Shape up under the sun: Beach gym

An inspiring view may be all that's needed to motivate you to exercise more often, says Candy Fanucci, co-founder of Goal Attained's Shape Shack, the emirate's first community gym set up on an open beach. Located on Kite Beach in Jumeirah, the outdoor gym offers low-cost classes for all your fitness needs, from yoga and Pilates to kayaking, body-building, fitness training and dance. "It's a fact that more and more people are moving away from traditional gyms. They're sick and tired of running on a treadmill while staring at a wall. Here, we give people the option of a beautiful sea view while exercising." True to her word, it's the view at Shape Shack that makes us want to put ourselves through this hourly boot-camp at such an unearthly hour. With 60-minute classes that begin as early as 5am, every half hour, until 9am, and then all over again from 5pm to 9pm for those who can't handle the heat of an early wake-up call, getting into shape has become a fun activity for those so inclined. "No one is ever told what to expect when they walk in for a session," says Fanucci. "We like to mix things up and put people through a brand new session every single time." Although no two sessions are alike, the one binding factor in every class, session and work-out offered by Shape Shack is water. Article continues below "All we let on to people is to come in prepared to get wet. Since we're located on the beach, we take full advantage of the sea. For example, after a warm-up on the sand, the resistance running will be done in the sea, in knee-deep water, or certain exercises will have people immersed waist-deep into the sea. A few minutes later, they'll be back on dry land cycling away on a spinning bike or sitting on a rower. Or we may decide not to go traditional at all and work with a medicine ball instead, incorporating elements of Pilates into the work-out, or zumba, if we're in the mood. We won't guarantee what you're signing up for, but we will guarantee that you won't be bored with your work-out," says Fanucci, a certified instructor, trainer and lifeguard herself. Although concept gyms such as this normally come with an exorbitant price tag, money wasn't the priority for Fanucci. "The aim was to create something amazing and wonderful, something for people to look forward to, something incredible and yet affordable that, in this current economic climate, won't eat away at your savings. While most of the other gyms in Dubai charge in the thousands for membership, and boot camps regularly rake in Dh100 per person per session, we wanted to do things differently. We don't want people to pay thousands and thousands of their hard-earned income each month, or pay six-to-12 months fees up front, plus registration charges, only to be put on a waiting list… and all that before even stepping foot on your first treadmill!" says Fanucci. What Shape Shack offers is a basic drop-in-fee of Dh35 per hourly session. "That's all you need. Come with Dh35 in your pocket and take part in a structured exercise session in small to medium groups, with a work-out that includes but isn't limited to traditional gym structures. No commitment required to come back if you don't want to," says Fanucci. Those who do wish to commit get an even further discount and pay only Dh30 per session. "The point isn't to make millions. We're almost a non-profit organisation," says Fanucci. "I just want to give back a little something to a community that has given me so much. That's why it was important to make Shape Shack affordable to just about everyone. People who earn less than Dh5,000 a month get a further discounted rate of just Dh25 per session. Emirati children with diabetes or obesity get to train for free. Children accompanying their parents need to pay only Dh10 an hour to work out on special training equipment for children." With over 90 different classes ranging from Brazilian Capoeira to muay Thai, boxing, yogalates, triathlon training, martial arts, spinning, kayaking, zumba and good old-fashioned boot-camp style work-outs on offer from January 2012, Fanucci's Shape Shake hopes to see a lot more Dubai residents getting into top shape.