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Saudi Arabia Breathes Life into Newcastle Tourism

Newcastle: The City of Bridges (Shutterstock)
Newcastle: The City of Bridges (Shutterstock)
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Saudi Arabia Breathes Life into Newcastle Tourism

Newcastle: The City of Bridges (Shutterstock)
Newcastle: The City of Bridges (Shutterstock)

In a monumental occurrence within the sports world, the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) finalized its acquisition of Newcastle Football Club on October 7, 2021, for an astounding £240 million.

 

Saudi Arabia saw in this move a tremendous opportunity to restore the glory of one of England’s most prestigious clubs, which clinched the English Premier League title in seasons spanning from 1904 to 1909 and last claimed it in 1926.

 

The club has also lifted the FA Cup on six occasions but has failed to secure any official championships since their FA Cup triumph in 1955.

 

Two years after the club’s ownership transferred to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the renowned “Black and White Army,” also known as the Magpies, is reclaiming its glory. This week, they reached the cup final for the first time in 47 years, securing a spot in the Champions League.

 

With hopes set high, the city of Newcastle, along with its residents, anticipates a promising future encompassing sports, economic growth, and tourism.

 

Saudi Arabia's involvement has played a pivotal role in breathing new life into this northeastern English city, propelling it towards the status of an appealing destination for tourists hailing from the Gulf nations and beyond.

 

Presently, diligent endeavors are in progress to establish state-of-the-art training facilities, accompanied by significant investments in the construction of opulent hotels.

 

This ambitious development plan not only aims to elevate the city’s allure but also holds the potential to generate a multitude of employment opportunities for both local inhabitants and surrounding communities.

 

Newcastle, often hailed as the “City of Bridges,” owes its title to an impressive assortment of seven bridges, each boasting a distinctive and diverse design. Among these architectural marvels, the Tyne Bridge claims the status of an iconic landmark.

 

Moreover, Newcastle is renowned for its vibrant nightlife, rivaling that of London. It is also celebrated as a city with prestigious universities, particularly in the field of medicine. Institutions such as Newcastle University and Northumbria University attract students from all corners of the globe, including Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries.

 

The people of Newcastle are widely known for their remarkable hospitality but speak a dialect that can be quite challenging even for native English speakers, as it incorporates terms not found in the English dictionary.

 

Newcastle also became renowned for its coal trade, serving as a prominent industrial hub for coal mining and exporting it to London and neighboring cities. Additionally, the city played a pioneering role in shipbuilding, engineering, weapon manufacturing, and even witnessed the birth of railways.

 

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Should You Stretch before Exercise? After? Never? Here’s What to Know

Philadelphia Eagles stretch as they get ready during practice at NFL football training camp, Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP)
Philadelphia Eagles stretch as they get ready during practice at NFL football training camp, Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP)
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Should You Stretch before Exercise? After? Never? Here’s What to Know

Philadelphia Eagles stretch as they get ready during practice at NFL football training camp, Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP)
Philadelphia Eagles stretch as they get ready during practice at NFL football training camp, Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP)

For many people of a certain age, high school gym class began with reaching for their toes. Then, over the years, we were told it was better to stretch after exercise.

It turns out, both those things can be true, but the differing advice has created some confusion.

Stretching can help make you more flexible, improve range of motion in your joints — and feel good. David Behm, who researches human kinetics at Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John’s, Canada, offers this advice on when to stretch and how to do it safely:

Warm up first

It’s almost always good to stretch, but it’s better if you warm up first, said Behm, author of "The Science and Physiology of Flexibility and Stretching." He recommends a light aerobic activity such as jogging, walking or cycling for five or 10 minutes.

Follow that with some static stretching, the traditional way of reaching and holding a position (think back to that gym class). You can then do activity-specific dynamic stretching, in which you warm up the muscles with repetitive movements like leg lifts.

Behm says one minute is "the magic number" for how long to do static stretching per muscle group without fatigue.

Expand your definition of 'stretching'

Should you always stretch before exercising? If it's traditional stretching, not necessarily.

The better question, Behm says, is, "Should people increase their range of motion? Should people have better flexibility? And that is yes, because it helps prevent injuries. It helps with health. But you don’t have to stretch to achieve that."

Resistance training, for instance, can be an effective form of stretching, he said. Doing a chest press increases range of motion in your deltoids and pecs, whether with barbells, dumbbells or machines, so there is no need to stretch beforehand. Just make sure to start with a small amount of weight to warm up and then add more to train.

"You probably don’t have to do extra stretching unless you’re a gymnast, a figure skater, or even a golfer who needs a great range of motion through that swing," Behm said.

Nor do you need to stretch first if you’re going for a leisurely run. Simply start with a slow jog to warm up and then increase the pace.

Don't do it if it hurts

After exercise, "light stretching is OK, as long as you don't reach a point where you're feeling pain," Behm said. Since your muscles will be warm by that point, overdoing it makes you more likely to injure yourself.

Foam rollers can help with muscle recovery and have been shown to increase range of motion as well as stretching.

Do some static stretching before sports

If you’re playing a sport, Behm said, static stretching beforehand helps reduce muscle and tendon injury.

"If you’re going to do an explosive movement, change of direction, agility, sprint, any of these explosive activities that involve your muscles and tendons," he said, "you’re going to be stronger if you do static stretching."

People can especially get in trouble when they go back to a sport they used to play, whether it's tennis, surfing or any sort of team activity.

Also, stretch both sides equally. Lacking flexibility on one side also can lead to injury.

Sounds simple. Why all the confusion? Different studies over the years have either encouraged or discouraged stretching before exercise. Behm says that partly because some studies didn't reflect real-life conditions, or were designed with elite athletes in mind, not regular people.

"If you’re Usain Bolt, it makes a difference," said Behm. Not so much for the rest of us.