A strong rugby background means Bracewell has rarely struggled for fitness, but couch potatoes would've recoiled in horror the way he shifted through the gears to deal with trainer Chris Donaldson's commands.
In short, he cantered away from teammates Neil Wagner, Luke Ronchi and Hamish Rutherford. It left the impression he has the stamina to bowl in a test.
"It's something I've worked on hard the last few months, especially with an aim to build towards this tour," Bracewell said.
"We change it up but I've been focusing on a bit of longer distance running, trying to get fitter. Over here the hot conditions can be pretty taxing on the body."
The fitness test evidence suggests Bracewell is guaranteed to pass muster if he's given the chance of a start. Although, with Neil Wagner presumably in line before him, this tour really amounts to a watching brief to gauge the veracity of Bracewell's mea culpa.
The heroics of his match-winning nine for 60 against Australia at Hobart in his third test have run their course. While that will remain part of folklore, he has to reach for new horizons.
One of those is the World Cup. He's by no means an automatic selection but List A figures of 15 wickets at 16.33 and an economy rate of 4.80 on the New Zealand "A" tour to England mid-year suggest he has something to offer.
Bracewell says he has spoken to coach Mike Hesson and manager Mike Sandle about his responsibilities from here.
"I've spent some time away from the team which was obviously disappointing but it was a wake-up. I definitely learned from what happened. It's exciting to be back in the mix even if it's disappointing not to play."
One aspect of Bracewell's return that is impossible to contrive is runs. Observers who watched his 73 not out for Central Districts and eight for 121 against Otago last month were impressed by his talent, which becomes more relevant if Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Wagner remain the incumbents in seam and swing-friendly conditions.
Bracewell knows the test pace bowling stocks are healthy. He foresees a time when he'll be competing against Corey Anderson and Jimmy Neesham for a test spot, or at least making himself more alluring as a third pace bowler with a reliable bat.
"Being an all-rounder has always been a focus but there's plenty of competition.
"I'm in the team as a bowler, but batting is just as important. So I try to grab whoever's around to work on it at the end of training. I haven't had a lot of work batting-wise in this test. Sitting on the sidelines always makes it tough."
Also tough is the decision by Doug's father, former test cricketer Brendon, to move to Australia. The pair share a close affinity.
"It's new to me not having him around all the time but we stay in touch week-by-week. He's still an important mentor who's been by my side throughout my career."
• Andrew Alderson travelled to the UAE courtesy of Emirates.
