Burjeel Hospital, a pioneering healthcare and wellness facility in Abu Dhabi offering advanced and world-class services across specializations, has joined hands with American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), to launch Burjeel Fitness Center, a first of its kind health club in the region combining fitness regime with medical expertise.
As part of Burjeel Hospital’s effort to promoteACSM’s Exercise is Medicine initiative and bring the practice to the UAE, the Burjeel Fitness Center will have certified health and fitness professionals who will complement the doctors by supervising patients based on the exercise prescription and developing evidence based progressions in the exercise programs to ensure the prevention, treatment and management over 40 common chronic conditions. Resources such as educational materials and action guides will be provided to patients to further encourage them to move towards a healthier life.
The services at the Burjeel Fitness Center comprise of activities for various intensity levels including post-rehabilitation programs, weight-loss programs, functional training programs, group exercise and yoga.
The objective of the program are as follows:
1. To stimulate a patient’s transition from post-care rehabilitation to consistent health maintenance.
2. To manage chronic disease through early detection and exercise.
3. To promote a wellness program that motivates hospital clients &gym members through participation and education.
The program will work closely with Burjeel Hospital physicians to ensure that physical activity levels are assessed at each patient visit, and that physicians have the right tools and resources to guide their patients towards a healthier lifestyle. A referral program has been developed to enable physicians to refer their patients to the Burjeel Fitness Center, where our qualified Exercise Specialists will develop an individualized and effective exercise program. In addition, a Patient Exercise Committee consisting of representatives from various medical departments will meet regularly to discuss patient progress, case studies, and evaluate the effectiveness of the program. The committee will also determine clinical markers to be monitored as patients advance through the program.
Finally, the program aims to build a solid network of physicians, government authorities, and insurance companies to successfully promote exercise as a medicine and revolutionize chronic disease prevention and management in the U.A.E.
“Burjeel Hospital’s effort is to combine all-round expertise to ensure the best in diagnostic, curative as well as preventive aspects of healthcare. Burjeel Fitness Centre is a vital component in this exercise. By promoting the concept of Exercise isMedicine, Burjeel aims to encourage early detection and prevention of chronic diseases,”saidDr Shamsheer VP, Managing Director “Through our collaboration with the American College of Sports Medicine’s ‘Exercise is Medicine’ initiative, Burjeel Hospital will strive to make physical activity an integral part of healthcare in the region,” said Dr. Shamsheer.
The Burjeel Fitness Center will be open to individual memberships from within the community as well as corporate memberships for those companies considering investments in corporate wellness programs for their employees.
An integral part of the unique services offered at the Burjeel Fitness Center is the constant guidance and support provided to members by the staff using the revolutionary Wellness Key System to closely monitor their progress and ensure that results are achieved.
The Wellness Key is programmed for each member and houses a memory chip that stores data, including individualized training programs, medical history, and perhaps most importantly, clinical outcomes resulting from their individualized program. It facilitates use of equipment in the state-of-the-art fitness center by pre-setting the machines for users. It can store and display every workout done and guides members through their workout, helping them find their way around the equipment.
Exercise is Medicine is the multi organizational, multinational initiative co-founded by the American Medical Association and ACSM and subsequently coordinated by the ACSM to integrate the scientifically proven benefits of physical activity to prevent and treat chronic disease into the world’s health care systems.
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