Joba 'The Core Trainer' from Panasonic makes its commercial debut in the UAE

The new machine claims to increase muscle strength around the waist and thighs, improve posture, boost glucose consumption, and increase the rate of basal metabolism. The latest in-home fitness equipment is based on ancient horse riding technique.

The Panasonic Joba horseback riding fitness machine is one clever piece of equipment developed by Japanese tech gurus. The machine mimics the moments of a horse to act as a core trainer by maximizing the strength of the core body's abdominal, oblique and lower back muscles.

The current 5th generation model looks like a mechanical saddle and pursues smooth "8-shaped" seat movement and delivers fitness benefits more effectively. The company claims that this "8-shaped" twist-and-sway movement, unique in horseback riding, can help strengthen muscles that are not often used in daily life, such as the waist and thigh muscles. The company also claims that this unique therapy can prevent lower back pain and improve the sense of balance.

Horse-riding therapy strengthens the muscles, especially around the abdomen and back by balancing the body when riding a horse. As this therapy is proven to be effective in the for legs and lower back, it has already gained popularity as one of the best in-home fitness & exercise machine in United States and Europe.

Introducing the all-new Joba machine, Mr. Makoto Maijima - Managing Director of Panasonic Electric Works Sales Middle East (PEWSME) said, "The fifth edition of the Joba fitness machine is all set to penetrate the UAE market. The UAE is one of the few countries that mirror the growth of fitness industry across the world and Joba is an ideal compliment from the health and wellness perspective. Due to our dramatic growth in demand worldwide it has been a strategic move to introduce the machine in the country - and we are delighted with the choice of the UAE. We would definitely focus on growing our presence across the Middle East."

According to the recently concluded Wellness and Spas Middle East, 2007 exhibition, the personal fitness market is ready to take off in the Middle East. Also encouraging is the huge growth in the health market on which the current regional spend is estimated at US$74bn. Drawing from the current industry trends and surge in fitness industry, "we decided to introduce our mechanical exerciser to meet individual needs," said Greg Boucher from MEFITPRO.

"In a high stress environment like that of the UAE adopting a proper fitness regime is definitely on the rise. Erratic schedules, high calorie diet and lack of proper workout are also some of the driving factors behind increasing health problems. The market is also experiencing a big up-sell for people trying to get fit and look better. This highlights the need to identify proper fitness equipments and adhere to smart exercise schedules in order to remain healthy and fit. The latest from Joba shall indeed help reduce heath issues substantially," Greg said.

Commenting on the occasion, Shaun Sullivan - General Manager of Al Futtaim Panatech said, ""Based on tremendous growth in the UAE's domestic fitness industry such a unique exercising tool is being introduced for the first time in the country. We are committed to the UAE and want to contribute in a big way to shape the health and wellness industry by introducing the Joba 'The Core Trainer'.

Commenting on Panasonic's endeavor to introduce cutting edge technology, Syed Yousuf Hussain - Asst General Manager of PEWSME said, "We decided to introduce our mechanical exerciser to meet individual needs. Panasonic is one of the leading Japanese manufacturers of highly developed units for entertainment, household and microelectronics, communications technology and for the industrial sector, which are sold predominantly under the Panasonic brand name. With a passion to excel & deliver the best by adapting products as per needs of the market, we invest heavily on research and development. The latest Joba machine is a unique example of our continuous effort to innovate and improve."

"Amongst our wide range of poducts; the Panasonic Horseback-simulation machine has become one of the hottest fitness trends in Japan, US and Europe. I am sure the product would be very well accepted in the UAE as well," he added.