‘Regular fasting has helped me excel in Jiu-Jitsu sport’
Ialmost ran out of my mobile data yesterday and it is something we all panic about. But I didn’t feel the need to worry about it, Alhamdulillah. On the contrary, I was without data almost the whole day and felt less distracted than usual. I got more time with myself, reading the Quran and studying about it. I was able to understand more of it.
Usually, people get very distracted by their phones. It is beeping while they are at mosques, while opening fasts, at Suhoor, and many of us just wait to finish our prayers so that we can get back to our screens. I am happy I didn’t get my data recharged, because I am interacting with more people personally. I am not looking at my phone all the time and I am discovering more as I read the Holy Quran with more focus.
Fasting is coming along well and another thought that has crossed my mind is that we should fast on and off throughout the year. Our dear Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) used to fast regularly outside the holy month of Ramadan.
It is an amazing detoxification of the body and soul that we should do maybe once or twice a week throughout the year. It is so beneficial for our body and mind and I am feeling its effects now.
I go for a high-impact Jiu-Jitsu workout every day from 4pm to 6.30pm during my fast, because we are required to continue our daily schedule as it is and not make it an excuse to be lazy.
On the contrary, I feel when we are fasting and feeling hungry, there is a certain motivation to get things done. You want to finish off your work swiftly as you have your reward at the end of the day — open your fast at Iftar time and get blessed spiritually, mentally and physically.
It is a bit more challenging in my Jiu-Jitsu training, but we reduce the number of fighting rounds from five to six to about three to four in this month. It is much more challenging and exciting when we do it on the fast. I do get thirsty but it’s nothing unbearable. I ensure to cut out salty foods and keep myself hydrated, regularly sipping water after opening the fast and also throughout the night. This helps in keeping thirst at bay during the fast.
I believe that fasting and detoxifying my body makes me better at my Jiu-Jitsu sport. Exercise can be done during fasting hours but within certain limits. You need to just keep it light, especially if you are doing weights. Ensure that you stay very active throughout your day as you fast, do your work as you are supposed to; do your workouts as well, but make them low intensity and with fewer repetitions. It is important for those who are into exercising to maintain their fitness regime or else they will lose a lot of their body mass and muscle and also lose weight, which is not a very good thing for them. Look at the marathon runners of Africa, they do not have food and much water, but they run out of their passion. We are lucky to be living in a country with an abundance of food and drink, so let us not get lazy and make the best of what we have and thank Allah by praying and being grateful to Him.