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“Providing you with the techniques and knowledge to heal your spine, prevent injuries and improve performance.” Eldoa

Looking to improve your posture and mobility? An Eldoa class might be just the answer, this morning I had my first experience of Eldoa with Lululemon ambassador Claudine Foong as she showcased the myofascial stretching (MFS) class at the inaugural Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open (FBMLO) which is currently being held at the stunning Saadiyat Beach Beach Club.

You are probably wondering like I was, what is Eldoa? In technical terms Eldoa means Longitudinal Stretching Osteoarticular Decoaptation or LOADS for short, in more simple terms Eldoa is used to target joints and the spine to decompress, relieve pain, restore function and balance to correct our modern day bad posture.

Fong, former golf pro turned conditioning coach (specialising in sport performance), teaches the innovative postural exercise techniques that were created by world-renowned osteopath and Somatotherapy practitioner Dr Guy Voyer. Voyer’s Eldoa exercises are designed to help people improve joint stability, muscle imbalances, spinal curvatures, orthopedic problems and improve sports performance through a series of spinal decompression techniques and progressions.

You may think a stretching class sounds easy, believe me it’s not especially if you have tight shoulders or a weak neck and back. As a society we are constantly slumped over our desks, our laptops (like I am now writing this post) and texting on our smartphones, our shoulders are permanently hunched which affects our posture and causes an imbalance.

Eldoa’s are a series of exercises that target problem areas to increase the blood flow around our joints and that in turn will help to build a stronger spine in a bid to counteract our daily hunch and repetitive bad posture. There are Eldoa’s for every joint in the body and following specific exercises for those target areas can strengthen and improve flexibility as well as promoting correct posture. Foong explained that’s it’s not all about exercise either, it’s also about hydration and how water plays an important role in the health of the back and spine, in fact lack of adequate hydration can even be a cause of back pain. Two of the professional ladies golfers spoke to us about their fitness, conditioning, nutrition and hydration in the pre-class Q & A.

The Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy and Abu Dhabi Sports Council, in partnership with the Ladies European Tour have introduced the first-ever ladies professional golf event here in Abu Dhabi, the FMBLO happening this week from 2nd – 5th November. A field of one hundred and twenty-six Ladies European Tour players are competing in the tournament at the oceanfront course designed by retired South African professional golfer Gary Player, a stunning location where gazelle’s roam free across the fairways. The competition kicked off this morning with top names from the world of ladies golf including Annika Sorenstam, Belen Mozo, Beth Allen and Carly Booth descending on the capital to compete in this new event on the tour calander.

Alongside all the competitive play there are many off course activities like the fitness class I attended, golf clinics and a few outlets in the village. After my class I had a fabulous head, shoulder and back massage by a therapist from the new Saray Spa due to open at the new Marriott Downtown Abu Dhabi (FBMLO sponsor) later this year.

If you like me are a fan of lululemon there are now three stores in Dubai selling their amazing brand of technical clothing for yoga, pilates and running as well as other activities, they also offer community exercises classes and initiatives. Foong currently teaches in Dubai but will be holding another complimentary Eldoa class in Abu Dhabi at the FBMLO event tomorrow morning from 10am – 11am.

Click here to find out more about the FBMLO and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

I was invited to review this exercise class. All views are my own based on my experience. Unless otherwise stated, all photos on this page © Jo Brett 2016. All rights reserved. Additional photos taken by Jack Dignum.