The daily grind of adult life can get to all of us and it’s important to have a safe haven to retreat from it every once in a while.
For some that is the gym, while others couldn’t think of anywhere worse, more sterile and so…adult.
For the latter, there’s OP Integrated Lifestyle Centre, situated in JLT, which is the coolest “anti-gym” we’ve ever been to.
With circus toys and hula hoops, ropes and vines, swing seats beneath ceilings that twinkle stars, and a stress-relieving shower stall that can change colours and sound like a thunderstorm one minute to waves on the shore the next, the message is that play is the future of fitness.
CEO and Creative Director Matt Coe believes that the modern gym model is no longer fit-for-purpose, and so his space not only encourages ultimate fitness, but ultimate health and longevity through nature and natural play, through experimenting with movement and stimulation.
“We decided to create a playground because that’s the place the majority of people remember having fun and moving,” said Coe, who is also curator of the Dubai Fitness Competition and has been dreaming this up for eight years.
“It has all the things you need in terms of strength and conditioning, all the things that work to keep people healthy and happy; it’s all in there but it’s almost hidden because it’s so colourful, fun and inviting, not ‘gangsta’, black or intimidating as some of the fancy gyms nowadays.”
Coe added: “Every single person gets their own in-depth programme. We do everything from tests on how toxic they are, brain tests, eye tests, we test the whole nervous system. And from that we may also then prescribe homeopathic supplements.”
His wife Carolyn is also a hypnotherapist and NLP master practitioner and offers her services within the facility, everything from optimising performance (or just finding a bit of clarity) through simple assisted goal-setting to tackling quitting smoking or losing weight.
Alongside the every-step-of-the-way fitness and lifestyle programmes offered, OP’s specialist services also include something called a Brainmass Assessment (or programme). This finds out how old your body really thinks you are using world leading testing that measures your physical, neurological and emotional and social wellbeing.
They also offer custom-made DNA-based diet plans, pain and injury prevention, efficient movement and corrective cxercise, sensory integration, nervous system stimulation, and more.
Within the main space – labelled the playground – you’ll not only play, learn to move your body in different ways and collect new skills that boost both physical and mental agility, but OP’s dedicated team also study you, identify what equipment you’re likely to be injured by while working to correct it and avoid injury.
Everything inside the playground caters to what you need in life, whether it’s hand-eye coordination from learning to juggle or better your balance by practising on an Indo Board.
“People shouldn’t come out of here smashed and unable to walk, they should come out feeling more connected,” adds Coe.
The stand out group class is called Pulse, a night-time led circuit performed amidst strobe lighting and thumping music in which the whole-play space is used and, more importantly, enjoyed.
You can take up a month’s worth of Pulse classes from just Dh299 (two per week) or do semi-private sessions from as low as Dh1,699 per month.
Although at OP they encourage social interaction and group dynamics, a VIP one-on-one service is also available upon request.
Meanwhile premium membership, which offers unlimited access to the space and other benefits, sets you back Dh4,499 per month. Like all other flexible and surprisingly affordable packages, this includes an interactive MyZone heart rate monitor belt, monthly nutrition plan and a functional movement screen, as well as lots more.
“We’ve had a lot of interest from people saying we should do a children’s version of this,” says Coe. “I’m thinking in the future of having family fitness, you know, having gran training and playing with her granddaughter."
While we can see ourselves, our relatives and our dogs coming here far too often, Coe reassures: “You shouldn’t be addicted to this place, this should get you more connected with yourself so you can thrive in doing what you enjoy out there. All we want to do is show people the right way.”
www.oplifestyle.com / 043653399
