The holy month of Ramadan throws up many challenges, but ‘everything in moderation’ is the key concept when deciding on what to eat and drink and how much to exercise.

Exercising while fasting is a healthy way to get great gain. Training and fasting both require discipline, patience and mental strength.

“Exercise should continue and not stop during Ramadan. Exercise for a maximum of 60 minutes to prevent fatigue or severe complications, such as low blood pressure and hypoglycemia.

Various studies prove that fasting decreases insulin resistance thus helping control blood sugar level,” said Dr Bobomurod Keldiyorov, Family Medicine Specialist, Canadian Specialist Hospital.

Maintaining a normal workout routine during Ramadan can be hard, because of interrupted sleeping patterns and a lack of liquids.

An overall 45-minute workout during Ramadan is best. Ideally training for three to four days a week is more than enough in Ramadan, while the best duration is 45-minute sessions.

Time to Exercise:

Timing is everything while exercising during Ramadan, and the time depends on your daily routine. “Many people will find it easier to work out when they get up in the morning before dawn. This is probably the best time since our muscles will need energy to be readily available and this way, we will have energy from the previous night’s meal. In addition, we can hydrate while we exercise and eat again to refuel. This method will also get you energized for the day ahead,” said Dr Keldiyorov.

Type of exercise:

It depends on the person’s ability; training can be either done during fasting by performing cardio or via low-to-moderate intensity workout for 30-45 minutes.

It is preferable to do light-intensity sessions, limited to 30 minutes of slow, steady distance, every other day. Taking the stairs rather than a lift, or choosing to walk instead of driving to the mosque for evening prayers are just a few of ways in which you can introduce exercise into your daily routine.

We should try to avoid high intensity cardio because this form of training leads to more sweating, resulting in loss of water and electrolytes. Thus it is advisable to limit cardio to twice a week.

One of the best forms of exercise during Ramadan is resistance training, which can be done using either free-weights or your own body weight, and include movements like squats, lunges, step-ups, presses, pull-ups and push-ups.

Exercise duration should be kept to a minimum. Aim for 45 minutes of high-intensity workout. Ramadan should be more about maintaining muscle rather than muscle growth. It’s not the ideal time to push yourself.

Rest is also essential. Adding more rest days in your routine is advisable – it is recommended adding one to two extra rest days. People could train one day and rest the next, alternating that throughout the week.’

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