Are you confused whether to exercise during Ramadan or not?

Here are some tips from Kottakkal Medical Center in Ajman by the Physiotherapist ( Zeenath)

Many of you have some questions about how to exercise in the holy month, how long an exercise session should be, what type of exercises should be done, and when is the best time to exercise.

So here are some tips on how to continue to stay active during Ramadan and how to exercise.

1- Understand your goal and be realistic.

During Ramadan, your goal is to try to maintain your current fitness level and lean muscle tissue. So this is not the time to try new crazy exercises. For those of you who already exercise regularly, you will want to continue your fitness routine at a lower intensity and shorter duration to prevent muscle loss and weight gain.

 2-How many times a week should I exercise?

Aim for at least three times a week. Three times every alternate day would be ideal.

For example, it could be Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

3-How long should an exercise session be?

Commit to at least twenty to forty-five minutes per session. If you're doing a slightly more intense workout like a HIT session, keep it for twenty to thirty minutes. If it's a light to moderate workout like Pilates or even strength training, you can even go as low as forty-five minutes.

4-How intense is your exercise?

Stick to the exercise routine you've been doing and backtrack by reducing the weights and number of repetitions and increasing rest time, and you can even choose easier options like regular squats instead of jump squats.

 5-What is the best time to exercise?

Certainly not when you are fasting or hungry. Only train when you know you can get food and fluids into your body. Training while fasting can do more harm than good. Training when your body is starved and dehydrated can significantly reduce strength and muscle mass.

So the best time to exercise is after breakfast. This is an excellent time to workout because you have eaten a small meal and taken in fluids which can serve as a pre-workout meal.

After breakfast: Aim for a shorter session of twenty to thirty minutes

After Tarawih prayer: If it's not too late, this is also a really great time because right after your workout, you'll be able to eat a larger post-workout meal. This meal is essential for muscle recovery and growth and can also aid in fat loss. The third is before Sahu. If you have the mental discipline to wake up early in the morning and participate in an exercise session, your morning workout can give you more energy throughout the day. Drink plenty of water and you can eat a small snack thirty minutes before exercising.

 6- What type of exercises should I do?

Since Ramadan is a time when muscle strength is lost, it is important to focus on strength training rather than cardio. Aim to do strength training three times a week.