Regular physical activity is important in everyone’s life; it improves muscle strength and boosts energy. OHLALA’s editor went for a workout morning at Dessange Paris Bahrain.
One of my New Year’s resolutions for 2022 was to exercise more. I can say that I have been failing really badly at it, so I got excited when my monthly visit to Dessange involved movement. I was invited to use the health club’s fantastic gym. I guess that when you have a place where you feel comfortable with a good vibe and an exceptional shower area, exercising sounds more compelling. At least for me, I am not a gym person, but I do love the feeling that exercising gives me.
I arrived at Dessange and went straight to the comfortable changing area with the key for my own locker filled with all the necessary items for post-workout, such as a shower cap, robe, towel, slippers and more. I then headed upstairs to the top floor in the Dessange villa, where the expansive health club is located. The gym area is well-lit, with big windows that allow you to see life continuing outside. It has many machines and I felt quite overwhelmed because I didn’t know how to use most of them. But I didn’t have to worry. Manahel, a senior supervisor and trainer, was there that morning and attentively helped me with my training.
She told me to start with some cardio. I opted for the treadmill which was sturdy and quiet, a massive improvement on my small and shaky one at home. The machine has a big screen where you choose the scenery to watch while walking or running. The choices are the hills of Bali, the Australian Outback, Central Park in NYC, Niagara Falls, the Falmouth Road Race in Cape Cod (United States) or the National Mall park in Washington, also in the United States. I wanted some untouched nature, so I opted for the hills in Bali. I started exercising with a walk and, after a while, increased the speed and jogged. I did 30 minutes of cardio just because I love running, I don’t do it as often as I would like, but I love the feeling of moving my body forward.
It was good to sweat – I was glad I grabbed a small towel when I entered the gym. If you don’t like the treadmill, there are other types of cardio equipment, such as the exercise bike, rowing machine or elliptical trainer. I stretched a bit, and Manahel gently helped me to move to other devices. She proposed circuit training for a full-body workout.
We started with the abductor machines to work out my outer and inner thigh muscles, which include the gluteus medius and minimus. The two pieces of equipment are next to each other; in one, you open your legs, and in the other, you have to put strength to close them. I selected a light weight on both as it’s been a while since I’ve worked with weights.
I then moved onto my back muscles in the low row back machine that involves the lower back and the love handle area. My legs aren’t strong, but my upper body is even weaker. I rarely do anything to exercise this part and I knew I would be a bit sore the next day. We continued with the upper body and I moved to the lat machine to work more on my back muscles plus triceps and biceps. This machine was very interesting because different muscles were worked depending on where my hands were positioned on the bar.
I performed two sets of 10 movements on each machine and Manahel reminded me of the correct position of my body and proper breathing throughout. When I finished, she gave me some tips on how to exercise at home with simple ideas and showed me how to do them.
I spent around an hour at the gym and was satisfied to start my day with exercise. I then hit the shower, got ready to go to the office, and began my work day. I felt great! Full of energy for a hectic day.
Dessange offers a series of classes that are fun to complement your gym time, there are many options and you will undoubtedly find the perfect one for you. Kick Boxing Boot Camp, Spinning, Body Pump, Fit Dance, Core Strength, Pilates and Yoga are some of them. It’s also the best place if you are looking for a health club with great professionals and a fun environment. And, on top of that, you can leave your workout session and head to the spa or salon for a final self-care journey.
For more information,
please call Dessange Paris Bahrain at 1771 3999.
@dessangebahrain