There are about 8 days left for Ramadan, but that doesn’t mean you need to ease up on your fitness routine and work out goals.
Working out during Ramadan is not only safe, it’s usually recommended – especially if you’re already an active person. This is so that you can maintain your muscle mass and avoid putting on weight during this time.
If you want to look fabulous in your Raya outfit this year and stay healthy, make sure you stay focused on your fitness and diet while fasting. Exercise and working out regularly may seem daunting during Ramadan, but by paying attention to your body and prioritising a healthy diet, it’s not as difficult as you may think.
We recently interviewed two top fitness trainers in Malaysia on how to work out safely during Ramadan, and their top tips on getting an effective workout during this month. Here’s what they had to say.
Nurfarah Syahira Md Yusof, Fitness Team Leader / Certified Fitness Coach, Fitness First Platinum Melawati Mall
Farah is the Fitness Team Leader and a Certified Fitness Coach at Fitness First Platinum Melawati Mall. She has been involved in the fitness and sports industry ever since she was 12 years old. She used to play hockey and floorball in her youth, and obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Sports Science. She shared her workout tips and routine during Ramadan with us, and explained why they’re effective.
What are some tips to work out during Ramadan to maintain muscle?
Keeping a flexible training schedule is important. This means try fixing your workout in the late evening 5-7 pm or right after Sahur at 7-8 am. Also, try alternating workout routines with moderate weights, do not increase the intensity as you’re in a fasted state. This will help in maintaining your muscle.
If you’re exercising at home, focus on full bodyweight exercises. You must also make sure you get adequate protein intake during your Sahur and Iftar meals, aiming for at least 75% of your meal. You can add carbohydrates and other foods for the remaining 25%.
What are the best workouts (cardio/strength/yoga) to do during the month of Ramadan?
This depends on your individual goal and ability, and activity level. What I recommend is for those keen to lose weight or fat, try a combination of cardio and strength exercises so that you can burn more calories and fat while in a fasted cardio state. For those who don’t want to lose momentum, alternate the days with a different training programme.
For example, do yoga one day, strength the next, and cardio the following today so that your body can adapt to the different training benefits. It’s not advisable to try something new during Ramadan as your body is in a fasted state, as your body will go into shock and you won’t achieve results. Instead, try adding on exercises and reps with longer resting time.
In your opinion, is it safe to work out while fasting during Ramadan?
Yes, I’m pretty sure that it’s safe to work out during Ramadan. When you keep the pace that follows your body’s ability and also monitor closely your programme, I strongly believe it’s safe. The exception is for those who have high-risk medical conditions and are taking specific medications. For example, those who have hypoglycemia or liver conditions, as they will be more prone to fainting if they exercise when fasting.
What are the best times to work out when fasting?
For strength exercises, the best time is right after Sahur when you’ve already fueled your body with food. During this time you can do exercise that will give you the energy to keep you going the whole day. For cardio or high-intensity workouts, it’s preferable to do them before you break your fast around 6-7 pm so that you can burn the last energy from your body in a fasted cardio state, where you can burn fat for fuel rather than carbohydrates.
What are some types of meals to eat and to avoid during Sahur and Iftar to keep fit during Ramadan?
Make sure you get plenty of hydration during sahur and drink at least 1-2 litres of water which also helps to maintain muscle mass. Also, avoid fatty and oily foods and foods with high sugars as those will slow down your metabolism during Iftar, as you’ve been fasting for several hours.
Instead, I recommend eating more protein, fruits and vegetables, rather than foods high in carbohydrates so that you won’t slow digestion and end up in a food coma. Foods like kurma (dates) that provide high energy is advisable during Sahur to sustain you throughout the way. Other foods that are good for Sahur and Iftar are fruits like watermelon, banana, and mango.
Nana Al-Haleq, Under Armour & TRAINE CLUB athlete and ambassador, Wellness Coach and Digital Content Creator
Nana Al-Haleq is an Under Armour Ambassador, wellness coach, model and fitness enthusiast. She stays active during Ramadan, and recently shared her insider thoughts with Prestige Malaysia on how to maintain muscle and fitness while fasting especially during this Holy Month.
What are some tips to work out during Ramadan to maintain muscle?
