Two Eids, two kinds of break
The UAE government portal u.ae lists both Eids as public holidays for the public and private sectors. Eid Al Fitr runs from 1 to 3 Shawwal, straight after Ramadan, with the 30th of Ramadan added when the month runs to 30 days. Eid Al Adha runs from 10 to 12 Dhul Hijjah, after Arafah Day on the 9th. Islamic holidays are set by moon sighting, so the exact days are confirmed each year.
| Eid Al Fitr | Eid Al Adha | |
|---|---|---|
| What comes before it | A month of Ramadan, with changed sleep and training times | Your ordinary working routine |
| What the break often involves | Family visits, big meals, sometimes a brief trip | Family gatherings, and sometimes travel |
| What to plan | The Ramadan bridge first, then the normal week | A short return, usually the plan below as it stands |
After Eid Al Fitr, the return overlaps with coming out of Ramadan, so read restarting after Ramadan alongside this page. After Eid Al Adha, there is usually only the holiday itself to come back from.
What a few days off actually costs
A 2013 meta-analysis of 103 studies by Bosquet and colleagues found that stopping resistance training reduced strength and power, and that the loss grew with the length of the break. A holiday of a few days sits at the short end of that scale. The bigger risk over Eid is usually the habit rather than the muscle, because one missed week turns into three when nobody books the first session back.
WHO's 2020 guidelines also say that some activity is better than none, so even one short session over the holiday keeps the thread. If you are weighing up a gym, RPM's membership options are confirmed on enquiry, and it is worth asking how any holiday changes to opening hours are handled.
The first session back: what to skip and what to do
| Instead of | Do this |
|---|---|
| A double session to make up for the days off | One normal session at your usual time |
| Testing a maximum to check nothing was lost | Your usual working sets, with a rep or two more in reserve |
| Waiting for a fresh week to start | Book the first session for your first working day back |
| Extra cardio to cancel out Eid meals | Your planned cardio, no more |
| Jumping straight into a hard class | A class you know, taking the lighter option at each station |
Give the warm-up a few extra minutes after days of sitting with family and driving between visits. How to warm up before a gym session has a structure to follow.
Eid meals, late nights and family visits
- Meals: big family meals are part of the holiday. Go back to your usual eating when it ends, rather than cutting back hard.
- Late nights: if visits run late, train earlier in the day or keep the session short, and protect your sleep on the night before your first working day.
- Relatives in other emirates: a family walk or a short bodyweight session still counts. WHO says that replacing sitting with activity of any intensity, light activity included, brings health benefits.
- Medical conditions: if you have diabetes or another condition affected by big changes in eating, follow your doctor's advice over the holiday.
If you travelled for Eid
A trip within the Gulf often means little or no time difference, so the plan below works as it is. A long-haul trip is different. Give your sleep a few days to settle before you train hard, and use restarting after summer travel for jet lag and longer absences.
- Pack trainers and plan one session while away, in whatever gym is available or with bodyweight exercises.
- On the day you fly home, a walk is enough.
- Book your first session back before you leave, so it is already in the diary.
A one-week return plan
For someone who trains three or four times a week and took about a week off:
| Day back | Session | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Your usual first session of the week, one set fewer on each exercise | A longer warm-up |
| Day 2 | Walk or easy cardio | Keep it conversational |
| Day 3 | Your usual second session, normal sets, loads unchanged | Note how the first session left you |
| Day 4 | Rest | Sleep back on your normal schedule |
| Day 5 | Your usual third session, full programme | Add load only if the reps come easily |
| Days 6 and 7 | Rest or a light session | Next week runs as normal |
If you train twice a week, do your two normal sessions with one set fewer in the first. If the break ran well beyond a week, use a longer return.
Eid hours and RPM
RPM is one club, on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal, with free on-site parking and a lift up. The hours below are the usual ones. RPM has not confirmed whether they change over Eid, so ask the team before the holiday starts.
| Days | Opening hours |
|---|---|
| Saturday to Thursday | 06:00–23:00 |
| Friday | 09:00–22:00 |
Hours can change, for example during Ramadan. Confirm with the team before a late or early visit.
The Mixed section is open to men and women, and the Ladies section is a separate women-only space with its own strength and cardio equipment and the Pilates studio. If you are joining after Eid, the free guided tour is a walk-through with a member of the team, so book it at the hour you plan to train.
Sources
- The Official Portal of the UAE Government (u.ae), Public holidays
- Bosquet L, Berryman N, Dupuy O, et al. Effect of training cessation on muscular performance: a meta-analysis. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 2013
- World Health Organization, WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour (2020)
Questions, answered.
Should I train during the Eid holiday itself?
If you want to, one or two short sessions keep the habit. If the days are full of family, enjoy them and start the plan on your first working day back.
Is a week off long enough to lose fitness?
Losses grow with the length of a break, so a few days sits at the low end. Expect the first session to feel a little harder, not like starting again.
Will the gym be busy after Eid?
Regulars often come back together in the first working week. If you can, train at a quieter hour for the first few days, and ask the team which hours they see as calmest.
My children are off school for longer than the public holiday. What then?
School breaks do not always match the Eid holiday. The guide to training during school holidays covers the weeks when children are at home.