Getting Fit @ NuYu

I HAVE BECOME quite the gym buff lately. Make no mistake, I am the larger one out of all The Pink Tarha ladies, but that's all the more reason I have started a lifestyle change more than six weeks ago. And while my personal weight loss journey won't be the highlight of what you'll be reading today, the reason I mentioned it is because my NuYu experience came at the perfect time.

First off, NuYu is a fun and dynamic new fitness studio led by impressively passionate individuals who are keen in making a difference in the lives of women in Saudi Arabia by encouraging them to be active and healthy in a fun environment at an amazingly affordable price. I was fortunate enough to meet the "mothership" of NuYu composed of its Owner, HRH Princess Sara Al Saud, Ms. Susan Cass, General Manager and Ms. Kate Fearon, Consulting Manager along with Ms. Yasmin and fitness trainers, Ellie, Dominique and Keriyah. In our conversations, I noticed how enthusiastic they were about their vision and they shared how fitness has changed their own lives. I was inspired.

And inspired is just one of the feelings you'd encounter as you walk through the halls of NuYu. You will be welcomed with a brief, security check in the entrance but with very accommodating receptionists (Shoutout to one of our loyal readers, Amantullah who was as ecstatic as I am to meet her!). Their lounge area is inviting and plain cozy, something you'd feel if you were coming home to your own, chic apartment. The hallway leading up to the studios has a "cinema" feel to them and rightly so, their changing rooms look like a prep-room for a theater production - complete with the big light bulbs, mirrors and all. (Pardon me, it was hard to take personal photos for The Pink Tarha since it was an area filled with abaya-less women, so I will be showing you official photos provided by NuYu instead.)

The cozy and chic lobby.

The Spin Room, fashioned after New York's Radio City Music Hall. 

This is where you get your sexy back! 

On my day at Nuyu, I had the opportunity to try out their latest training program called the Private Group Training.

It's the latest fitness trend that's treading the line between a one-on-one class and a group class. The difference being is that in a one-on-one class, it's pretty much self-motivation and you can easily fall off the wagon without a proper support group; meanwhile a group class usually runs the risk of being too generic and not necessarily addressing the specific needs of every student in the class. What PGT is trying to achieve in a class of 6 to 8 people (maximum) is to offer every participant the opportunity to benefit from effective and personal training whilst giving its participants  the feeling of teamwork and solidarity that can only come from a sense of belonging. 

PGT is essentially a six-week program that is result-focused and notably affordable since there are 6 to 8 of you sharing the services of a dedicated trainer. My one-day PGT experience began first with an InBody Assessment which will let me know what I am starting with. The InBody Assessment is done with a simple-looking machine that I can only later on describe to be magical. It's important to have the assessment done prior to starting your PGT so that you can be well aware of your current state and from there, plot the goal you need to reach in six weeks' time. 

Now nothing can be more scarier than the truth, but it can also set you free. After reading my InBody Assessment, I had a better sense of how hard I needed to work to lose all the "bad weight" I've put on through the years. The assessment will print your details on your body's composition (Skeletal Muscle Mass, Body Fat Mass, Total Body Water), an obesity diagnosis (Body Mass Index, Percent Body Fat, Waist-Hip Ratio), reading of your Segmental Fat and Segmental Lean Mass and an Exercise Planner that suggests several activities for you to work on. 

Dominique facilitated our InBody Assessment and explained to us what we needed to do and how PGT was going to help us achieve that. And so, off we went to get a taste of NuShape (one of the aspects of the PGT) with fitness trainer, Ellie. This is where the sweat starts. 

One of their workout studios.

NuShape was NoJoke. I had just started to learn planking a few days back and after my NuShape session, I have officially become a planking addict. The NuShape session was comprised of warm-ups,  a circuit training of weight lifting and core strengthening exercises. Think repetitions of weight-lifting machines, squats, planking and more planking! Hahaha! I was compelled to do more than six 30-second plankings after having just learned how to do 15-second ones days ago. But that's how workouts are I suppose, it's about pushing yourself to doing more than you think you can. 

Ellie was great. I started to see what they mean about the attention PGT can offer to its participants. She was equally watching and guiding each of us in our moves and positions. My fellow blogger Daniyah, who was also a participant in the event, was very encouraging to me all throughout the session and I started to get a glimpse of that team spirit that PGT takes pride in. Feels good, so far! 

