Training BJJ in Ramadan

Disclaimer: Always listen to your body and consult a physician before making any changes to your nutrition or training regime. The contents of this blog post and all blog posts on ladygijiujitsu.com should be met with sound decisions that are made with your health care provider. Visitors who use this site should and rely on any information do so at their own risk.

The Month of Ramadan is the ninth month in the Muslim lunar calendar and is one of the holiest month for Muslims.

In this month Muslim will fast every day from sunrise to sunset and will refrain from food and drink for the entire month. Pregnant women, children, the elderly, those who have illnesses, women who are menstruating, people travelling, are all exempt from fasting.

A lot of people who train BJJ may find it difficult to train and fast at the same time, especially when Ramadan falls in the summer month when the daylight hours exceed 12 hours.

Do you have to give up your workouts and training in Ramadan? Absolutely not!

You can still fast and train at the same time, however you do need to be smart about your nutrition, your sleep, and the time of day you train.

What to Eat During the Non-Fasting Hours

During Sahoor (pre-dawn meal) and Iftar (breaking fast meal) I drink as much water as I possible can. If I am offering prayers during the night I will drink water through the night so I can stay hydrated. Since I have trouble drinking a large amount of plain water, I squeeze fresh lemon juice into my water bottle and it keeps me going. You can also add zero calorie water flavourings if it rocks your world. Remember to also take multivitamins and eat a nutritious meal. Leave the traditional fried food for the weekend.

When to Train

If you are capable of continuing your training (remember to listen to your body), try to choose training times later at night so you can train right before you break your fast. Take some dates and water with you if your class runs into Iftar time.

Adjust Your Training Style

If you plan on training during Ramadan, chances are you will find it difficult to make through an entire rolling class. This is why you should change up your training routine and try to do more drilling and less rolling if you are starting to feel faint. Drilling is a great way to continue building your muscle memory and agility. You can use this time to work on things that you don't normally get to try in class and fine tune some of the techniques you're having trouble with.

Listen to Your Body

If you can't do it, you can't do it. Don't force your body to keep going if you need a break. If your heart is longing to be on the mats, you can still go to class and watch. You'll still be able to absorb information even if you aren't physically training. It'll be like watching an instructional, only it's live!