Keeping fit by teaching fitness

You no longer need any more excuses to skip gym, whether it's for lack of time or for an early morning meeting, as you can get all the training you need at home by following a Dubai-based fitness professional online. Bernadette Abraham, a Canadian expatriate in Dubai, started recording her workout routines in June and has been uploading the videos twice a week, which last from eight to 20 minutes, and hardly requires any equipment. New workouts are posted every Monday and Thursday, and are recorded with various modifications that suit beginners and those in advanced classes. Abraham has posted 33 videos on her webpage BernaciseMe.com. "It has been a lifelong passion of mine to help people be healthy and make informed decisions, and now I finally have the platform to reach out to millions." Article continues below Abraham not only posts videos of her workouts but also shares a Quick Tip session every Wednesday about nutrition, exercise, food labels and the food industry, as well as busting of myths. Her Golden Rule to eating healthy is to simply "go back to basics, eat only what the sun touches, what the rain and water nourishes, and what the earth naturally provides." Platforms Abraham, who is also a mother of four, explains that her workouts offer a platform where families can bond together. "My 14-month-old daughter loves to copy what I'm doing so while the mother is exercising, she doesn't have to worry about what her children are up to because they can all join in. As a mother, I know how difficult it is to keep a routine, especially when your children get sick or exams are coming up. But I learnt how to make the best of the situation that you're in. My workouts are suitable for everybody, and I have also posted several ones specifically for pregnant women," she said. Abraham's workouts focus on full body weight exercises that allow the viewer's body to become its own gym. "A lot of people go to the gym for up to two hours a day, six days a week, but they might not necessarily see any difference in their body. The body needs time for recuperation and most importantly, you have to make sure that you're getting results." Abraham emphasised that many people do too many cardiac exercises that ultimately result in weight gain in the long run, since such exercises slow down the rate that calories are burnt.