Swimming safety event at York Hall Leisure Centre
We were delighted to welcome Aquatics GB and Swim England last week to host a swimming safety event at York Hall for local schools with over 300 school children attending. Despite swimming being a National Curriculum requirement, only 50 per cent of children from the poorest families in England are leaving primary school able to swim 25m. This event gave local children the chance to learn about keeping themselves safe in water, elite aquatics sports opportunities and fundamental movement skills.
Jacqueline Ayres, Be Well School Swimming lead, started off the event by highlighting the importance of getting all pupils in Tower Hamlets swimming, particularly with the Thames bordering the south of the borough!
Colleagues from Swim England and Aquatics GB introduced swim safety rules, explained the meaning of different flags on lifeguarded beaches, showed messages from elite aquatics athletes as well as leading a fun and interactive session on movement skills that can be used in the water.
A highlight of the day was a surprise visit by GB Olympic diver Kyle Kothari who competed in last year’s 2024 Paris Olympic games. He spoke about his experience of learning to swim and how he switched sports from gymnastics to diving at the age of eleven. The children had a chance to ask Kyle questions as well as take photos with him and see his elite medals.
The event was held as part of a wider campaign by Aquatics GB, Swim England, Scottish Swimming and Swim Wales who are joining forces to raise awareness of the vital importance of school swimming.
Cabinet Member for Culture and Recreation Cllr Kamrul Hussain said: ‘’Learning to swim for our young people is essential, not just to be able to swim but also as a life skill to stay safe, fit and healthy. We are delighted to have been able to host this event in partnership with Swim England and Aquatics GB to help school children learn about swim safety as well as having the chance to be inspired by elite athletes like Kyle Kothari. Tower Hamlets council is committed to supporting residents develop their swimming skills and was proud to launch Be Well Swim Well school last December’’
Be Well provides swimming lessons for all ages and abilities, and works with local schools to host school swimming lessons.
To find out about swimming lesson stages and to book your place, visit our swimming lessons page on the website.
Exercising safely during Ramadan by Dr Alam
Exercising during Ramadan can bring many benefits, both physically and mentally during this spiritual month. It’s understandable that you may be nervous about keeping active while balancing the demands of Ramadan, but there are things you can do to keep yourself safe and well while keeping active.
Benefits of exercising during Ramadan
Whilst exercise is really beneficial for our health generally, it can be particularly helpful during Ramadan. Exercising during Ramadan can benefit your physical wellbeing by helping you to maintain muscle strength and flexibility while preventing physical inactivity during fasting. It can help you mentally by enhancing focus, reducing stress levels, and supporting overall mental clarity during this spiritually significant month.
Benefits of exercise that are particularly beneficial during Ramadan include:
1. Increased energy levels: Light to moderate exercise can boost energy and help manage fatigue during fasting hours.
2. Improved mental focus: Physical activity can enhance concentration and cognitive function, which is especially helpful during Ramadan when focus may be challenging.
3. Stress relief: Exercise releases endorphins which help us to manage stress and improve our overall well-being during the holy month.
4. Maintained fitness: Continuing to exercise during Ramadan, albeit at a reduced intensity, helps maintain physical fitness and prevents significant losses in strength and endurance.
5. Better sleep: Regular physical activity can improve sleep quality, which is crucial during Ramadan when sleep patterns may be disrupted.
Guidelines for exercising during Ramadan
Ultimately it’s down to personal preference as to how you may like to exercise during Ramadan but here are some tips and guidelines you may find helpful.
– Timing: The best times to exercise are before Iftar (breaking fast), or after Iftar or before Suhoor (pre-dawn meal). Each option has unique advantages depending on energy levels and personal preference. Some may prefer to train just before Iftar, so they can break their fast right after their workout. This means you can replenish your energy stores right after and burn fat as the body is at a fat burning stage during this time.
Other options would be exercising just before iftar (breaking of the fast) or between iftar and suhoor (pre-dawn meal) before the start of the next fast. These are good times as you can eat and drink after you exercise and replenish and rehydrate your body. This year nights are longer than the last 10 years of fasting and we can take advantage of that. As the weather is still cold, light exercise is unlikely to make you too thirsty.
– Intensity: Engage in light to moderate activities like walking, yoga, or low-intensity strength training. Avoid high-intensity workouts to prevent exhaustion or dehydration while fasting. Now is a good time focus on maintaining your current physical fitness rather than progression. Listen to your body when exercising; if you feel faint, dizzy or weak take a break until you feel better.
– Nutrition: Focus on eating nutrient-dense foods during Suhoor and Iftar to fuel your workouts. Stay hydrated during non-fasting hours to support your recovery and performance. It’s best to avoid having too much sugary food, fizzy drinks and fried food and better to opt for high protein options like beans, lentils, fish, meat and egg as well as plenty of fruits and vegetables. These will help keep you full whilst giving your body the nutrients it needs.
Summary
Fasting is not meant to disrupt work or change our circadian rhythm. Many of us change our daily routine completely during Ramadan and work less, sleep more and eat unhealthy food. That is not consistent with the tradition of the Prophet (SWT) who led an active life during Ramadan.
By balancing exercise with fasting routines, we can maintain our current fitness and have a more fulfilling Ramadan experience.
Dr Alam is a GP based in East London.
Find out about our extended hours at Whitechapel Sports Centre and Mile End Park Leisure Centre.
