Cooler weather is almost upon us, meaning it's time to get outside once again. Hiking season may have to wait a few more weeks, but outdoor runs are back on the table, along with meditation sessions under the moonlight.
This October also brings a host of studio openings and competitive fitness events.
Here's a pick of events and updates to know about this month.
Abu Dhabi
Wellfit Reem Island
Wellfit is opening its first Abu Dhabi outpost on October16. The Hyrox-affiliated fitness centre will have a dedicated training area for the discipline with certified coaches and equipment including sleds, air runners and BikeErgs.
The mega-club will also feature 72 cardio machines, 50 pin and plate-loaded strength machines, free-weight and cable training areas, and equipment specifically targeting glutes and hips. A recovery zone will be fitted with Hyperice equipment.
Group fitness will be offered in a dedicated studio, alongside a 22-bike spin studio and separate grappling and striking zones. Wellness facilities will include men's and women's saunas and cold plunge pools, experiential showers and changing areas.
Families will also be catered for, with children's classes and a dedicated studio offering programmes including Junior Martial Arts.
The Harmony Programme
Jumeirah Saadiyat Island is launching The Harmony Programme, a four-week fitness offering that combines Reformer Pilates with strength training to build muscle, improve mobility and boost flexibility.
Participants complete four Reformer Pilates sessions and three upper and lower-body strength-training sessions each week, with the programme focusing on areas including core, posture, balance, co-ordination and muscle development.
The four-week programme costs Dh3,500 and includes two recovery sessions, complimentary access to spa facilities, one day of pool and beach access, and a 20 per cent discount on spa treatments. A one-week trial is also available for Dh1,000, including a personalised training programme, one recovery session and spa access.
Hyrox Abu Dhabi
Hyrox returns to Abu Dhabi at Adnec Centre for three days of running and functional fitness.
The fitness race combines eight 1km runs with eight workout stations, including sled pushes and pulls, rowing, sandbag lunges and wall balls, with competitors racing individually, in pairs or as part of a relay team.
For the first time, the opening day on Friday, October 23, will be exclusively for women, with female athletes and spectators taking over the event. The competition will then open up for a full weekend of racing.
October 23-25; all-day event; participation tickets start at Dh510; spectator tickets from Dh65
Bodytree Reformer Pilates
Abu Dhabi wellness studio Bodytree is expanding with a Pilates studio at The Galleria Al Maryah Island, set to open in October.
The home-grown brand began with a studio in Al Bateen 19 years ago, and its latest space will focus on Reformer Pilates group classes. Ahead of the opening, Bodytree is offering 50 founding memberships for Dh13,200 per year, with the rate remaining the same for as long as the membership is active.
Movement Practice Abu Dhabi
Explore the connection between movement and creativity at Movement Practice Abu Dhabi, a series of workshops led by Lillian Castillo Muller at the Cultural Foundation.
October's session, titled Between Tides, explores the space between bodies through touch, weight and listening. Held in collaboration with Yaxen Dance Academy, the three-hour workshop invites participants to experiment with movement and contemporary art forms, including poetry, music and visual imagery, without following a fixed choreography.
October 24; 5pm-8pm; free on registration
Run for Impact: Saving the Arabian Sand Cat
Runners can support wildlife conservation while getting their kilometres in at Run for Impact: Saving the Arabian Sand Cat, taking place on October 25 at Yas Bay Waterfront.
Open to all ages and fitness levels, the event offers 3km, 5km and 10km distances, with races beginning from 6.45am. The Dh50 registration fee will go towards research and conservation efforts to protect the Arabian sand cat, which is listed as endangered on the Abu Dhabi Red List of Species.
Al Ain Zoo will also host family-friendly activities from 6am to 10am, including themed face painting, photo opportunities and wildlife trivia before an awards ceremony at 9am.
October 25; from 6am; Dh50
Dubai
Banyan Tree X Jalila Foundation’s Pinktober retreat
Banyan Tree Dubai is teaming up with Al Jalila Foundation to support its Pinktober campaign with a retreat exclusively for women on October 24. Attendees will start the morning with a Kundalini yoga session before an interactive breast cancer awareness talk led by experts at holistic health clinic Maison Sante. The retreat will close after breakfast at Tocha accompanied by a series of giveaways. All proceeds will be donated to Al Jalila Foundation to support awareness campaigns.
