My Jumeirah
Fitness trainer and athlete Karina Bensemann shares her top picks
A typical weekend sees me getting up at ‘stupid o’clock’ to swim or surf in Jumeirah (01). I love being outside by the sea. You can float on it, sink under it or enjoy the breeze. Then I usually teach a class at our new gym 1six8 (02) on the top floor of Jumeirah Terrace Building. It’ll either be Burn, a brilliant high-intensity interval training session, or Punch, our no-nonsense boxing class. Then I’ll chill with my partner binge watching a Netflix show, checking out some art at the Dubai International Arts Centre (03), or playing tennis at the Dubai Ladies’ Club (04). The ladies’ club in particular is a really lovely place and mega quiet on the weekends. When I want to catch up with friends, I’ll go to Comptoir 102 (05) and check out their awesome jewellery collections, but if we’re hungry, we’ll skip their vegan offerings and head straight for Surf House Dubai (06). It’s always been my number one spot, and now they have food. The new Single Fin Café (07) is awesome. As a fitness trainer, I’ve noticed how some people are fixated on how they want their bodies to look; people want to look like that surfer, dancer or athlete. But that kind of obsession can make people very miserable. My advice is to play sports. Try a rugby or netball club, or join DOSC (08). Go ride a wave, chase a ball, or rig your sails. It won’t be as hard as grinding alone in the gym and way more fun, too.