The Saudi Sports for All Federation (SFA) is collaborating with a number of professional Saudi sports coaches to provide advice and tips on how to continue incorporating new fitness regimes, begun during the coronavirus lockdown, into daily life throughout the holy month of Ramadan.

The SFA recognizes that changing habits, especially introducing new fitness routines, can be challenging during the best of times. The SFA launched its digital challenge, ‘Your Home, Your Gym,’ known as Baytak Nadeek during the outset of the stay-at-home lockdown to encourage people to start getting active and keep fit.

The digital program supports the Ministry of Health’s recommendations to stay home and embrace social distancing while encouraging people to turn their personal spaces into physical activity zones, create family fun, and build healthy habits. To help get people started, the SFA provided access to information, advice, and trainers through their Healthy Living portal.

This was followed by its ‘Move to Donate’ campaign, which encourages people to continue exercising during the holy month and will run throughout Ramadan. Participants are invited to visit the SFA website, pledge a workout and share videos or pictures of themselves taking part on social media using the hashtags #حركتك_صدقتك (Move to Donate) and #بيتك_ناديك (Your Home, Your Gym). The posts are then converted into food baskets for those in need, in partnership with the Saudi Food Bank.

However, the SFA knows that exercise can be an additional challenge during Ramadan. In the past, the advice was to reduce activity during the blessed month, but this year the SFA wants to help support those who have recently embarked on fitness journeys to maintain their new habits. To do this, they have enlisted the help of a range of professional sports coaches to share their advice and tips.

Sports coach and interval training expert Abdullah Abdulbasit Abba Fallatah, who is part of the SFA’s ‘Your Home, Your Gym’ initiative, said it is possible to keep exercising during Ramadan by following some simple guidelines. Said Fallatah: “During the blessed month of Ramadan, two methods for exercising can be followed. The first involves a light breakfast of dates, water, and protein drinks and then exercise 30 minutes later. The second is to have a full breakfast and exercise after at least an hour.

"The type of exercise taken during the blessed month of Ramadan should not differ from usual, but the intensity should be adapted to the individual’s energy levels. I would also advise building in rest days and limiting exercise to every other day.

“It is also really important to ensure you are giving your body all the nutrients and hydration it needs to stay active.”

Fallatah, an athlete representing Saudi Arabia in the UAE’s Government Games, also enjoys playing football and swimming. He has also taken up bodybuilding and a variety of other sports and believes fitness is key to health. Join the SFA on Instagram to see Fallatah’s workouts post as part of #حركتك_صدقتك (Move to Donate) and #بيتك_ناديك (Your Home, Your Gym).

The SFA ‘Your Home, Your Gym’ digital campaign is supported by the Ministry of Sports and the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee, and a part of the Vision 2030 Quality of Life Program. The digital campaign has already reached nearly four million people with thousands of user-generated social media images and videos of home workouts being posted from across the Kingdom and the wider GCC.

For further information about the Move to Donate campaign visit: sportsforall.com.sa/move-to-donate