ELITE-EST OF THEM ALL

With just a month left until the New Year and after at least fifteen failed attempts of starting her exercise regime, FACT’s Anushay Taimur Khan got herself a personal trainer at The Venue, the hub of fitness luxury…

You’ve all known me long enough to understand the battle that I have with my love for food and my hope of staying in shape; food has always won. The eight kilos that I have gained since I was first introduced to you all are nothing less than the foodie in me giving herself a thumbs up. I can’t help it – if you loved food as much as I do and if you live in a city like Doha that is constantly trying to UP its culinary game, what can a girl do?

Well, Yana certainly knew what a girl could do. The first day that I walked into The Venue, I simply thought ‘who in the world can stay focused with a view like this?’ You’d think that getting a personal trainer would make my lazy self a bit ashamed but I just thought about how I would be running off from this place within days. You know how we all pay for gym memberships and simply don’t go? I thought this would be one of those things until I stepped inside the place and was introduced to Yana, my personal instructor. A racetrack lit with lights instantly served as a mood booster as I got inspired by the entire ambience of the place. Private lockers, sauna and steam rooms, staff that welcomed you with the biggest smile – the first few minutes made me feel like I would actually be able to brave through the entire month.

Then, Yana happened. After two and a half weeks, I can tell you how superb she is but in those first 10 minutes that she made me walk on the treadmill at a 4.5 gradient, I couldn’t have hated any other person more. Every second of the first 20 minutes of the session included two things: my guilt for letting myself get to the point where this was painful and the fact that Yana was not backing down no matter how much I pretended to cry. It wasn’t till the end of the agonising session when I was almost about to throw up that I saw that she had been taking baby steps with me all along. Like an adult teaching a child to cycle for the first time, Yana stayed close so I would maintain my posture, she lessened my sets so I would not over exert myself and when I complained about being nauseous, she ran to make me a honey-infused drink to bring up my sugar levels. After cutting down the last set just to make sure that I was okay, I happily limped away from her and into the arms of Mary-Jane. My knight in shining armour, Mary-Jane was my go-to person at the spa, every day, after my sessions. The spa (YES!) is equipped with topof-the-line products with a number of services that I made use of every other day – manicures, facials, massages, you name it! From the first massage that made me forget about the pain to the facial that immediately gave me the glow, I could be found at this facility more than anywhere else.

That’s what I love about The Venue. It’s not just a gym or a fitness hub – it is excellence offered in every way a woman could possibly ask for. A spa to pamper you through the day, a pool to help you cool down, the cream of personal trainers, a lounge next to the juice bar for a quick catch up with friends, or hiding from Yana in my case, along with a view that motivates you all the more. The entire essence of the place has a luxurious feel to it and the fact that you overlook the city as you work out is an added bonus. The personalised training that I am currently experiencing is mind-blowing. My first assessment was so horrifying that I promised myself to push through the toughest time. As I made excuses and tried getting out of class, my trainer proved to be more determined and matched my workout according to my energy level. How do I describe The Venue in a sentence? The Chanel of health clubs that is exclusively yours to have! ✤