Dive in, work out

Given the choice between a 60-minute snooze fest on the treadmill or an hour of turtle and stingray spotting, I know which one I’d choose.

The crazy thing is, both burn almost the same amount of calories, which begs an obvious question: Why do so many people insist on a gym workout over the fun of the great outdoors?

Any trainer will tell you that the body gets used to that “half-hour jog at 8km/h with slight incline” on the treadmill. As it becomes less of a challenge, the body also burns less calories.

Doing something fun outside can provide a great cardio workout along with overall muscle development, and can negate the need for a gym-style workout. The best part is it doesn’t feel like a drag.

Come on, folks, dive in, the water’s great!

Water-based exercise improves cardio fitness, lung capacity, mental health, mood in both men and women, and can decrease anxiety and maintain bone health, especially in women and children.

Swimming, snorkelling, scuba diving, sailing, kayaking and surfing are all fantastic cardio workouts, but the past decade has seen an increased popularity in other water-based activities, including wakeboarding, waterskiing and stand-up paddleboarding (SUP).

Watercooled, the global provider of water-sports equipment and instruction centres, has recently opened a centre at Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa, and the options are endless.

With high-tech, high-spec equipment and top-quality instruction and training, and full approval from the Royal Yachting Association (RYA), it is a recognised training centre with the ability to provide RYA-certified powerboat, windsurfing and dinghy-sailing courses.

tabloid! on Saturday ditched the gym and looked at ways to improve fitness using the power of the Arabian Gulf .

The different water sports on offer include dinghy sailing (RS Quba, Feva, Vision), Hobie Catamaran (Tatoo), stand-up paddleboarding, windsurfing, kayaking, kitesurfing, waterskiing, wakeboarding, Zap Cat thrill rides and towed inflatable rides.

The sports scene

Swimming/snorkelling/scuba diving: Burns up 300-900 calories, depending on the effort expended and the weight of the swimmer. These provide exercise for all parts of the body.

Kayaking: This may seem as if it helps only arm muscles develop, but it does much more. Using core muscles to push a paddle through water is much more effective and needs much more strength than using only the arms. This is enhanced by pressing down on the foot pegs. The paddler’s body is sore after a hard paddle. All that effort translates into a great cardio workout.

Tip: Race with friends to disguise a harder paddle.

Sailing/windsurfing: About 120 calories an hour can be burnt in just 60 minutes. Beginners work harder to balance, and more advanced riders can go faster and push harder, which means the sport is good exercise for all.

Wakeboarding/waterskiing: It’s wrong to think that because you are being pulled along by a boat, it’s the motor doing all the work. But that is not the case. A person weighing about 70kg will burn about 70 calories in just ten minutes. And that’s before all the puffing and panting if you try to jump and cross the wake.

Surfing/kitesurfing: As you paddle out to the waves, this works the arms and helps the heart pump better. The adrenaline rush will also keep the heart pumping and burn calories.

Tip: Park a little further from the place you will surf, so you are forced to walk with your equipment.

SUP: Victoria’s Secret model, Marissa Miller, uses SUP to keep in shape. Jennifer Aniston and Kate Hudson are fans as well. Now this is a statistic — 60 minutes of SUPping burns 1,000 calories. Yes, you read correct. The resistance training of paddling is working every muscle, so while you think you may not be working too hard, you’re actually doing a lot.

Tip: Take it one step further and try SUP yoga. You improve your core strength on a SUP board, as it is at a yoga class. So imagine the intense burn which can be achieved if you try yoga on a SUP board. It’s self-explanatory, and works wonders for your body.

Head for the water

• The Watercooled centre in Dubai is open every day from 9am-5pm.

For information or to make a booking, call 04 877 6771, or e-mail

bookings@watercooleddubai.com or visit www.watercooleddubai.com

• Wakeboard and waterski boats are available for hire from Bristol Charter, Dubai Marina, for Dh600 per hour or Dh150 for 15 minutes.
• Surf Dubai offers hire of SUP boards and tuition. A Private Express SUP Lesson (20 minutes instruction and 1 hour free rental) is Dh175. A group SUP lesson (minimum of four people) costs Dh200. SUP rental is Dh75 for one hour, Dh100 for two hours and Dh200 for all-day rental. E-mail

info@surfingdubai.com or call 050-5043020 for more information.

• Al Boom Diving: PADI centre offering all courses from beginner to instructor, AIDA freedive training, first-aid courses, dive trips, socials, boat rides, snorkelling and dhow trips. For more information, call 04-3422993 or

e-mail abdiving@emirates.net.ae or visit www.alboomdiving.com

• Dubai Surf Ski and Kayak Club (DSKC): Regular sessions from their base on street 39a, between Miraj Islamic Art Centre and fishing harbour, Jumeirah 3, Dubai. Contact 050 8133207 or visit www.dskc.net

Stay safe

Water workouts in Dubai mean remembering the sunblock. Make sure it’s waterproof, not just water-resistant.