This year, I made a promise to myself: I would lead an active and healthy Ramadan.
Well, more active and healthy than last year's, at least, which mainly consisted of significant doses of daytime sleep, heavy night-time eating and absolutely no thought put into performing physical activity of any kind.
Although last year's Ramadan habits eased the difficulties of fasting during August's long and hot daytime hours, it took me months to shake off the lethargic tendencies I had developed, as well as the extra kilos that were a direct result of the lethargy.
Last year's month of apathy resulted in this year's Ramadan resolutions: not allowing my sleeping schedule to change by ensuring that I turn to siestas only as a last resort; making my meals count by eating a balanced diet and pushing myself to exercise as much as my fasting body would let me. In other words, no more 3am shawarmas ordered from the comfort of my air-conditioned car.
Staying awake, although a challenge at the beginning as I adjusted to the changed imposed by the Holy Month, has been doable, as work and studies have forced me to remain engaged and keep the drowsiness at bay.
Eating healthily has proven a little challenging, with iftar tables routinely laden with heavy dishes and sugary desserts served in eye-catching, mouth-watering, irresistibly appetising ways (can you tell this was written while fasting?).
But as with all resolutions some, if not all, will be broken. Top of my "destined to fail" list is that of regular activity.
The greatest hurdle to overcome in achieving a Ramadan exercise routine is, when to do it?
During the majority of the day is a no-go, as losing fluids from a body already dehydrated is unwise and dangerous.
Many recommend working out right before iftar as sustenance and hydration are just around the corner.
In theory, this sounds ideal, but in practice, I have found that without fuel, even low-level exercising feels like an excruciating boot camp.
Another option is exerting yourself after a light iftar. This I found to be the best option, but it must be approached with caution as extreme hunger can make it hard to control what and how much you eat after a 15-hour fast.
Not showing ample restraint on your first meal of the day could have dire digestive repercussions, as working out causes your muscles to sap the much-needed energy your stomach requires to process all that food.
The last and latest in the day option is to enjoy a significant iftar and wait for the long and slow processes of waking up from a food coma before strapping on your training gear. But trying to keep any normality in your sleeping hours goes out of the window after a late summer iftar and a much later workout.
In fact, there is no "one size fits all" to keeping fit and active during Ramadan and different levels of workouts at different times suit different people.
One thing Ramadan observers do agree on is that exercising during the month is even more challenging than normal, no matter which way you cut it.
And that is how it should be, as the Holy Month's tests are one path toward feeling the Ramadan spirit.
tsubaihi@thenational.ae
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
Ferrari
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Michael%20Mann%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Adam%20Driver%2C%20Penelope%20Cruz%2C%20Shailene%20Woodley%2C%20Patrick%20Dempsey%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Tips%20for%20holiday%20homeowners
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Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
ZAYED SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
MADAME%20WEB
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The Equaliser 2
Director Antoine Fuqua
Starring: Denzel Washington, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo, Ashton Sanders
Three stars
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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