KUWAITL Red Bull Quad athlete, Fahad Al Musallam is no stranger to hard work. As the first Arab to be listed in the FIM Yearbook as Junior Baja World Champion, Fahad is one to persevere. With Ramadan here, he doesn't act out of character for his fitness regime.
Fahad's story began at the age of six when his father purchased him his very first ATV Dirt Bike. Since then his passion has flourished into a full-fledged career. An essential to maintaining his success is upkeeping a healthy and active lifestyle. While this may seem like a challenge to some during the month of Ramadan, Al Musallam recommends performing enjoyable exercises to keep yourself motivated.
Al Musallam's favorite workouts during Ramadan are cardiovascular based exercises. He either exercises before iftar or after, depending on what his schedule allows for the day. During fasting hours, he completes rounds on a jet ski standing up. Jet skiing, in fact, provides several benefits. From developing balance and coordination skills to engaging your core and burning calories, it is a great workout. Following iftar, he participates in group cycling. When you commit to exercising in a group, it pushes you to stick to the workout as well as provides a sense of unity to achieving your goals, he explains.
He recommends, "don't use fasting as an excuse". It is imperative to maintain your year-round results during Ramadan and not allow yourself to fall into a sedentary lifestyle. While it may be tempting, your results could diminish within a month.
In addition to maintaining an active lifestyle, Fahad is a strong believer of healthy food intake. "Don't fall into the trap of consuming fatty foods you crave in the night hours as it can negatively impact your fasting and your ability to workout". He continues to acclaim foods rich in electrolytes and fruits, vegetables, and yogurt that are high in water content and will help you stay hydrated during the fasting hours.
"Keep it up" is Fahad's final piece of advice. He continues that you should never give up, whether it is fitness related, competing related, or career related. To find more about Fahad Al Musallam, follow him on Instagram @fnm22