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Tickets have gone on sale’ for Imperial College London Diabetes Centre’s (ICLDC’s) annual WALK event, held under the continued patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, and “Mother of the UAE”.
More than just a walk, the event encourages UAE residents to adopt healthier habits in the long term. There are also, a host of other fitness activities and health-related entertainment in addition to the 5km walk,” says Lawrence Patrick, Chief Executive Officer of ICLDC.
Participants will have the opportunity to enjoy a full day of fun fitness activities with family and friends including a DJ, a climbing wall, trampolines and inflatable activities, nutritional cooking displays, fitness sessions such as Zumba, Pilates and yoga, in addition to a magic show for children. There will also be food trucks serving healthy and fresh beverages.
More than 20,000 people are expected to celebrate World Diabetes Day by joining the walkathon, which will be held at Yas Marina Circuit on Friday 15 November from 2:00pm.
The day’s events will include the announcement of the winners of the ICLDC and Abu Dhabi Police Weight Loss Challenge, a six-month initiative undertaken by over 700 employees from 20 government institutions.
Now in its 13th year, the WALK is also supported ICLDC’s fellow Mubadala Healthcare providers including Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Healthpoint, Capital Health Screening Centre, Abu Dhabi Telemedicine Centre, Amana Healthcare, and National Reference Laboratory.
As one of the UAE’s best-attended annual walkathon events, WALK is the cornerstone of ICLDC’s Public Health Awareness campaign for increasing diabetes awareness in the UAE. It emphasises the importance of taking regular exercise, weight management and eating a healthy, balanced diet.
Dr Farhana bin Lootah, Internal Medicine Consultant at Imperial College London Diabetes Centre, said: “The average adult today spends more than half of their day in sedentary mode which has been shown to slow down metabolism and affect the body's ability to regulate blood sugar and break down body fat. This is why it is very important to remind everyone of the benefits of physical exercise, including walking. It helps regulate blood sugar and increases sensitivity to insulin.
“WALK 2019 is a very good reminder for all of us to start making changes in our lifestyles. Walking is easier than other types of physical activities and we can all do it and overcome any challenges we may face. Even if you have been leading a sedentary lifestyle for a long while, the important thing is to get started and invest in your future health.”
There are over 1 million people living with diabetes in the UAE, placing the country 15th worldwide for age-adjusted comparative prevalence.
Participants can register for Walk 2019 at http://www.walkon.ae/ – entry is AED 10 for participants aged 16 and above, and free for those under 16. Entrants will receive a draw-string bag, t-shirt and cap. For more information please visit: http://www.walkon.ae/ or follow ICLDC social media channels:
