A Muslim boxer has spoken about what it’s like to fast as an athlete during the holy month of Ramadan.
Safiyyah Syeed, known as the 'Hijabi Boxer', is one of the 1.8 billion Muslims across the world observing the holy month of Ramadan whilst carrying on with their day-to-day tasks.
Unlike most people fasting, her days involve intense training to keep herself in tip-top condition as an athlete.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar which Muslims observe by having no food or water from sunrise to sunset.
An important month for Muslims, the annual event is meant to help people focus on prayer, purification and charitable acts bringing them closer to God.
Safiyya, 20, who is originally from Bradford but now based in Ancoats, picked up boxing as a teenager.
She said that while she has gotten used to training while fasting, it hasn’t always been plain sailing for her in the past.
“Ramadan two years ago was the hardest one for me." She said.
“I didn’t have any experience training and fasting, not even a plan, so I was just training as usual.
“I was working harder and not smarter and it was also boiling! Now I’m working smarter and not harder.
“I’m training things I wouldn’t normally work on, which is giving me more time to focus on myself spiritually and mentally.”
Likening the holy month to Christmas, for Safiyyah, Ramadan is a time where she focuses on helping others.
With there being an emphasis on charitable acts during the month, Safiyyah is using her platform to help raise money for a water pump in a deprived area in Pakistan.
“Ramadan is an amazing month, full of good vibes”, she told the M.E.N
“The closest way I can describe it would be the Christmas period - everyone’s happy and there’s a great atmosphere.
“It’s the month where Allah accepts you whatever state your Iman (faith) is in. It is the month that feeds your soul and prepares us for the ups and downs that follow during the rest of the year.
“We get rewarded for fasting and doing good, like giving to charity, so there’s no better time to do some good than now. I love giving back, it’s not only good for others, it’s also good for the soul."
Safiyyah is also part of a campaign that sees Muslim athletes share their personal experiences of training during Ramadan and give guidance to others on how to stay fit during the holy month.
New research commissioned for Ramadan by fitness retailer Sports Direct revealed that over 80pc of Muslim men and women aged 18-35 are concerned about how to exercise and train safely while fasting.
The survey showed that a quarter (25pc) said they train less during the month.
While almost a third (29pc) feel there is not enough advice available about how to exercise and train safely.
On tips on how to keep fit during Ramadan Safiyyah said: “I would say work smarter. Work out but do lighter things. Go on walks, train an hour before opening your fast or just after.
“But enjoy this period. We’re always physically active we need to look after ourselves spiritually and mentally otherwise we won’t be 100 per cent.”
