RIYADH: For many, summer in Saudi Arabia is a time to kick back on the couch, turn on the air conditioning and watch other people do sports on TV, and those who dare to defy that approach often end up suffering from heat stroke.
However, running clubs in the Kingdom are busier than ever and show no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Seema Ghannam, who regularly attends sessions at the Riyadh Road Runner Club, told Arab News: “You can stay active wherever you are. There is no restriction in movement wherever you go because you already have hands, arms and legs. This is what you were born to do, to keep moving.”
The Riyadh Road Runner, made up of people of various ages and nationalities, started with a warm-up before moving on to strength training and then running laps around the court. (included)
Until recent years, physical activity in the Kingdom was almost non-existent outside of schools and special football teams. People were confused by the lack of facilities, suitable outdoor areas and hot weather. Now everything is changing. Physical activity is growing rapidly, and running is no exception.
To find out how these runners manage to maintain their routine in the heat, Arab News visited the Riyadh Road Runners team, founded in 1978, at one of the club's sessions on Monday at 7:30pm at the Eid Villas Compound. Runners did laps, stair climbs and full body workouts.
The group, made up of different ages and nationalities, started with a warm-up before moving on to strength training and then ran laps around the court, focusing on proper technique.
SOONTHE FACTS
• Until recent years, physical activity in the Kingdom was almost non-existent outside of schools and special football teams.
• Everything is changing now. Physical activity is growing rapidly, starting with an increase in the number of padel courts and ending with new projects on Sports Boulevard.
Trainer Amr Hafez suggests that runners occasionally intersperse their runs with bodyweight exercises and stair exercises to increase endurance and muscle strength. The session ends with a final lap around the entire complex. At the end of a sweaty workout, runners take a dip in the pool to cool off.
Hannam, who is also a yoga teacher and swimming instructor, added running to her exercise routine two years ago. She said she likes Hafez's holistic approach to the body, which works the abs, hips, glutes and thighs.
“We focus on learning different types of running, how to run, how to put your toes, what shoes to use.”
Riyadh Road Runners, Eid Villas Compound. (Photo by Mayas Al-Ahmadi)
Hannam said she likes running outdoors because “you want your skin and body to get used to the temperature.” But to cope with the heat, runners should choose the most suitable time for themselves, be it night or early morning.
Hafez, a national sales manager for a Saudi food company, has coached the Riyadh Road Runners for more than three years. He has three basic rules when it comes to running in the summer. One is to stay well hydrated, the second is to control your breathing, and the third, to our dismay, is high-intensity interval training.
The trainer said that when he first started running, he used martial arts as part of his training, a fitness trick he learned from his first running coach.
Riyadh Road Runners, Eid Villas Compound. (Photo by Mayas Al-Ahmadi)
“Runners have to build up all their muscles to have great ability,” he said. “Combining strength with fitness helps people develop the ability to run long distances.”
Hafez said he used to think running was pointless, just a form of punishment when a school coach thought someone was slacking. He never imagined he would ever run a marathon or teach other people to do the same.
“Most of the team when they first started couldn't even run 1km,” he said.
Omar al-Ansari, the coach of the R7 club in Riyadh, has six marathons under his belt. The R7 passes into Wadi Hanifah, where this location provides protection from the heat.
“The paths are shaded by trees and the wind from the lake provides a temperature difference of 3-4 degrees compared to the rest of the city,” he said.
Like the Riyadh Road Runners, the R7 emphasizes staying hydrated. “Always run hydrated, take electrolytes to maintain what is lost through sweating,” Al-Ansari said.
He also recommends that runners wear light-colored clothing, finish their workouts before sunrise or after sunset, and choose a garden or wadi as a location or exercise indoors.
“And never forget your sunscreen,” he added.
Many runners told Arab News that there is no longer an excuse for inactivity in the Kingdom.
“We are seeing a greater awareness of the importance of an active lifestyle in the country, and despite our harsh summer weather, there are ways to do this,” Al-Ansari said.
Hafez offered Arab News this simple suggestion: “Start by walking and go from there.”
