How do you maintain your fitness in Ramadan?

Samer Farag is a personal trainer and general manager of Fitness First. Samer has been fasting for years and has found the perfect balance between fasting and exercise on a personal and professional level.

Sports is a major part of everyday life for many, and for others, their entire day is based on exercise. With the advent of Ramadan, the usual daily routine of our lives changes drastically, and here it remains important for people who fast to maintain a balanced pattern.

Here are some tips from Samer Farag on how to prepare your body for exercise and how fasting can help build the muscles you've always wanted.

Instead of stopping to exercise during Ramadan, Samer realizes the importance of exercise during this period.

“My workout program completely changes in Ramadan and what I do is change my routine away from cardio and intense exercises, and instead train with 30% less weight than I usually use,” Samer says.

Instead of avoiding exercise as many people do during Ramadan, Samer takes advantage of this time by doing what is known as “blotting.”

He says, “Due to the lower calorie intake this month, it is an excellent time to burn more fat and get fit and in perfect body. I am taking this time to get big abs in preparation for the beach and sea season and I advise my clients to reduce the number of times they repeat weight training exercises, this way they will get a perfect body and lose fat too.”

In order to achieve this, good food and sleep are essential, Samer says: “If you postpone exercise by two or three hours, your body will be able to carry weights because it is full of energy, but you need to get the right amount of carbohydrates, minerals and proteins in order for your body to recover. He recovered quickly.”

“Allocate yourself enough hours of sleep before suhoor as this allows your body muscles to rest and retain vitamins and nutritional supplements that are very important for your Ramadan training program.” Samer also recommends eating a light meal on the stomach and drinking plenty of water.

Samer says: “All our bodies are programmed to work differently, so you have to know what time is best for your body. Sometimes I work out after breakfast and sometimes before suhoor after a light meal. It’s great that gyms open late in Ramadan, some until 1 am, so there is no excuse for laziness.”

Samer says that the first 3 or 4 training sessions will be difficult and advises people not to give up because the body will quickly get used to the new program and the energy level will gradually rise.

Samer worked at Fitness First for 11 years, during which time he witnessed a significant increase in the number of sports centers and in the number of people coming to them during Ramadan, and about that, he says: “I remember in my first year that the club was almost empty in Ramadan, but year after year The way people think has changed and they are starting to realize the importance of sport and enjoy it.”

Samer spent the last year in Abu Dhabi, and says that the club then every day filled with people after 9 pm. Over the years, Fitness First has grown in popularity, and group exercise classes in particular have grown in popularity.

“Group exercise classes are very popular during Ramadan because you can work out at your own physical level and because the group motivates each other,” he says. After iftar, women usually prefer zuma, body attack or dance classes.”

Summer also recommends TUFF, which is one of the most popular private classes because it allows people to adapt exercises and weights to their own level.

Here are some steps that help maintain physical fitness during Ramadan:

Make new habits

Ramadan is an ideal opportunity to get rid of bad habits for sure, and not just for 30 days. Take new habits during the holy month, and accustom your body to avoiding fatty and sugary food and drinking large amounts of water.

Keep going to the club

It is very important to keep your body fit, because if you stop a certain exercise for a month, you will lose your fitness and gain extra weight.

timing

Choose what suits your body and adjust it to your timing in Ramadan if needed.