After the 30-minute NuShape session, it was time for the NuVibe session which was headed by fitness trainer, Keriyah. NuVibe is conducted using the Power Plate -- a state-of-the-art exercise equipment with a vibrating platform initially developed by NASA. It may look intimidating at first, but the results that a Power Plate delivers are astounding. Think of doing 30 squats on a regular floor -- if you do the same number of squats while on the Power Plate, you double that amount while exerting the same effort. It maximizes your time in the gym with favorable outcomes. 

The Power Plate Studio.

The Power Plate, for me, had me a little disoriented. I suppose as a first timer on it, it was only natural to feel a bit dizzy while doing the exercises on a vibrating platform. But Keriyah was very accommodating and she always asked me if I could still manage. I did my best, but I was ready to give up at that point, truth be told. A NuVibe session can also go for 30 minutes and you'd definitely need an instructor to constantly guide you. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to finish the entire session as I had a driver waiting overtime for me already. I bid Keriyah and Daniyah goodbye and thanked them for an awesome, sweaty time. 

You would think that I was ready to collapse at this point, but after a couple of minutes recovering and hydrating, I actually felt really good. Yay for happy hormones thanks to exercising! I really thought all the planking and power plate-ing was enough to make me slash my wrists, but funny enough, it made me want it more! 

If this got you thinking about considering PGT or merely changing your lifestyle into a healthier one, please do go and check out NuYu personally or at their website here. All of your questions regarding price and schedules can be accommodated by their wonderful team of people. Right now, they only have that one branch in Exit 8 but by 2014, two more new branches are set to open in the city. I am excited! 

Cheers to all the gym gals out there! You all rock! xoxo

-Eyecandy

NuYu
King Abdulaziz Road,
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
T: +966-11-810-4111

W: http://www.nuyu-ksa.com

Email: community@nuyu-ksa.com

Location Map:

Zumba at Ramah (and more!)

IT'S SUMMER AND it's the perfect time to sweat and get back into shape after the repercussions of hibernating last winter. If you're like me, who's finding the solo ride on the treadmill a bit passe for my liking, then perhaps something like a Zumba class can bring you the dynamics and group energy that you need in the gym. Last week, I had the pleasure (and pressure) of working out at Ramah Fitness Studio, an up and coming haven for women who wants to take on Zumba, Yoga, Pilates and Belly Dancing (among others).  Yes, you read that right, Belly Dancing! It's been a while since I've worked out and trying out something new such as Zumba, became an incentive for me to go back in the gym (Heaven knows I need it!). 

The Ramah Fitness Studio is modest in size with a reception, changing room, bathroom and a full-mirrored studio that can probably accommodate 10-15 participants per class. I particularly loved the stenciled quotes all over the place, making sure that everyone feels a sense of well-being and motivation as they go along with their classes.

By the reception.

Motivating messages, up to the changing room.

They also support the Zahra Breast Cancer Foundation

I was lucky enough to meet the owner of the establishment, Ms. Shada AlDahash, who said that she was inspired to put up the Ramah Fitness Studio after her training in Yoga helped alleviate her back pain. She also said that she wanted something different from the usual gyms in the city that were crowded with equipment and lacked the feeling of camaraderie with its participants. 

In Ramah Fitness Studio, she says, "they treat each other like family." And true enough, I felt it too when I was there. 

First of all, I was initially there to try out the Zumba class only. I have never done Zumba in my life so I decided to do a little research before going there. Long research cut short, Zumba is essentially a dance-fitness-party -- where you dance and follow the instructors' steps without it feeling like an actual aerobic exercise and more of like partying it up in a dance club. They use the latest pop music to get you in the mood and the energy of the instructress, Ms. Heba, was electrifying. We were seven in the class and I guess she just assumed that I was not a beginner and started the class right away. Thanks to my background in dancing, I was able to reasonably catch up with the steps. Once I got the hang of it, I began to enjoy the atmosphere and the activity (despite sweating profusely) in the next 45 minutes. Afterwards, I approached her and thanked her for her awesome energy in leading the class. 

Where the Zumba magic happens.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fittest of them all? 

Shelves for thy things.

