The Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC) encourages UAE residents to achieve 30 minutes of exercise per day for 30 days. According to recent data[1] from Fitbit (NYSE:FIT), Fitbit users in UAE exceeded the 2020 Dubai Fitness Challenge 30x30 goal by 23%, with users averaging 37 active minutes per day for the duration of the challenge.
The data further revealed that UAE Fitbit users (aged 18+) increased their minutes in the ‘fat burn zone’ while most users increased their cardio zone minutes, which Fitbit research shows can have positive health impacts such as lowering resting heart rate and BMI[2]. Throughout the DFC, Fitbit users in UAE also increased their daily average step count by nearly 8% covering a distance of nearly 10 kms a day.
As the Official Health and Wellness Partner of the DFC, Fitbit hosted socially distanced fitness events and activities with DFC throughout November for all residents to help drive participation. Fitbit also encouraged its users who preferred to get their 30 minutes of activity at home, to participate in the challenge by accessing guided programmes and video workouts with Fitbit Premium - its paid membership service that gives you guidance to help you move more, manage stress, sleep better and eat well.
Commenting on the results of the Challenge, Prateek Kewalramani, Senior Manager for Middle East & Africa at Fitbit said, “In a year that has been different than any other, initiatives like the Dubai Fitness Challenge are hugely important to help bring communities together for a common purpose. Each year, DFC aims to motivate residents of all ages and abilities to focus on their overall health and wellbeing, and this goal is aligned with Fitbit’s aim to make everyone in the world healthier.
“Fitbit empowers people to make small, consistent changes that can help people take control of their health and wellness. We can see from the results of DFC that setting daily goals to move more and being more cognisant of our overall wellbeing, can yield results. We hope that residents of UAE are motivated by the impact of increasing their activity throughout the Challenge.”
With Fitbit, users can continue their health and fitness journey beyond DFC to help them gain a deeper understanding of their health and wellness. Innovative features such as the world’s first electrodermal activity (EDA) sensor on a smartwatch to help manage stress, advanced heart rate tracking technology and an on-wrist skin temperature sensor[3] on Fitbit’s most advanced health smartwatch, Fitbit Sense, combined with on-device tools to help optimize your sleep, and Active Zone Minutes to make the most out of workouts, can help users better understand and take control of their wellbeing during this unprecedented time.
[1] Anonymous and aggregated UAE Fitbit user data, 18+ from 30th October - 28th November 2020
[2] https://blog.fitbit.com/track-your-way-active-zone-minutes/
[3] Skin temperature variation only available in select markets.