When you’re fasting during Ramadan, it can cause challenges for your exercise, and to remain safe you will likely need to take a different approach for this time. Hydration and food for fuel are so important, and without them, your body and mind can feel quite tired, which can lead to things like injuries or feeling faint. However, this doesn’t mean you need to stop exercising completely (unless your body is telling you to). Being prepared is key, so at the same time as planning your Eid abayas, you should also be planning out your exercise regime. We’re here with some tips to help you exercise safely during Ramadan, however the most important tip is to make sure that you’re listening to your body and resting when you need to to prioritise your health and wellness!
Focus On Low Intensity Over High Intensity
Firstly, the best thing you can do is focus on low intensity workouts rather than high intensity. If you’re doing long runs, heavy weight sessions or intense circuits, your body may struggle to keep up with low energy and dehydration, resulting in a higher risk of injury. You may feel up for a high intensity workout after Suhoor, however you’ll then struggle with dehydration for the rest of the day. Equally, if you train before Iftar, you won’t have eaten or drunk for a long period and so you’ll likely lack energy. We’ll get into this in more detail, but if you’re going to do high intensity workouts, reserve them for after Iftar.
If exercising after Iftar isn’t an option, then it’s best to focus on low intensity forms of exercise. Things like swimming, yoga, pilates, light weights and light cycling, walking and deep core work can all help you to maintain muscle and your cardiovascular fitness, without putting yourself at risk of potentially feeling faint. Plus, you’ll likely get more out of the workout than if you went straight in with high intensity exercises.
Focus On Bodyweight Exercises
Next, a great tip is to focus on bodyweight exercises. Bodyweight exercises use less energy than heavy weights, and so you can still see progress without exerting too much energy. Plus, there are so many fantastic benefits of bodyweight exercises:
- Help you to build muscle, power and endurance
- Improve your flexibility and motion
- Strengthens joints
- Can be done whenever and wherever without the need for equipment
- Help to increase functional fitness with less aesthetic focus
- Improves balance
- It’s free to do without the need for a gym with equipment
- Often bodyweight exercises target the whole body rather than one specific muscle or muscle group
Things like press ups, squats, planks, mountain climbers, burpees, hip thrusts, ab work, pull ups and tricep dips can all be done bodyweight and help you to get a great workout done, without quite as much strain on the body. If you’re not a big fan of bodyweight, at least alternate with your other workouts to give your body the much needed rest that it will likely be craving.
Change Your Cardio Routine
Cardiovascular activity, particularly running, uses a significant amount of energy in our bodies, so looking for alternative options when you’re fasting can help you to maintain more energy. So, instead of running a 10k, perhaps you walk one with friends. Rather than running a 5k, maybe swap it out for a gentle cycle or cross trainer. Swimming is also a great way to get your cardio in whilst also allowing you to take it a bit easier.
Walking is also another great cardio option, as it can help to strengthen our bones and joints, it helps with weight maintenance and it’s also a nice social activity to do with friends or family. Getting out of the house for just 30 minutes a day can make a big difference, so perhaps you do 15 minutes in the morning and 15 in the evening, or do a nice walk mid day to break things up.
Try out a few different things and keep mixing your cardio up until you find a combination that works well for you. Just try to keep it light to moderate exercise, to protect your body and to help you maintain your exercise routine throughout Ramadan. You can easily rebuild back up after Ramadan and even enjoy the challenge of regaining your fitness levels if you’re a big runner or cyclist.
Time Your Workouts Well
Considering when to workout is really important, depending on the type of workout you’re wanting to do:
- Exercising after Suhoor (sunrise meal) – you will feel fuelled and well hydrated for your workout, however that means that you can’t refuel for a very long time and so will likely struggle towards the end of the day
- Exercising before Iftar (sunset meal) – you will be able to refuel and rehydrate after your workout, however as you won’t have eaten or had a drink for a long time, you will probably lack energy and feel tired.
- Exercising after Iftar – for most people, exercising after Iftar is a preference, because you have had a chance to refuel and rehydrate, then you will also be able to refuel and rehydrate again before you start fasting. Some people find it inconvenient to workout in the evening and especially after having eaten, so if you do this, just make sure you leave your food an hour or two to settle. Or, break your fast with something light like dates and then eat again after your workout.
Drink Electrolytes
Something else that is beneficial through Ramadan when you’re exercising is to drink electrolytes. They can be really beneficial as they help to replenish some lost minerals, to help with hydration and overall energy. Some people love to drink coconut water in order to do this as a natural alternative, as it contains lots of fantastic nutrients. Other options are sports drinks, electrolyte water or powders, and also milk provides a good option to replenish electrolytes. Smoothies with different fruit, veg, nuts and seeds also provide a good amount of fuel for your body.
Eat The Right Fuel
Lastly, when you are eating through Ramadan, you need to make sure that you’re eating foods high in fiber and protein during suhoor and iftar. They help to provide the nutrients our bodies need for recovery, they provide us with energy and they help our major organs to function properly. So, along with lots of protein and fruit and veg, you should also be eating slow release carbs, such as beans, grains, legumes and vegetables also help with this too. Your body will gradually release energy throughout the day rather than experiencing blood sugar spikes that could contribute to fatigue. Eating a healthy, balanced diet will help you to look after your body when you’re also making exercise a priority.