The UAE women staying fit at leisure

Ever wondered whether fitness instructors stick to their healthy lifestyle when they go away on holiday? Do they keep up the good work when no one's looking? Are they ever tempted to give up a day's workout and indulge a bit? Do they have secrets to staying fit and healthy, even when on vacation? We talk to four trainers about how they keep fit when on holiday.

Karen Miller, ‘full-time mother of three'

Karen, 45, has lived in Abu Dhabi for 18 years with her husband and three children. Karen describes her family life as being "quite hectic at times - I have a daughter of 12 and a ten-year-old son in Abu Dhabi and a 19-year-old son at university in the UK". Karen has been a fitness instructor for 16 years. She teaches aqua aerobics, spinning classes and various cardio and strength conditioning classes at The Club, Abu Dhabi. She recently spent two months off with her family in Falkirk, Scotland. Did she manage to maintain her fitness regime while meeting the demands of the family too? 

Why did you choose fitness as a career?

My profession is my hobby. The most rewarding thing for me is to see clients achieve their weight and fitness goals.

Is it hard to balance the demands of motherhood and school runs with your fitness routine and work?

I try to fit my classes around the children's school and extra-curricular activities.

What's your everyday lifestyle when not on holiday?

I would consider myself as having a high fitness level and most of the time being a healthy eater when not on holiday.

What's your lifestyle when on holiday?

I try to maintain healthy eating. I exercise when I can but in general I am kept very busy in our house with gardening, housework and keeping the kids entertained.

Did you let your fitness slide while on vacation?

I admit that my fitness has subsided. I started off working out on my spinning bike and doing cardio and strength circuits in my garage - every day initially and then it stopped! I don't think I ate any more than normal and didn't indulge in the ‘naughty' foods too often. We probably did dine out more but I kept it very sensible. I had one fish ‘n' chips, no Scottish Indian food (very yummy), no Scotch pies (very lardy!).

What's your best piece of advice to those who may have overindulged on vacation and want to get back in shape?

Life is far too short not to indulge yourself. Let the professionals assist in getting you back on track.

Yvonne Fraser, ‘outdoorsy mother of a three-year-old son'

Yvonne, 41, started her fitness career in Phoenix, Arizona. She says, "I enjoy what I do and the hours that I am able to work." Yvonne's husband is a keen triathlete and her son is very active, so their family life is mainly spent outdoors, weather permitting. Yvonne teaches a diverse range of fitness classes at the Sheraton Beach Resort, Abu Dhabi. Her approach to fitness when on holiday is all about balancing motherhood with finding time for herself. Yvonne took off for six weeks some time ago, spending time in the family's caravan on Lake Windermere in the UK. 

Why did you choose fitness as a career?

I chose the fitness industry as I was taking a sabbatical from the Royal Air Force so was already into keeping fit. I wanted to find work that I would enjoy, and that would put me in touch with like-minded people, and be flexible enough for when my family moved. Plus, I could get paid for doing something I was passionate about. The most rewarding thing is seeing clients achieve their fitness goals.

What's your everyday lifestyle when not on holiday?

I am training for a triathlon so I guess I will be putting in a lot more hours. Having a young son keeps me busy and fit and forces me to eat more healthily, as well as having a husband who is in training for an Ironman. We eat a lot of pasta in our house!

What's your lifestyle when on holiday?

We like to spend as much time as possible outdoors playing with our son or just walking. I definitely don't step into a gym!

Did you let your fitness slide while on vacation?

Having a toddler to play with definitely keeps the fitness levels up. I walked about six miles every other day (whilst pushing a pushchair up hills!). Usually three miles into the village to have a nice cup of tea and cakes, kick a football around, and then walk three miles back. I didn't eat any more than I would normally but I did ‘indulge' in some of the naughty stuff that you can only get back home such as scones, lots of clotted cream and meat and potato pie. I actually find it easier to stay on a healthy eating plan when on holiday. If I do have a little treat then I make sure that I walk a little quicker the next day!

What's your best piece of advice to those who may have overindulged on vacation and want to get back in shape?

Don't get upset about losing shape, start back slowly as your body doesn't want to be ‘shocked' back into exercise. Find an exercise or class that you enjoy as it will leave positive thoughts, which will help for those first few days back.

Laurence Gibbs, ‘the free spirit'

Originally from France, Laurence, 49, has had a diverse career in the fitness industry over nearly 30 years. She has taught in Kuwait, France and the UK, and Brunei. Laurence has lived in Abu Dhabi for the past two years with her husband and she has two sons aged 21 and 22.

