Busy Dubai mum stretches herself with Pilates and childcare

Bita Alavi, the co-founder of Real Pilates, reveals how she juggles the demands of motherhood with her role as director of education at her Pilates studio.

Bita Alavi works as Real Pilates’ director of education. Jeffrey Biteng / The National

Bita Alavi co-founded the Dubai Pilates studio, Real Pilates, the Middle East’s largest Pilates training centre, with her husband Reza Alavi, and works as the company’s director of education. Having both come from a corporate background, the duo is now helping to promote a healthier lifestyle through their work at the studio. Ms Alavi, 39, reveals how she juggles her career with the demands of a young family.

2am

I wake up to feed my four-month-old son, Tiam. After the birth, waking up at 2am was very difficult; however, gradually it got easier. Our baby’s smiles make it much more bearable.

5am

My son wakes again for his second feed of the day. During the night feeds I make use of my smartphone: I read and answer work emails, I listen to Ted talks using earphones or read and listen to messages on WhatsApp and other communication apps.

6-7 am

I start my day properly with either a milkshake including oatmeal, flaxseeds, almond milk, berries, mango and apple or with a vegetable drink, the recipe of which I get from one of my favourite Pilates instructors in the studio. I alternate them every week. Normally Tiam plays alone with his soft toys for 15 to 30 minutes, giving me some time to check my emails and work. I then play with him, as mornings are the most precious time of the day. He is full of energy and playful.

8am

My three-year-old daughter, Tara, leaves home for kindergarten after having been woken up and taken care of by my husband.

9am

My son and I take a short workout trip outside. I usually take a one-hour Pilates class in the JLT studio while he has some fun in his stroller going around the lake with a relative or, when possible, his father. The Pilates workout is extremely helpful for me and I get a lot of energy from it. It also helps me to have a healthy body that is free of pain. It mainly relaxes the muscles of my upper and middle back, which I use most during nursing.

10:30am1

We arrive back home again. I start working as my baby takes his morning nap. I have an office at home, which allows me to be with my children and monitor them when, in rare cases, I ask our housekeeper to help me with them while I work. Real Pilates is the only Stott Pilates licensed training centre in the Middle East and since the opening of our first studio I have handled the education function as director of education. I am responsible for planning and marketing tens of certification courses and continuous education workshops each year. These are conducted either by our in-house certified instructor trainers or by Stott Pilates master/lead instructor trainers that we bring from abroad. Over the past four years, we have trained well over 600 Pilates instructors. In 2014, we decided to pioneer once again by conducting the Stott Pilates rehab course for the first time in the region, which will take place this May/June. Given the nature of this course, only licensed professionals like physiotherapists, chiropractors and sports medicine doctors are admitted. The course is in the process of receiving official Dubai Health Authority accreditation

1pm

I take a nap for an hour if my little one is still sleeping. I certainly need this recharging time to help me keep going for the rest of the day.

2pm

My husband drops my daughter back from kindergarten before returning to work. I make sure she and I eat together while my son plays on his back or belly singing to us. It is very important to my daughter to eat her lunch with me. As I breastfeed, I make sure I eat a variety of healthy foods so my son can obtain all the ingredients needed for his growth. After that, the three of us end up in my daughter’s room playing different games.

7pm

This is the most challenging time of the day: on the days that my husband comes home at this time I shower, feed and put my son to sleep while he bathes our daughter and sits with her for dinner; but if he is held back by work then I take care of all the evening chores.

9pm

We both relax as the children sleep. We spend some time together talking about our day, exchanging ideas, discussing business matters and, when time and energy levels allow, we watch a movie. Otherwise I work for an hour or two before going to bed.

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