Flat beds at Marquee
Indulge in the ultimate hair wash and head massage at Marquee hair salon, where your chair at the sink raises and fully reclines, so you actually lie down while your hair is washed with wonderful-smelling Kevin Murphy products and your head is massaged by the stylist. The salon has an old-Hollywood theme and the incredible pampering seems in tune with what the celebrated screen sirens of yesteryear would enjoy. Best of all, the salon is open seven days a week for an anytime hair glam-over.
• From Dh130 for a wash and blow-dry. Flat beds available at Eastern Mangroves Promenade, Abu Dhabi, 02 449 4044, and Arabian Ranches Golf Club, Dubai, 04 420 7700, www.marquee.ae
* Ellen Fortini
Fitbit wristbands
It was a decision to lose a few extra kilos (I blame this on my wife’s excellent cooking) that got me hooked on Fitbit. Fitbit is a gadget that you strap on to your wrist beside your watch, which can feel somewhat dorky, but it’s easy enough to hide under long sleeves. The wristband monitors your heart rate, counts the calories you’ve consumed and burnt and, best of all, synchs to the Fitbit app (available on iTunes for free upon purchase of the wristband) that helps you keep track of your fitness regime.
I started out by feeding in my data – weight and height – into the app and punched in my 5kg target which, according to the app, could be achieved either in four weeks through a rigorous regime or gradually, over a period of three months. I chose the latter. And so began the process of tracking and keeping an account of my workouts and every single thing I ate, while never taking the wristband off (except to shower).
With details of every meal diligently entered, the app calculates how many calories remain in your quota. It even monitors water intake. I found this to be a handy feature, being the kind of person who doesn’t remember to drink enough water, thanks to several hours spent in a freezing office each day.
There’s one thing that must be said about counting calories as a way to lose weight, especially for someone who’d not considered it before: it forces you to be careful about what you eat.
I do try to be diligent, but it’s not easy, especially at the end of a long day when all you want to do is fall into bed, let alone spend 20 minutes trying to figure out the number of calories in a plate of samosas (one of several foods the app cannot recognise, unfortunately). Another complaint: the strap is made of rubber, which gets a bit uncomfortable in hot weather.
But small niggles aside, Fitbit is a pretty handy gadget if you want to get in shape – and stay that way. I’m somewhat close to achieving my target, but still haven’t found a way to turn down second helpings of whatever my wife cooks.
• Fitbit is available at all electronics retailers; Dh750
* Srinivasan Iyer
artslife@thenational.ae