As I was getting ready to change in the other room (and catching my breath at the same time), the next class (the Yoga class) was about to start. One of the ladies in the room with me suddenly asked me to join them. I said no at first because A) I only planned on trying out the Zumba and B) I was a bit spent after the Zumba and I was not sure if I can handle another exercise class. But then I thought, Yoga is about being "zen" and "centered" right? So that may help me cool down in a relaxing way... (not exactly as I had imagined later on, hahaha!). The kind lady kept inviting me despite my initial decline, and she even said, "Don't worry, the instructress is my friend. Please join us." She gave me a mat and a yoga block right away and I eventually found it rude to not go ahead with it. 

I've experienced Yoga around five years ago, but never really pursued it. So this time around, instead of expecting zen-like positions, it was actually a struggle for me. I've always found myself to be a flexible person (I can make my fingertips reach my toes without bending my knees and can do the 'indian sit' fairly well), but this yoga class had me sweating even more, and balancing even more. A lot of my bones actually cracked during the stretching segments, proof that I haven't been exercising that much in the last six months. But towards the end, we spent around 10-15 minutes meditating and our instructress had a really soothing tone and manner about her that we did end up 'inhaling the positive vibes and exhaling the stress and negativity.' 

Interestingly enough, I didn't feel like collapsing after both the Zumba and Yoga classes. I felt internally refreshed and externally rejuvenated. The kindness of everyone there helped too. I am definitely recommending the Ramah Fitness Studio to the ladies out there who wants to dance out and work out in a cozy but fun environment. A very cordial attendant named Haifa, will greet you upon entry (yes, she speaks good English).

Their website, http://ramahfitness.com is pretty solid in information regarding their location, classes, instructors and prices. But to give you a preview, here are their rates:

Zumba classes are at 90SR per visit / 700SR for 10 visits / 1300SR for 20 visits [Valid for two months]

Yoga-Pilates classes are at 90SR per visit / 800SR for 10 visits / 1500SR for 20 visits [Valid for two months]

This is the location map of their studio (located just beside McDonald's Takhasussi):

So shall I be seeing you there as one of dance mates in Zumba? Or in the Belly Dancing class? I hope so! ;) 

Cheers! 

-Eyecandy

A Hula Hooping Tarha

Hula Hooping. Yep. Remember grade school? No, I didn't hula hoop back then. I was very athletically-challenged when I was young and I could never keep a hula hoop revolving for more than one turn. So you can imagine my hesitation to try hula-hooping as an adult even though I've read a lot of good things about it.

Hula hooping is used for dance, play and self-expression. Some even say that it has meditative effects on them and can be a good outlet for stress relief. In the US, there are clubs formed just for Hula hoop enthusiasts. Heck, according to fitnotic.com, you can even hula hoop while you're pregnant! Even celebs are hooping!

Beyonce and Marisa Tomei hoop! Photo taken from Google.

It was my mom's idea to try hula-hooping for exercise. After a lot of research, my mom decided to buy an adult size weighted hula-hoop from Hoopnotica. These hoops are waaaay bigger and a bit heavier than the kiddie hoops. I'm not sure if these are available in the Riyadh yet, but you can purchase them online or make your own. Check this link for DIY instructions.

My mom would hoop everyday and my little sister would even join the fun with her kiddie hula-hoop. I was left out of loop because I was hesitant to try it --- up until I saw the results. Within a month, my mom lost enough weight that she started buying clothes one size smaller. Now that my mom has graduated into the heavier hula hoop, she lets me use her old weighted hoop. I figured, if they could do it, so can I! Na-challenge much...

I'm saving up for these. ^_^ Photo taken from Hoopnotica.com

Well, it took me a few tries before I got the hang of it. But I can now hula-hoop for 30 minutes straight without stopping! With hula-hooping you flex your core muscles, sway your legs and bend your knees to keep the hoop up. In a few minutes, I'm already sweating a bit and my hips are less stiff.

Hula hooping on my lunch break!

My mom said that it works better if you hula hoop for 1 hour but in 20 minutes intervals. I am slowly building a habit around it, waking up earlier in the morning and I've recently tried hooping during my lunch break. (I brought the detachable travel hoop). Hahaha... that was fun. For a more visual take on hula hooping, check this video.

To a slimmer waist! Ajah!

Sampaguita Pride