Zainab Alima is a professional rugby player for Richmond Women and a guest on the podcast Fast Enough: Ramadan Running. She’s been playing rugby club for 12 years and now has her sights set on playing in England (she even has drawings of herself in the England group on her wall as a reminder of her goals).
“I have been fortunate in the sense that for the past few years it has been Ramadan in the summer months so I didn’t have to play any rugby matches. Instead, the focus was on pursuing my training in the best possible way.
“One of the most important ways to support my workouts is to eat satiating, nutritious foods before sunrise. At four in the morning I usually eat oats because a bowl of porridge lasts a long time. Then, I plan my workouts for the evening so I can refuel more often. Right then my club trains at 7 p.m., so I’ll usually do 45-minute heavy-weight or high-intensity workouts before I break my fast again.
“During the day, I like to keep my activity light. Recovery is a huge part of training and is even more important during Ramadan, so I tend to add naps when I can (but I have three kids, so sleep is scarce for me anyway). The important thing to keep in mind is the fact that during this month your energy levels are on the lower side so there is no point in overburdening yourself during this month.The month is also meant to be a time for reflection and I believe the slower pace of my days is not just about supporting my workouts But it also allows me a solid time to focus on being creative.
“No one talks about the prayer aspect of being a Muslim woman in sports. It is a huge part of our faith and we pray five times a day. My team has been great at providing me a small, quiet space where I can pray, meaning I don’t have to compromise between my training and my faith.”
“As someone who hasn’t seen many people in rugby who are like me, I initially struggled to ask for these things. It’s tough in team sports because if things don’t go well for an individual it becomes a team problem and I don’t want to let anyone down. Candid and honest conversations means everyone understands the times I need to sit down and why I don’t have water during break or when I need 10 minutes to pray.It has helped them be more supportive of me – my team is amazing.
“A lot of people don’t know what they can do to accommodate Muslims in sports environments, and I think that is why Muslim women are some of the least active people in society. I want to change this perception and prove that we belong in sports, even in Ramadan.”
Maymah Makda is a fitness influencer and an ambassador for Bulk. She first discovered fitness about three years ago, and now shares her journey with nearly 50,000 followers while working full time on the NHS.
“In 2019 I was bored, had no hobbies and my self-confidence wasn’t the best, so I started exercising and found out that I love lifting weights. During the first year of my fitness journey, I practiced Ramadan and was happy to be able to continue my workouts during Fasting For the next few years we were in lockdown, but I was able to keep up with the 8kg lifting and body weight exercises during the month.
“This year, I’m back in the gym but I’ve been reducing my workouts in terms of reps ranges and the number of exercises I do. I only train twice a week because of the work out anyway so I don’t think I need to take a break but I do shorten the workouts.” I have an hour and a half and I make sure to keep my safe limits.
Taking longer breaks this year has changed the rules of the game to restore energy between sets. I will never try to go to PBs when I am fasting but instead I will focus on what I can do. Just accepting that I won’t be able to do much and may not get the same results helps relieve stress (and cardio is totally off the books too).
“I make sure to plan my meals wisely and eat wisely. This means starting with a carbohydrate-rich meal at sunset and continuing to eat protein to preserve muscle mass during times of fasting. As long as I have these simple habits, I will not say no to dessert.”
“A lot of my audience are Muslims and look to me for training advice during Ramadan. I know a lot of people are worried about training during this month, especially if they haven’t done so before, so I use my platform to give advice that helped me. I think it’s also important to post A broader awareness of everyone in the fitness community. Anyone who wants to support me can give me a backpack.”
Photos: Sports Direct/Bulk
