Staying Active & Healthy During Ramadan

As I promised, I will post this topic in my blog. Since the fasting month of Ramadan is approaching in about 2 weeks, I have tried my best to finish the write-up well in advance so that you can make your own plans. Failing to plan is planning to fail. Every year, this topic will create a buzz among active communities like sportsmen, athletes, runners, cyclists, bodybuilders, weight trainers and even those who already have an active healthy lifestyle. The frequently asked questions are:
- Should I continue working out during fasting month?
- When is the best time to workout?
- How to eat healthy during the Ramadan?

Obviously, the month-long fasting could create havoc on our physique and metabolism. However, there is no excuse to throw caution to the wind and not care about eating healthy and exercising.
- the metabolic rate lowers

- the body has low energy
- the body become dehydrated as the day goes by
- the body becomes more efficient in utilizing body fat to fuel the vital organs

Take note of that last fact. Hey! This provides the perfect chance to achieve that seemingly-impossible weight loss. To lose weight, your caloric intake must be less than your energy expenditure, or put it another way, you must burn more than you consume. 

The common mistakes during Ramadan is:
1. Not planning your diet, exercise, sleep and other religious activities. Knowing how to maximize your metabolism with balanced diet, to preserve lean muscle and to maximize your workout is important.
2. Not exercising

3. Not eating healthy especially during iftar
4. Not eating enough. Think of food as currency for energy
5. Not sleeping enough

The answer to the first question in the beginning is YES, you should continue exercising even during the fasting month. However, you should make a few tweaks in your workout regime to allow you to stay active during Ramadan without overtaxing your body and jeopardizing your fast. 

Here are some tips on how to exercise during Ramadan:
1. Put your improvements on hold during this month whether you want to lose weight, achieve muscle gain or increase your stamina. Aim to maintain status quo and prevent yourself from going backwards.
2. Reduce the intensity of your workout and limit the duration to less than an hour. Aim to stay consistent and continue to exercise.
3. Combine cardio and resistance training into a circuit training (doing 3-6 exercises in a quick succession without stopping between each exercise) which you can complete in a shorter amount of time but still effectively burn more calories. Avoid doing high intensity interval training during the fasting month
4. Work out when it works. Listen to your body. If you feel the need to get a good workout, you may have to plan your workout for the day. Whatever time or day or night you feel your body allows you to expend extra calories without becoming fatigued is the best time of the day for you to exercise. In fact, performing taraweeh prayers is also a kind of exercise which you not only get a good workout but also get good deeds.

Timing is of utmost importance. The best time for you to exercise depends on what your body is telling you. listen to your body. Exercise when your energy level is high. There are many suggested timing that are best for exercise during Ramadan. Different individuals may find different times the best time for them. Listen to your body. It is best to exercise when you can refuel and rehydrate after the good workout, which means exercising within the hours between an hour before dusk till dawn.

1. Exercising an hour before iftar makes sense because you can load yourself with food and water post-workout.
2. Exercising 30 minutes after a small meal at iftar seems sensible because you have had a pre-workout meal, you can drink water during the workout and you can push yourself as much as you want knowing you can have a big meal afterward.
3. Another good time to exercise is in the early hours of the night just before sahur, which means you have to wake up as early as 4 am. This strategy is best if your aim is to lose weight because you kick start the day in the right way, fuel up on nutritious food and then let the fasting do the rest.
4. You can even exercise in the afternoon if you like but it is not recommended because you may feel fatigued for the rest of the day.

Eating healthy should be observed even in Ramadan. Here are some guidelines:

1. Your diet during the month of Ramadan should not differ very much from your normal diet and should be as simple as possible. The foods eaten should be well-balanced containing foods from each food group namely bread/cereal, meat/fish/poultry, dairy products, fruits and vegetables.

2. Don't skip sahur meal which acts as the breakfast, the most important meal of the day. Sahur should be a wholesome, moderate and filling meal that can provide the essential nutrients and energy needed for you to function during the day while keeping hunger at bay for a little while longer. An ideal sahur meal should be high in protein and fiber (fruits and vegetables) and low in carbohydrates with plenty of water.

3. Break fast with dates and water following Rasulullah saw tradition. Dates contain very high amounts of potassium (a key rehydration mineral), a special blend of glucose and fructose providing short and long term energy, and a special nutrient called beta D-glucan (a soluble fibre) that can enhance satiety and digestive health. Iftar meal should also include high quality protein, complex carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables with plenty of water. You should also eat slowly because your brain requires time to perceive that the stomach is full and tell you to stop eating. Do not overindulge and overeat.

4. Have small meals in the hours between dusk to dawn. It is one way to trick your body into speeding up metabolism.

5. Eat filling food which are slowly digested such as good quality proteins (fish, chicken, lean meat, legumes, nuts and seeds) and fiber-rich foods (grains and seeds). Avoid too much simple carbohydrates. Consume more complex carbohydrates like wheat, oats, semolina, beans, lentils, wholemeal flour or brown rice.

6. Drink plenty of water. You should be thinking "water, water, water" during the hours that you are allowed to drink. Drink as much plain water as possible between iftar and bedtime so that your body could adjust to the fluid level it needs. In fact, keep a water bottle with you at all times after sunset even during taraweeh prayers.

7. Avoid spicy and fried foods, foods with high salt content, foods containing too much sugar and caffeine. Oily and spicy food can cause indigestion and heartburn. Salt and caffeine act as diuretics and can cause greater dehydration and increase thirst during the day.

Staying healthy in the month of Ramadan is not at all impossible. When there is a will, there is a way. You should not make Ramadan as an excuse not to eat healthily and not to exercise. Balanced diet, together with exercise, should help you maintain your health and fitness level during Ramadan. It is also an opportunity for those aiming to lose weight to achieve the goal, taking advantage of the reduced calorie intake during fasting and engaging in some physical activities. Simple mathematics: calories intake less than calories burned equals weight loss.

Nonetheless, not forgetting that Ramadan being a spiritual month, it is also important to follow good time management for ibadah (prayers and other religious activities), sleep, work and exercise. A good balance in the amount of time allocated for each activity will lead to a healthier body and mind in Ramadan.

STAY ACTIVE & HEALTHY!