A man rides a bicycle along a corniche during Ramadan in Gaza City, on April 4, 2023. Along the corniche of Gaza at dusk, hundreds of people are seen doing sports each day during the ongoing Ramadan, a new trend among the locals in the Muslim holy month. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
GAZA, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Along the corniche of Gaza at dusk, hundreds of people are seen doing sports each day during the ongoing Ramadan, a new trend among the locals in the Muslim holy month.
Aerobics, jogging, walking and bike-riding are among the most popular sports during Ramadan, when Muslims observe a strict daily fast from dawn to sunset while preparing delicious dishes for the fast-breaking Iftar meal that comes around the setting of the sun.
Hamada Lafi, a 32-year-old resident of Gaza, said after trying out jogging along the corniche, he found himself becoming more energetic and mentally relaxed in the current holy month.
The father of four said he used to feel lethargic or irritable during the fasting hours "due to the lack of caffeine in my body as a result of the change in my daily routine," which made him easily get into fights with others, including his wife.
The young man said he decided to maintain the healthy lifestyle even after Ramadan ends. "I will never give up the corniche anymore, and I will keep practicing the sports activity in the early morning before heading to my job every day after Ramadan."
Sanaa Khalaf, a mother of three with a modest income, said she opted for walking and running regularly at the corniche since she did not have enough money to register in any local sports club, and doing these free exercises in long-hour fasting has helped her lose about 12 kg of weight.
"Walking is a sport that is available to all and is inexpensive. It does not require tools and equipment, but only the will, and it has a positive impact on health, such as stimulating blood circulation, maintaining physical fitness and improving general mood."
Many local people saw the corniche as the only public space in Gaza that offered a free getaway from a hard life. The populous, 40-km-long Palestinian enclave has suffered from a deteriorating political and economic condition since Israel imposed its blockade in 2007.
In 2022, more than 70 percent of the entire population in Gaza suffered from depression, according to a survey by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics and the World Bank published in February, a dire psychological consequence of long-lasting Israeli blockades and frequent armed conflicts.
Dirdah al-Shaer, a Gaza-based psychologist, said doing sport in beautiful scenery help people "get rid of the negative energy that grows from pressures or adverse situations they went through."
"In the past, we used to witness hundreds of fights between locals who are challenged by the psychological pressures due to the long-hour fasting, and even crimes during Ramadan," al-Shaer said, adding he was glad to see many people put exercise into their daily routine in the holy month. ■
People run along a corniche during Ramadan in Gaza City, on April 4, 2023. Along the corniche of Gaza at dusk, hundreds of people are seen doing sports each day during the ongoing Ramadan, a new trend among the locals in the Muslim holy month. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
People have a walk along a corniche during Ramadan in Gaza City, on April 4, 2023. Along the corniche of Gaza at dusk, hundreds of people are seen doing sports each day during the ongoing Ramadan, a new trend among the locals in the Muslim holy month. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
People have a walk along a corniche during Ramadan in Gaza City, on April 4, 2023. Along the corniche of Gaza at dusk, hundreds of people are seen doing sports each day during the ongoing Ramadan, a new trend among the locals in the Muslim holy month. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
