Pumping iron has always been an obsession with me. Knowing that the holy month was sneaking up on me, I knew I had to compromise. Suddenly it was the first day of Ramadan. Struggling with hunger was not an issue and thirst was manageable, but there was one thought that kept throbbing at the back of my head - should I or should I not go to the gym? As iftar approached, I sat at the dining table to eat my first healthful small meal - something we should choose, instead of gorging, as we must feel for the poor. After drinking a bit of water and having some soup and a chicken salad, I proceeded to prayers.
Before I made up my mind about the gym, though, I thought about the past eight months of training and how much of a hassle it was to make gains. Still, I wasn't going to let anything get in the way. Staring at my gym bag lying on the floor, I thought: "I've worked really hard and won't allow myself to get lazy. I am going to exercise, even if I have to reduce the intensity." That meant doing a dead lift with a barbell loaded with my body weight was out of the question.
As I walked to the gym that day, I realised that we all have the strength to do anything we put our minds to. However, one of my greatest worries was how to maintain my muscle mass, especially now that I have got used to eating seven meals a day. Approaching a personal trainer, I asked when was the best time to train during Ramadan and whether muscle loss was inevitable. Contrary to popular belief, training while fasting is not recommended as the body lacks the proper amount of fuel and burns muscle for energy, she said. Ouch, I thought.
However, to my delight, she said muscles start to shrink only after they start to miss, in about two weeks, their proper training and protein intake. Despite a four-day-a-week split weight training routine and a punching bag workout twice a week at home, I may feel down but I'm not out. Though training has its place in my heart, prayers can also have physical benefits similar to those in exercise. My mother has told me that several yoga poses are extracted from prayer positions, which got me researching. I found positions corresponding to the five existing in our prayers and that each one offers spiritual, physical and mental well-being.
For example, the position of ruku in prayer, when one bends and put hands on the knees, is similar to the forward bend position in yoga. Both stretch the thighs, the calves and the lower back. It is important to recognise that the essence of prayers is to get closer to Allah and strengthen your faith. Still, it is OK to acknowledge the physical benefits of prayer, even though they are only a small aspect of the bigger picture.
Though there is always a way to balance life and religion, it takes a lot of willpower and consistency. @Email:newsdesk@thenational.ae