JEDDAH, 9 October 2007 — Ramadan is supposed to be about having empathy for the hungry and downtrodden, but in reality everyone seems to gain weight during Ramadan, thanks to the almost nightly elaborated meals, banqueting and hosting houseguests during the holy month.

So perhaps it’s not surprising that people also tend to increase their time at the gym during Ramadan.

Badr Al-Shibani, owner of Kai Fitness Center in Jeddah, said he notices a slight increase in the number of people — most of who are between the ages of 25 and 40 — visiting his club during Ramadan.

“While the younger ones prefer to visit after breaking their fast, the majority of the older generations prefer to finish their work and then come to the club before breaking their fast,” he said.

Al-Shibani said that his center offers pre-Ramadan programs to educate members on proper exercising techniques during the fasting month.

“The doctor advised them to practice few low-impact exercises, like aerobics or walking in order avoid stress on your body,” he said.

Contrary to popular belief that it’s always better to exercise before eating, Al-Shibani says that while exercising on an empty stomach means your body is burning stored fat, it can increase your likelihood of feeling light headed or nauseated during a workout. In essence there’s no set or absolute rule on exercising before or after breaking a daytime fast.

“Playing football on an empty stomach can be dangerous,” Al-Shibani said. (At the same time, swimming immediately after eating can also be dangerous, as it increases chances of cramping and drowning.)

Saudi athletes say they tend to exercise before and after breaking fast during Ramadan.

“We train twice a day but before breaking our fast, mainly warm-ups,” said Fathi Al-Muslim, Saudi national team cyclist. “After eating I will cycling for up to 2-and-a-half hours.”

The best time to warm up, said Al-Muslim, is 90 minutes before sunset. He recommends working out before breaking the fast.

“Then when it’s time to eat you recharge your body with what it needs to stay healthy, then you can continue trainings afterward,” he said.

Considering the tendency for people to overeat during Ramadan, and how that might discourage people from exercising after a large meal, Al-Muslim laughs.

“People’s habits of eating a lot (during Ramadan) will not help us to maintain that healthy and fit body,” he said. “We have to have balance, and we should try not to stay up late, either, because this also had a bad effect.”

Maki Al-Mubiareek, gymnastics national team captain, says the gymnasts exercise one hour before breaking fast and three hours afterward.

Stretching muscles is emphasized before the meal with heavier low-impact workouts afterward.

“It’s impressive how the team is holding up and how the performance is progressing this month,” he said.

Water polo athlete Adel Al-Malki says he prefers to get his daily workout before breaking fast.

“It’s exciting to train before breakfast knowing that food will come soon,” he said.

After fasting Al-Malki said he often goes to the local football pitch and participates in the popular nighttime Ramadan neighborhood-league matches.