Get the right balance and manage your health & fitness goals during Ramadan with these expert tips from It’s So Simple.
Making sure you are nourishing your body to the best of your ability during the non-fasting hours is vital to ensure you have the energy to complete both the exercise & your day-to-day activities. It’s also equally important to prioritise time to work out as this will help to keep your energy levels up and focus your mind.
However, trying to maintain your fitness levels and ensure you are eating right can be especially difficult during the holy month, particularly with interrupted sleeping patterns and limited fluids.
“Burnout can be a number one worry for those who observe the fast. But with the right exercise, well-balanced nutrition, and establishing healthy sleeping habits your overall wellness needn’t fall to the wayside,”
To help combat this, follow the It’s So Simple advice on how to nurture your entire body during Ramadan.
- Try to complete your workouts first thing in the morning, when your body is fuelled with the food you have eaten and water you have drunk during the non-fasting period. Not only will it be the best time for you to exercise but it will refresh you for the rest of the day.
2. Ease up on intense cardio-sessions and rigorous weight-training. Be gentle on yourself when it comes to your chosen exercise, opting for lighter versions such as power walking or swimming over a fast run. When it comes to resistance training work to the best of your ability, using low repetitions and weights. Focusing more on your strength training will help reduce muscle loss during your fast, just don’t completely exhaust your body by overdoing it.
3. When the fast is broken, ensure plenty of fluid is consumed so you are as hydrated as possible for the following fasting day. I advise clients to double down on fluids to help keep them replenished and aid recovery post-workout. And be aware of your salt intake being mindful to keep it lower than usual before the fasting period commences as it can stimulate thirst.
4. Eat at least two meals during the non-fasting period. During the hours that you are not fasting, it is important that your nutrition remains as similar as possible. Ideally, you want to fit two meals and a snack into your day. For suhoor, I recommend our slow-release Apple & Cinnamon Overnight Oats as these will set you up for the day keeping you fuller for longer. The fast-breaking evening meal iftar should include plenty of lean protein, healthy fats, vegetables, and slow-release carbs. My Tuna Squash & Quinoa Salad is a prime choice, as is our Harira Soup recipe.
5. Prioritise your sleep. A decent night’s sleep will help your structure during the hours you may eat and drink during Ramadan so that you can avoid snacking and achieve the most nutritional satisfaction out of your eating period.
6. Incorporate more rest days to ensure you are giving your muscles and body enough time to recover. Once your body has depleted the energy from your food, it will begin to consume energy from the carbohydrates that are stored in your body along with utilising the fat stored in your body which means you can continue to lose body fat and feel fatigue more easily.