For those who can't make the event, the collaboration extends across the month with a "pink" spa package – any 90-minute treatment with 10 per cent of the proceeds donated.
October 24; from 8.30am; Dh270; Bluewaters Island
Alo opens at Mall of the Emirates
The Los Angeles-founded athleisure brand has built a UAE following over the years, which it cemented with the opening of its first shop in the Dubai Mall in early 2024, followed by one at The Galleria Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi a few months later.
This year marks an expansion of its physical presence in Dubai with a shop that opened in Dubai Hills Mall in August, followed by the largest flagship store in the UAE – spanning an impressive 950 square metres – in the Mall of the Emirates in September.
Head there for your next matching gym set or cosy daywear.
Breasy floating breathwork experience
Sign up for the final few sessions of the Breasy Floating Immersive Breathwork series, which has been held monthly at Mandarin Oriental Downtown throughout the summer.
The collaboration between wellness community Breasy and the hotel takes place under the new moon at Noia by the Pool, the rooftop pool and restaurant space. Guests take to the water on an airbed, adding a sense of weightlessness to the 60-minute sound and breath experience. The guided experience aims to aid rest and recovery for attendees.
October 8 and November 5, 8pm-9pm; Dh325 plus VAT
Charge Circle sound experience
After a successful launch this year, Charge Circle is back from a summer break. Led by Silvina Joseph, a hypnotherapist and founder of Charge Hypnosis & Wellness, the 60-minute session takes participants through a guided visualisation complemented by immersive audio that further promotes a relaxed nervous system.
Step inside the Arte Museum in Dubai Mall, and make your way to a corner of the museum where walls appear as soothing rolling waves; take a seat on one of the airbeds, put on your headphones and an eye mask, and kick back. Each session has a different theme, but follows the same immersive set-up.
October 22; 7pm-8pm; Dh320
Limitless Live by Noona Nafousi
Leadership coach and speaker Noona Nafousi will head to the Theatre of Digital Arts at Souk Madinat Jumeirah for a live recording of Limitless, her 2026-launched podcast spotlighting founders and chief executives.
In October, Nafousi will be joined by special guest, her sister Roxie Nafousi, to talk about self-confidence, identity, mindset and more. Roxie rose to prominence as the author of Manifest: 7 Steps to Living Your Best Life and for her work as a self-development coach.
October 26; 6.30pm; from Dh280
Pink Ladies Games Dubai
The Pink Ladies Games return to Dubai for its fifth iteration, bringing women together for a morning of fitness challenges while raising awareness of cancer and healthy lifestyles.
Held at the Sevens Stadium as part of day one of the Dubai Fitness Challenge, the event has teams of four to five women take on six 15-minute challenges that combine strength, speed, teamwork, creativity and problem-solving.
The event is open to women of all ages and fitness levels, and participants can enter alongside friends, colleagues or members of sports and social clubs.
October 31; 7am-10am; from Dh200
Real Pilates and Activeist launch limited activewear collection
Real Pilates, which has branches in JLT, Jumeirah and Meydan, has teamed up with fellow Dubai brand Activeist to create a limited collection signalling their shared community values.
The Rooted capsule features T-shirts, grip socks, caps, leggings and accessories, with prices from Dh65. Dania Istaitie, founder of Activeist, hailed the collaboration, saying she's “incredibly proud” of what has been created.
Female-founded and Palestinian-owned, Activeist launched in 2023 with a mission to create community-focused and environmentally conscious clothes and accessories for comfortable movement.
Sharjah
Pink Caravan festival returns to Aljada
The Pink Caravan community event is returning to Aljada, Sharjah, in collaboration with Arada. The festival will combine health and community engagement, with free breast examinations and mammograms available through mobile clinics.
The three-day programme will also feature community activities, educational workshops, gaming zones and children’s entertainment.
October 2 to 4; 5pm-11pm; free