Dubai Fitness Challenge 2020 Keeps Children Active

• More than 620,000 students from across 600 schools in the country show their commitment to 30 minutes of activity for 30 days
• Children of all ages and abilities join their favourite superheroes and cartoon characters for some exciting fitness fun and download over 80 free games and educational activities to complete at home or in the classroom

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 21 November 2020:Recognising the integral role that schools play in instilling fitness-focused habits in the country's youth, Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC) 2020 is taking active steps to inspire, motivate and energise children to adopt healthier and happier lifestyles. The fitness movement has received mass engagement from more than 620,000 students across 600 schools in the United Arab Emirates, testament to the nations continued resilience to rebuild a stronger, happier and more confident community that ensures children of all ages and abilities have ample opportunities to discover the benefits of health and wellbeing.

The fitness programme of free events, sports activities and family-friendly virtual sessions will continue throughout the month, while a new robust library offree online resourcesfor parents and teachers will further enable them to motivate children to get fit while having fun. Exciting activity calendars can be downloaded for free on the DFC website, catering to various learning models with over 80 fitness and wellbeing-focused activity templates and games for ages two to 16 years. For an extra boost at home, kids can also join their beloved superheroes and cartoon characters in online workouts, wellness and dance sessions for free, easy-to-follow exercises and routines.

Dr. Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA)commented:"More than any other time, this year has shown us how important it is to be fit and healthy; to have fun, and to spend time with friends and family. The Dubai Fitness Challenge brings all these values together. It's been great to see so many schools and families get together online to build on existing fitness habits, and to start new ones. We're grateful to the team at Dubai Tourism for bringing us all together and for giving us a challenge we can all rise up to."

Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE)commented:"For children and young people, the importance of physical activity can never be understated. Now, more than ever, sports, exercise and wellness activities are crucial to inspiring sustained shifts towards more active routines for children. The Dubai Fitness Challenge is an opportunity for parents, teachers and educators across the city to inspire the youth to achieve the maximum possible benefit from their stay at home and make fitness an even more enjoyable part of their everyday lives."

"Schools are often the first forums that guide children's interaction with fitness. This understanding drives our motivation to ensure DFC's robust school and family fitness programme creates a safe environment for children of all ages and abilities. It encourages a lifelong focus on health and wellbeing with meaningful and enjoyable experiences, while adding fun and excitement to their distance learning. Ultimately, we want to create a connected and highly motivated community where every single child is empowered to reach their full potential."

Little ones who are always pumped with energy can get moving and grooving withonline virtual workouts, wellness and dance sessions. Choose from an incredible range of free workouts that the whole family will love - be it exclusive workout videos fromPJ Masksthat are released each week throughout DFC; fun workouts with all the favourite characters fromIMG Worlds Of Adventure;Les Mills Born To Movemusic workouts;FIFA and EAworkouts, with drills and tricks by Kotaro Tokuda the youngest freestyle football champion; or special song routines with Papa Smurfs, Brainy Smurf, Smurfette and Vanity Smurf atMotiongate Dubai.

To make 30 minutes of daily exercise fun for the whole family, DFC's flagship Fitness Villages also promise something for everyone. For some adrenaline-pumping action, head to theMai Dubai Fitness Village Festival City Malland experience bag jumps, quick flights and the region's largest mobile pump track at The Arch. Head down to theDP World Fitness Village Kite Beachand take your pick from fifteen exciting zones - try out trampoline workouts at Fitbit Rebounder; bootcamps, dance classes and functional training at the Teen Fit area; or monkey bars and climbing challenges at the Kids Camp. Enjoy a day out at the park with theEmirates NBD Fitness Village Al Khawaneej, and choose from a packed daily schedule of activations on the Emirates Fitness Stage; group classes and open workouts at the Dubai Chamber Family Fitness Zone; and junior bootcamps, functional training, low climbing walls and parkour obstacles at the Kids Skill Play Area.

Teachers and parents can access free resources and full details on all events and activities onwww.dubaifitnesschallenge.com/education.

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For more information, see:

Facebook:www.facebook.com/dubaifitnesschallenge

Instagram: @dubaifitnesschallenge

Twitter: @dxbfitchallenge

Hashtag: #Dubai30x30

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About Dubai Fitness Challenge

The Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC) is an initiative of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai. DFC has been created to motivate the people of Dubai to adopt an active and healthier lifestyle and commit to 30 minutes of daily activity for 30 days. Running from October 30 to November 28, 2020, DFC encompasses all forms of activity, in an action-packed calendar of virtual and physical sessions, to make fitness accessible and easy for all. This year's programme will have the highest standards of safety precautions and social distancing measures in place to ensure Dubai's residents and visitors can stay connected and safe.