Jeddah: Serious athletes and hardcore enthusiasts of the Holy Moon tend to exercise before and after fasting, leading to overcrowded health centers.
Since the inception of Ramadan, Jeddah’s gym business is booming, especially as gyms and fitness facilities often offer attractive discounts on membership and group exercise packages during the holy month. Many gym hours are also extended until midnight to accommodate increasing demand.
The Ramadan gym is open from 2 pm to 5 pm and will reopen from 9 pm to 2 am. Working hours are adjusted according to the period of fasting.
Nader Abduljawad, an Egyptian trainer at Jeddah’s First Gym, said more people would attend the gym as it would be crowded from 3 pm during Ramadan. Until 5 pm or after Iftar.
Ramadan is time to introspect and spend more time on the religious side, but that doesn’t mean you should stop training or exercising. This is a good time to make changes.
Nader Abdul Jawad, Egyptian trainer
He said that during Ramadan, every gym, old and young, struggling to stay fit turns into an overcrowded hotspot.
Abdul Javad said he noticed a slight increase in the number of people visiting the club during Ramadan. Most of them are between the ages of 25 and 40.
“The younger generation prefers to visit after a fast, but the majority of the older generation prefers to come to the club after work and before fasting,” he said.
According to him, in the gym, group fitness classes increased by 68%, aerobic exercise and stretching increased by 50%, and the use of indoor tracks for walking increased by 23%.
On the other hand, more intense weight training sessions showed a 43% decrease, but the average number of trainings per person was 3.5 times per week.
“Ramadan is time to introspect and spend more time on the religious side, but that doesn’t mean you should stop training or exercising. It’s a good time to make a difference,” Abdul Javad said. Said.
During Ramadan, many gym attendees, such as Turki Al-Qahtani, approach training sessions in two ways. He trains before or shortly after the start of the fasting day.
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● According to Nader Abdul Jawad, the gym increased group fitness classes by 68%, aerobic exercise and stretching by 50%, and the use of indoor tracks for walking by 23%.
The 29-year-old Arab News said Ramadan was no excuse for not exercising when walking to do daily exercise at the gym.
“The holy month shouldn’t be the one that gives up on your fitness goals. Rather, make time to recharge Ramadan so that you can hit Jim hard in the next four weeks,” he says. I did.
As exercises in the gym become more popular, many men and women are using Ramadan as an opportunity to start a new healthy routine.
Banker Nasir Abu Dawood is one of many athletes across Jeddah who has found an individual way to maintain fitness during the holy month.
“Working in a bank made it very difficult for me to get along, but fortunately some health clubs extended their time until after midnight,” he said.
“Midnight is the most convenient time for me. I had enough time to digest food, pray and get the job done. Jim is nice and empty.”
Asim Al-Awsaf from Jordan is one of those who prefers to train late into the night in the gym. He visits Ultimate Power Gym in Jeffah, Rawda district every night at 12:00 am during Ramadan. “Taraweef’s prayer ends by 10 pm, then I have to adjust my exercise time,” he said.
“I can’t go to the gym early because it’s so crowded that everyone wants to train before the gym closes.”
On the other hand, many women prefer to exercise two hours before Iftar to maintain a high level of fitness, despite Ramadan’s daytime thirst and hunger.
Hanan al-Aufi, a regular pedestrian, said he likes to walk and exercise every day. During Ramadan, she prefers to exercise before Iftar. “She knows she’ll fast soon and can push her a little more,” she said.
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