66 July 2012 BTM spotlightthismonth An Unyielding Passion An awareness of overall health, including fitness and diet, seems to be slowly improving in the Kingdom. As gym facilities open up left, right and centre it is obvious that people are beginning to become dissatisfied with their somewhat lazy lifestyles and keen to get in shape. Karim Arafa is one resident who is pushing this fitness drive, in an effort to educate Bahrain in the importance of combining exercise with the correct diet for everyone’s body and metabolism. “Not much information is provided in the Middle East about health and there are many misconceptions out there; I hear them all the time. People think that doing cardio will make you instantly toned, or that a fad diet will make you slim,” Karim says, frustrated. “More than that, working out isn’t hellish; once you get into a routine you will find that exercise is highly enjoyable.” Like many people today, Karim was once overweight and unhappy. “At university I began what became my passion. I started out my ‘do over’ in the wrong way; I did purely cardio and dieted heavily, a mistake that many make. I was uneducated and my body suffered for it. Instead of gaining the leaner physique I desired I became thin and weak,” he recalls. Karim combated this by making the conscious decision to learn about the right way to exercise. His knowledge of the anatomy, metabolism and the body’s makeup in general is highly impressive, acquired through plenty of reading. “I learnt the healthy way to obtain the shape I wanted. I began looking into weightlifting and realised that through different forms of working out I would achieve an overall sense of well-being,” he continues. Last year, Karim gained his personal trainer certificate from the American Council of Exercise. Since then he has worked effortlessly to help friends and family understand that correct exercise and diet is a lifestyle, not something you dip in and out of when the time’s right. He’s also furthered his ‘tutoring’ to others in another way. “With the amount of studying I had done, I wanted an outlet to help others, and I found one through my blog and Facebook group — which I constantly update,” says Karim. The blog, titled The Fitness Grail, comments on common myths, emerging trends, supplies scientific information and provides a hub for all those interested in fitness and health to acquire news and knowledge from. And Karim isn’t about to stop there. “I hope to begin creating events to get more people in the Kingdom active. My goal is to change the perception of fitness and to educate. I would also like to lecture and talk on the subject and offer question and answer sessions for those who are unsure and unlearned,” he says of his aims. “Ultimately, I would love to open my own gym. But this will take time as I would never build a half-hearted facility. It has to be based around an innovative training concept, one that is new to the Middle East and will change lives.” E Visit www.thefitnessgrail.wordpress.com. Our body is one of the only things entirely in our control. We determine how it looks both inside and out and so why wouldn’t we want it to look perfect? Karim Arafa
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