers free classes.
- For more information on fencing visit
www.dubaifencingclub.com
- Compiled by Archana R. D. King, Priya Mathew and Libini Joy