She teaches toning classes, step and yoga at The Club. Her fitness ambitions are personal ones and usually involve travel such as trekking in Nepal and visiting an ashram in India to improve on her yoga practice. Last summer, Laurence took three weeks off and went backpacking with her husband in Syria and Lebanon. They rented a car and drove 2,000km around Syria staying two to three days in each town. As someone who is usually extremely disciplined with her diet and exercise, was walking all she did and did she give in to the culinary delights that Syria has to offer? 

Why did you choose fitness as a career?

I have always loved sport and love to challenge myself with new goals to improve on my fitness level, toning and strength. Teaching aerobics and yoga enables me to do just that, as well as help others to become fitter and lead healthier lives.

Do you compete regularly in competitive sports?

I have taken part in a few 10-km runs for charity, climbed Mt. Kinabalu (4,100m) in Malaysia three times and regularly trekked in the jungles in Brunei.

What's your everyday lifestyle when not on holiday?

A couple of hours workout every day, ie yoga and step, treadmill and toning whenever possible, an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon or evening with one day off a week. 

What's your lifestyle when on holiday?

I always travel with my yoga mat and try to do at least an hour every other day. I also explore everywhere I go on foot and usually end up walking for two to three hours a day.

Did you manage to fulfil your intentions while on vacation?

I missed a couple of sessions along the way otherwise I managed to stay pretty much on target. I did one hour's Ashtanga practice three to four times a week and two to three hours' walking a day.

I actually like healthy eating so am not particularly tempted by ‘naughty' foods. I nibbled on cashews and pistachio nuts a bit more as the souks in Syria had a great selection on offer. I love fish, vegetables and dairy so my staple diet does not change much whether on holiday or not. The labneh was particularly good in Syria and I often choose hamour, salmon or sea bass when out for a meal. I have never been a great fan of dessert apart from fruits and occasionally a few squares of chocolate.

What's your best piece of advice to those who may have overindulged on vacation and want to get back in shape?

Take it one day at a time - don't set yourself unrealistic goals, but don't procrastinate either. Start the day with a little stretch whilst still in bed, head and shoulders over the edge and breathe into it, roll side to side with knees into your chest, cycle your legs in the air for a minute or so. You will feel energised and ready to resume your three to four times a week trip to the gym or your favourite classes. Try to alternate your workouts ie one day body combat, one day step, one day yoga or Pilates, toning and so on, this will keep you motivated and challenge different muscle groups. Think of food as ‘fuel' for your body. Don't jump meals and don't deny yourself specific foods as you will only crave them more. Always start the day with a healthy breakfast - it is the most important meal of the day... Bonne chance! 

Dee Boys, ‘the fitness fanatic'

Australian-born Dee, 45, lives and breathes fitness. She started her 16-year career in the fitness profession teaching aerobics before going on to become a personal trainer specialising in nutrition and eventually owning her own personal training studio with seven personal trainers working for her. Dee has lived in Abu Dhabi for three years with her husband and has two sons aged 18 and 20. Dee's approach to teaching is all about long-term gain. "My goal has never been to give people a ‘quick fix'. I aim to educate people about developing a healthy lifestyle and taking ownership of their choices. It's not a job for me, it's my life." Dee took off for three months last year to Australia. 

Why did you choose fitness as a career?

I have always been involved in some form of sporting activity and I could not think of having a better career than one that can help people become healthy. Seeing people achieve goals in their health and fitness gives me a good feeling.

Do you compete regularly in competitive sports?

I love competing in sport - my passion being cycling and triathlons. My big event will be the Ironman South Africa in April 2011. The Ironman has been on my ‘to do list' for many years.

What's your everyday lifestyle when not on holiday?

My lifestyle is quite an active one. My day begins usually at 5am. I do have a basic programme that I follow when I'm not training for a specific event that consists of swimming, cycling and running, along with teaching my clients each day.

What's your lifestyle when on holiday?

An active one. When I'm on holiday, I enjoy doing my exercise programme more as I don't have to get up as early. It means a nice relaxing coffee after my sessions with no work to rush off to.

Did you have specific goals when on vacation?

My intentions were to maintain my fitness, renew my fitness licence and relax (I am a registered fitness instructor with Fitness Australia.) I enjoy the feeling of having energy and enjoy eating healthy foods, even on holiday. On weekends I tend to have food that I wouldn't normally have during the week - life is too short to go without chocolate for ever.

What's your best piece of advice to those who may have overindulged on vacation and want to get back in shape?

Don't look back and keep moving forward. It's now time to set small goals to achieve your big goal and set a date when you would like this to happen.