Dubai: To promote the culture of wellness and help people gain a holistic outlook on health, the RAK Hospital has collaborated with Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Ras Al Khaimah for a free-of-cost daylong workshop from 3pm to 6pm on Friday.
The interactive session will address various aspects of health including physical activity, nutrition and stress management while focusing on providing information and solutions to help people feel their best.
Professor Adrian Kennedy, director, Arabian Wellness and Lifestyle Management, a sister company of RAK Hospital, said, “The programme is designed to engage, educate and motivate people to incorporate wellness into their lives. The topics at the interactive session would range from nutrition and healthy eating tips, to creating a workout and exercise routine, strategies to manage stress, workplace wellness systems, smart snacking ideas, motivation, goal setting, injury prevention, safety guidelines, tips on work-life balance among other things.”
Participants will be given complimentary assessment evaluating their physical and mental health. Wellness screenings will assess cardiac capacity, muscular strength, joint mobility, metabolism, BMI, waist-to-height ratio among other things. Moreover, attendees will be counselled on coping with personality stressors, relationships issues, sleep disorders alongside getting tips on how to quit smoking and drinking.
Professor Kennedy added that the approach to holistic wellness is rapidly changing in the UAE, with several emirates rolling out initiatives to improve mindfulness and mitigate stress-related ailments. According to a 2017 report released by Colliers Experiential Travel Series, the UAE is heading the Middle East wellness tourism market with an average of 1.7 million trips generating $2.7 billion (Dh9.9 billion) annually.
Dr Savita Menon, psychologist with RAK Hospital, said, “We all know that excess stress can lead to a host of ill effects psychologically and physically, including hypertension and diabetes. Stress actually accelerates one’s biological clock, causing premature ageing, and bringing with it several other health issues. So the most important way to prevent these ailments is by learning to manage stress hence avoiding psychosomatic disorders. At the workshop, we will provide tools and techniques to overcome stress while forging a healthier relationship with the self and others.”
Dr Raza Siddiqui, CEO of the Arabian Healthcare Group and executive director of RAK Hospital, said, “Our educational health workshops are geared towards improving community well-being and we are excited to bring yet another initiative that will promote wellness, a healthy lifestyle and chronic disease prevention.”
Those keen to attend can register in advance to reserve their place by sending an email to events.warak@waldorfastoria.com.