As much as we want to maintain our muscles during this holy month, there will be a slight decrease in muscle mass as we perform the fast. However, it will not be significant if we plan our training and nutrition smartly. The idea is to keep active and train as consistently as possible and maintain a good quality diet prioritising adequate protein, lots of fibre, good fats and enough carbs.
Some general guidelines to help you maintain muscle mass is to perform your strength training (especially if you plan to go heavy) before Sahur, one hour before Iftar or after breaking fast so that you can fuel with a complete meal after your workout. Reserve your cardio or endurance-based workout post Iftar, limiting it 2x per week and keep it max 20-30 minutes tops. Again this is just a general guideline and each individual responds differently so always do what’s best for your body and be consistent!
What are the best workouts (cardio/strength/yoga) to do during the month of Ramadan?
When it comes to exercise and the best time to workout during Ramadan, there’s no one size fits all approach as we all respond differently to fasting. So it is important to always listen to our body. As a general guideline, I would suggest doing your strength workout an hour before Iftar or before Sahur so that you can fuel right after, and reserve cardio/endurance-based workout after Iftar.
If you choose to perform your workout during the daytime while fasting, I would recommend keeping your workout light (lighter weights to your usual weight and/or slightly more rest in between during strength training). Alternatively, you can also focus on active recovery like Power Yoga, Pilates, or Fusion Workout where you get to challenge your strength and balance while improving your flexibility, mobility and joint health.
In your opinion, is it safe to work out while fasting during Ramadan?
Yes, I do think so. We are encouraged to keep active during Ramadan to maintain overall wellness. It is a safe practice to do so; provided that we know our limitations and capabilities and always pay attention to what our body is telling us. If you are tired and feeling lethargic, rest. If you feel sluggish but need a good sweat, opt for something light like brisk- walking. If you are feeling off during a workout, stop or take a break.
The idea is to be kind to our bodies and always check with ourselves on how you feel that day. Recognising your strength and limitations is not a sign of weakness hence, prioritise your safety, always! Having said that, wearing the right performance gear is important in order for you to reap the benefits of working out. When you feel good in what you wear, you’d definitely perform better. My favourite gear for strength training would be the Under Armour gears such as UA Rush, UA HeatGear or Project Rock! As for Yoga, Pilates, Fusion Workout and Everyday Active comfort…definitely UA Meridian!
What are the best times to work out when fasting?
As a general guideline, I would suggest doing your strength workout an hour before Iftar or before Sahur so that you can fuel right after, and reserve cardio/endurance-based workout after Iftar. Depending on your preferred time to workout, do opt for light or active recovery exercises if you choose to exercise during the day and cardio/endurance-based workout, best after Iftar. Remember, working out should be a channel to de-stress and make you feel good about yourself.
6What are some types of meals to eat and to avoid during Sahur and Iftar to keep fit during Ramadan?
Always prioritise eating healthy and try your best to limit refined sugar and processed food, be it Ramadan or not. I’m a big believer that the food you eat affects your energy, mood and productivity. In general, these are what you should limit yourself to: Limit caffeinated drinks, salty, highly processed and fried food too as this will dehydrate you. Refined, sugary food – this will make you feel hungrier thus, craving for higher carbs or sugar meals after. You will also feel sluggish and tired faster, too.
Don’t be afraid of carbs as our body needs them to re-energise our body throughout the day and after breaking fast! However, be smart in the ways you cook them. Prioritise vegetables and fibre to keep your gut healthy, improve digestive health, assist in natural detoxification, reduce the risk of chronic health conditions and help your body to receive the vitamins and minerals it needs. Drink plenty of water during the eating window but rehydrate slowly and sensibly until you begin your fast again so your body can absorb it properly. Aim to get a total of 2.5 litres daily.
Also, add spices to your meal! For instance, turmeric is packed with antioxidants and is great to help decrease inflammation in our body, so have some golden latte or simply add it in your Iftar or Sahur meals. Ginger is great for digestion, immunity relief, stomach upsets and helps with wind so have them as tea or simply add it to your cooking as well.
Also, don’t forget about your immune-boosting vitamins such as vitamin C and D, Fish Oil or Algae Oil to help reduce inflammation and help with brain function; vitamin B which aids cell health, energy level, healthy brain function and helps nerve function; and magnesium to support better sleep, rest and overall biochemical reactions in your body. Not to say that you can’t indulge, you can. I do too. Just be smart about how you nourish your body.
Hero and featured image credit: Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash