Red Bull wakeboarder Omeir Saeed finds himself working out between three-five times a week during the holy month as well as being on the water every day. For the third article of his monthly column, Saeed talks about the endurance exercises he’s doing to build strength and stamina during Ramadan.
Running
I run both in the gym and outside so I’m not just doing the same thing every day. Endurance is obviously a big part of being a wakeboarder and running is a good way of building stamina. It’s important to push yourself though as it can be easy to just jog along when really you need to be raising your heart rate. Sprints and shuttle runs are very effective workouts too.
Swimming
Every time you’re out on the water you have to swim a lot, no one comes to get you if you fall down after doing a trick. So, basically, if I’m not on the board then I’m in the water. Some days I’ll spend more time in the water swimming than I do actually wakeboarding. When you swim it works pretty much every muscle in your body so it’s perfect for keeping fit. A benefit of being a wakeboarder is you develop into a strong swimmer too.
Cycling
I go cycling for an hour or so a few times a week at a high tempo to get my heart rate up. Thankfully, it’s still not that hot outside, which is beneficial because it means I can get out on the bike, even during Ramadan, when usually the humidity is unbearable. Although I still go cycling during summer in the gym, just 10 minutes on the machine every day is enough see improvements in endurance.
Football
I play football once a week, which is a proper 11-a-side game and the good thing about that is you’re constantly on the move both sprinting and jogging. So your heart rate never really drops for 90 minutes, making it a brilliant cardio workout. You only need to play a few matches and you’ll see your overall strength and stamina get better very quickly.
Skipping
I do HIIT workouts in the gym, which really build stamina because the rest period between sets is only a few seconds, so your heart rate is racing constantly. Skipping in particular is great for improving your endurance. Plus, your coordination improves with it as well. I like doing exercises where I can see improvements in my ability. It’s important to keep the rope moving, so when you’re starting out just see how long you can go without stopping, and then increase the speed and go flat-out for as long as you can once you’ve got the rhythm.
