This useful article will be checking out different ways through which you can train during Ramadan. If you are a Muslim athlete or sportsperson who is fasting on Ramadan, you will definitely find this post pretty resourceful.
How to Train During Ramadan?
If you are fasting during the holy month of Ramadan and you are an athlete, you might be looking for ways to make your experience a lot better. The trick to training well during Ramadan is to combine both physical as well as mental factors to create a solid regime.
- By creating specific goals
- By talking to a dietitian
- By using this time for rest and recovery
- By looking at it as a challenge
- By sharpening your faith
- By using your experience as a platform
- By being the best sportsperson you can
By creating specific goals
Ramadan is a special time in every Muslim athlete’s life, but can be quite confusing if you do not know how to specifically handle your training during this holy month. Since Ramadan requires you to do special and unique things during this month, you can create special goals for yourself.
Depending on your sport and your schedule, you can work with your coach to come up with specific goals only for the month of Ramadan. For instance, you can focus on low-intensity exercises during this month or perhaps maintaining your muscle mass for the month.
By talking to a dietitian
One great tip is to simply consult with a dietitian before you start your fast on Ramadan. Depending on your body-type and your body-goals, your dietitian can give you a unique diet which will suit you better.
In Ramadan, a long day-time fast is broken by a lavish meal during sundown, and this meal is often filled with sugary-treats and saturated fats. While these may be alright for a lay-person, this may not be great if you are an athlete in training.
Your dietitian will recommend tweaks and changes in your meals, so that you not only enjoy the abundance of Iftar but also make sure that your physical-performance goals are accomplished through your intake.
By using this time for rest and recovery
For some athletes, Ramadan can be more about rest and recovery and this is also perfectly fine, especially if you are in an off-season. Some athletes prefer to use this month to conserve their energy levels and use this for something else other than sports.
For example, some athletes may use their Ramadan for charity and may focus on volunteering in places where help is needed. Other athletes may use this time to catch up on their reading and their education.
By looking at it as a challenge
Training and performing during Ramadan can be slightly difficult, especially if you are new to it. Even if you have been training during Ramadan for many years together, every Ramadan presents its own unique set of sticky situations.
As a Sport Psychologist, I often recommend my clients who are fasting during Ramadan to look at this month as a challenge. In fact, training and performing during Ramadan can be a great test of your mental strength and stamina.
In looking at Ramadan as a challenge, you will be motivated to stick to your fast better and also train to be a better athlete. If you are finding it hard to do so, you can try speaking to your Sport Psychologist about various coping strategies and techniques which can help.
By sharpening your faith
Ramadan is all about improving your relationship with the Almighty. And therefore, one way to improve your training and performance during Ramadan is to simply sharpen your faith. Your faith will not only help you in your spirituality, but is essential for your performance.
Many athletes have openly confessed that their faith and spirituality play a big part in their performance on their field. Mesut Ozil might be one of the biggest examples of this. Another popular example is basketball player Kyrie Irving.
By using your experience as a platform
You can also look at your fasting during Ramadan as a platform to voice your beliefs and opinions. Though the world has become more open to personal religious beliefs and practices, not everyone might know about the reason why you fast.
As you practice fasting in front of your teammates, you will often be bombed with curious questions about your religion and even your personal opinions. You can use this time to speak out and create a unique space for yourself in the team.
By being the best sportsperson you can
Ramadan is not just about the fasting. It is also a lot to do with creating family connections and giving charity. One of the most important aspects and key takeaways from fasting during Ramadan is the essentiality of sticking to rules.
There are a number of rules that you need to follow if you are a Muslim athlete who is fasting during Ramadan. As you start getting used to the rules of the holy month, you can also apply the same to your sport.
For example, you can start following the rules of your sport to the best of your abilities. You might even be called a stickler for the rules, but following rules to a fault is what makes a sportsperson the best they can be.
Ramadan is also about making the right connections with people and about helping those who are vulnerable. You can also use these lessons by helping your teammates improve their potential, thereby improving the team performance simultaneously.
Ramadan Mubarak to everyone reading this post!
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Citations
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22769241/
https://www.jssm.org/jssm-10-137.xml%3EFulltext
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1750984X.2022.2106790
https://brieflands.com/articles/asjsm-105569.html
https://aassjournal.com/article-1-1123-en.html
https://www.asjp.cerist.dz/en/downArticle/380/1/1/130715
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/shireenahmed/athletes-fasting-during-ramadan
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