The right Curves

With gyms and fitness centres mushrooming on the island claiming amazing results or money-back guarantees to lure residents, a women-only gym is making its presence felt in the first few weeks of its launch confident that a credible worldwide reputation and an international brand name as its ticket to success.

Curves, which is the world's largest fitness franchise and the tenth largest of all franchise companies in the world and was ranked as the fastest-growing franchise by Guinness World Records, has opened its doors on Budaiya Highway.

The first of its kind in the kingdom, Curves has already made its mark in the Middle East with several branches in Cairo, Kuwait and Lebanon and more following in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

"The popularity and success of Curves lies in the fact that the workout and the machines are designed specifically for women. Plus the fact that it is affordable and takes up only 30 minutes of the day makes it even more attractive for working women and women with children," says former school-teacher Pamela Korbely, the owner of Curves in Bahrain.

The 54-year-old American who has been living in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain since 1991 has worked ceaselessly for almost a year to get Curves registered and established in the kingdom.

Now, housed in a villa adjacent to a fire-station, women are walking in the cool environs of the trademark mauve interior for a complete workout.

Pamela has completed an intensive training course from Curves training centre in Waco, Texas, US, and has in turn trained her instructors who are always present in the gym to oversee the exercise routine of women.

The workout at Curves incorporates a warm up, cardiovascular exercise, two rounds at the circuit machines that exercise each and every muscle of the body and stretching.

The specially-designed Curves patented hydraulic resistance machines are ideal for a smooth, continuous and effective workout which gives the women's body a feminine muscular definition rather than bulkiness.

"From top to bottom, that's how well each person exercises during the workout. We have women of varied fitness levels come in and basically each one is totally in control of their workout. At the time of joining we do a figure and body fat analysis of the individual, establish what they are looking for from the fitness routine and set realistic goals for them that are evaluated every month on their charts," says Pamela.

"We don't make tall claims but keep our end of the bargain and guarantee a complete Curves programme with constant support and encouragement from our team," she adds.

There is a registered dietician who assists women who want to incorporate weight loss with exercise. In its first week of operation, a certified Curves mentor from the UK visited the Bahrain facility and reported to the head office to ensure that everything was running the 'Curves way' since all its gyms worldwide follow the same operational philosophy.