For those of you who can’t skip a workout during Ramadan, you might want to read this first. Exercise is essential for your health, but some things need to be taken into consideration before doing your activity in the fasting month. One important thing to note is that you can’t exercise on an empty stomach.

Good fitness consists of 30% exercise and 70% nutrition. So keep in mind that you shouldn’t do heavy exercises like heavy weightlifting during the fasting month because your muscles do not receive enough protein and nutrition throughout the day.

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Before going further, let’s look at what happens to your body during Ramadan. While you are fasting, you become more dehydrated, and of course, and the results are multiplied when you are exercising during fasting, which is not good for you.

Your main metabolic fuel source for bodily function during fasting is mainly fat, which is a good thing if you are trying to lose some weight. For exercising, you need energy. No need to worry because we have exercise tips during Ramadan here!

What Time of The Day During Ramadan Should I Exercise?

Timing is everything for exercise during Ramadan, so the time depends on your daily routine. You can go for a walk or brisk walking before iftar, so right after iftar, you can replenish the thirst and fuel your energy.

You can also exercise after iftar for more strenuous exercises, such as basketball or football. It is also essential for you to wait a while after meals, then you can start exercising.

It’s a trial and error, and it’s important to find out what works best for you. You may find that you perform better exercising on an empty stomach before iftar, or that you feel more energised exercising after a light iftar meal.

Keep everything in moderation. Exercise for a maximum of 60 minutes to prevent fatigue or severe complications, such as low blood pressure and hypoglycemia. Don’t forget to hydrate yourself with water between the hours of iftar and suhoor.

You can drink water with sea salt or coconut water to increase the electrolytes in your body, which are essential for your heart, nerve and muscle functions.

Things to Do or Avoid When Exercise During Fasting

  • Avoid having one big meal, and eating it quickly. You need to let your metabolism and digestive system to activate. It’s better to eat your food slowly.
  • Don’t eat carbs and sugar while breaking the fast, to replenish burnt fat ff you want to exercise after iftar.
  • Eat lean proteins after exercising, ideally white fish and strictly no carbs before bed.
  • Iftar meals should consist of only one carbohydrate, with protein-rich foods to counteract lean muscle loss.
  • If you want to exercise before their suhoor, you shouldn’t do it for more than 30 minutes. If they want to do it after iftar, you should wait three hours after eating because your body needs time to digest.
  • It is recommended to drink 35 ml of water per kg of your body weight, and drink it over some time during iftar to suhoor

If you feel sick, weak or dizzy, don’t continue exercising or force yourself. Exercising in Ramadan may not suitable for you, and it is fine if you don’t exercise.

Consult our Okadoctors for more information about exercising during Ramadan with the Okadoc app, now available in App Store and Google Play.