DUBAI // For most people, spending 100 hours a month on board a plane crisscrossing international time zones would wreak havoc with their bodies and ruin any chance of adhering to a healthy lifestyle.
From dealing with jet lag to living out of a suitcase, the job of a flight steward can take its toll physically and mentally.
Lelanie Nebal, however, is leading by example in showing her colleagues how they can combine their high-flying jobs with a grounded, healthy life.
Despite having being an active person who ran and played netball regularly, it was not long after she started working for an airline that her job began to weigh on her.
She quickly realised that to achieve longevity in the career that she loved, she would have to make changes to the way she lived.
“I actually never went to the gym,” said the 29-year-old South African. “However, soon after I started working I began to feel that I was hurting my body.
“I realised I needed core strength for all the heavy lifting of things like crates that I was doing.”
Six and a half years after she started working as a cabin crew member, Ms Nebal is now a certified kettlebell instructor and a personal trainer. She continues to learn as much as she can to keep fit and healthy.
The brand ambassador for Adidas also helps her colleagues keep in shape by offering tips on exercise, meal ideas, fitness videos and other such advice via the @fitcrewlife tag on the Instagram social media site. “We can’t do things by ourselves so it’s about building a community. The crew need actual people to help them and it’s more fun this way,” said Ms Nebal.
She has made sticking to a routine a priority during her flights between continents.
If she lands in New York at 3pm and arrives at her hotel at 5.30pm, the first thing on her mind is a healthy meal and an early night.
The next day, despite her jet lag, she heads to the gym or goes for a run around the city.
Motivating her colleagues to lead a healthier life is among her top priorities. “I always tell people that it’s better to do fun activities with your friends. So you can actually have a social life too, things like kayaking,” said Ms Nebal. “When you’re home you still have so much to do, the administrative work, the laundry, and food shopping.”
Her next project is to get her colleagues involved in weekly or monthly fitness challenges, such as posting photographs of themselves doing burpees or other exercises at interesting places around the world and the UAE.
Ms Nebal also hopes to encourage more people to donate to the We Care Generation charity that supports a children’s shelter in Kenya.
“It gives people a reason to do things,” she said. “With the weather getting better, there are so many events and competitions coming up. So this is a great way to get involved and motivate people if they can get sponsors or donations for doing events, whether that’s a small challenge or a competition.”
mswan@thenational.ae