“Is it OK to work out during Ramadan?” is a question often asked. And the answer is, yes, it’s totally OK to work out during the Ramadan fast. Maintaining your regular workout routine during Ramadan can be hard because of interrupted sleeping patterns and a lack of liquids. But this 1-month period shouldn’t be a reason to give up on exercising. The only important thing is to keep your workouts light during the daytime.
While it may seem impossible to work out when fasting, it’s quite possible, if you make minor adjustments to your workout routine. Fueling your body for exercise is essential, and when food and drink are taken away, you may start to feel lethargic and tired. Thankfully, with a few small adjustments you should be able to continue working out without an issue.
If you’re healthy enough to fast, you can exercise during Ramadan as well. But you do have to think carefully about some aspects. Ramadan fasting creates changes in your metabolism. That’s why you should make some adjustments to your Ramadan workout plan, primarily in terms of time and difficulty level.
Given that the temperatures are generally higher during the daytime when you’re fasting and that you’ll be dehydrated, 1-2 hours before sunset or 2 hours after the iftar meal are ideal times for working out during Ramadan.
Before the iftar, you can do lower intensity or light bodyweight exercises with fewer repetitions than normal. Higher-intensity workouts can be done after you’ve broken your fast. Choose whatever best suits your lifestyle and don’t skip your warm-up and cool-down exercises. By adding a Ramadan workout plan to your daily schedule, you’ll have a much healthier fasting period.
Exercising after Suhoor (after sunrise meal) …things to consider:
- You willbe fueled and hydrated
- You will notbe able to rehydrate and refuel until Iftar
- You mayfeel lethargic not eating or drinking after exercise
Exercising before Iftar (before sunset meal) …things to consider:
- You will be closer to the time where you can break fast
- You will be able to eat and rehydrate after your workout
- You will not have eaten or drank anything for a long period
- You may feel tired and lacking energy
Exercising after Iftar (after sunset meal) …things to consider:
- You will feel fueled and hydrated
- You can still eat and drink more after your workout if you need to
- You may have to wait an hour or two for your food to settle
- You may have to eat less in the evening to accommodate working out
Are there benefits to fasted exercise?
Fasting for Ramadan is a form of intermittent fasting where you have an eating window and a non-eating widow. There is some research that suggests that during periods of fasting, glycogen stores empty. This means the body starts to burn fat. There is also research that suggests that fasting could have potential health benefits when it comes to reducing your diabetes risk, lowering blood pressure, and maintaining muscle mass.
Will I lose weight during Ramadan?
To lose weight you need to be in a caloric deficit. This can be achieved by reducing your calorie intake below your total daily energy expenditure (TDE). This means you’re eating less calories than your body is burning throughout the day.
Ramadan is no different. If you are consuming less calories than your TDE and are moving more, you will lose weight. However, if you are overeating at Suhoor (meal before sunrise) and/or Iftar (meal after sunset) and are moving less, you will most likely put weight on.
Can I still build muscle whilst fasting?
To build muscle, you need to progressively overload your muscles with things like resistance training and consume enough protein and calories to support muscle growth.
This becomes incredibly challenging during Ramadan because your body may lack the fuel to energize your workouts and the necessary protein intake to stimulate muscle growth. It’s generally best to focus on maintaining your current physique and training regime rather than trying to make additional gains during Ramadan.
To Sum Up…
Keep exercise at a gentle level, drink plenty of water after breaking your fast, and avoid foods that are too salty, sugary, or processed at mealtimes.
Instead, prefer foods with healthy fats, lean protein sources, and mixed, complex, slow-release carbohydrates. These will keep your energy levels high during the day and while working out during Ramadan.
Remember that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. As always, the important thing to consider is your body’s signals. Don’t forget that Ramadan isn’t a suitable period to push your body’s limits – it’s a time to be moderate.
