Dubai Fitness Challenge inspires over million people, leaving active lifestyle legacy
With momentum boosted by social media amplification, the legacy of the challenge will continue to be seen in more active lifestyles and advocacy for healthier living in Dubai.
The total number of registered participants 786,000, far exceeded the target of 100,000 set ahead of the challenge, which ran from 20th October to 18th November.
Furthermore, with surveys showing that almost half of attendees at the challenge's marquee events were not registered as official participants, it is believed that the real reach of the initiative was over one million.
Geared towards making Dubai the most active city in the world, in turn boosting collective social well-being and happiness, the initiative encouraged participants to commit to a minimum of 30 minutes of daily activity for 30 days.
Among the most important outcomes has been the transformative effect the challenge has had on behavior when it comes to physical activity. A survey of registered participants conducted before the DFC found that 57 percent of respondents exercised at least three times a week, putting them in the "very active" category.
A corresponding survey conducted after the 30-day challenge found that 71 percent were "very active" an increase of 14 percent. Meanwhile, the proportion of respondents describing themselves as "inactive" fell from 8 to 2 percent.
The impact of the DFC has even resulted in a strong behavioral change in non-standard activity, showing people that incremental lifestyle changes can be made. The percentage of people doing routine activities, including walking and standing in excess of one hour, improved from 74 percent in the pre-DFC period up to 85 percent during DFC.
Among smokers, there was an important behavioral change, with the percentage describing themselves as "regular smokers" falling from 67 to 58 percent.