Day 1: New Journey Version 2.0
Today marks Day 1 of a new journey. While it’s a continuation of the previous one, I’ve made some changes in my mindset, so it feels right to start fresh and begin counting from zero.
Workout
Even though I wasn’t fasting today, I decided to stick with my fasting day workout routine. It felt great and refreshing. I started by walking on my rooftop, exposing my eyes to the sunlight. Once my body felt warmed up, I skipped rope for seven minutes — jumping for one minute and resting for 30 seconds, repeating that seven times. Then I followed it with:
- 75 Jumping Jacks
- Stretching: hips, neck, shoulders, arms, and hands
- 3 Forward folds to backbends (I couldn’t find the exact names for these)
- 15 Squats
- 35 High Knees
- 35 Leg swings (back and forth) — picked this up from a Tai Chi video
I did the above two or three times (I lost count), and my whole body felt alive. After that, I moved on to:
- 4 sets of 15 push-ups
- 5 sets of one-minute Kegels
- 35 Sit-ups
- 15 reps of wrestler bridges
- 35 Side leg crunches
- 35 floor T-raises
That was today’s workout, and this will likely be my routine for the next few days unless I decide to switch things up.
The Core
To be honest, I’ve been planning to focus on my core muscles for a long time, but something has always held me back. It feels like the weakest part of my body, and it’s crucial for most physical activities. I’ve included Kegels this time and hope to add more core exercises as I move forward.
Diet
I started the day with five dates, as usual. After that, I didn’t eat anything until 8:12. Since my sisters were with me, we sat down to have breakfast, which we do on non-fasting days. Sometimes it’s light, and other times it’s heavier than the earth. Today, I had two eggs dipped in olive oil with a palm-sized piece of bread. After that, I ate two apples, a cup of homemade lemon juice, and a sweet, unhealthy snack made from semolina and honey.
Routine
My day usually starts at 3:00 AM, and I follow this routine carefully:
- I take a cold shower to wake up my body.
- I pray, which feels more beneficial than stretching.
- I go to the mosque for Fajr prayer.
- After prayer, I clean the street of garbage (mostly from kids). It gets messy, but this has become an unexpected form of exercise.
- I buy groceries from a neighbor if needed.
- Workout.
- After my workout, I take a warm shower.
- Then I start working.
Right now, I’ve got this part of my day (from 3:00 to 13:00) under control. When everything goes according to plan during this time, I feel fantastic.
