23 Mar Ramadan – How To Exercise Right
During Ramadan, it can be tough enough getting through the day let alone finding the energy and motivation to focus on your physical activity. Exercise Right investigates the best way to Exercise Right throughout Ramadan.
Many people forget about exercise during this time and this can create huge setbacks to your health and could lead to the development of a range of different chronic conditions.
Ramadan is a time of focus and reflection so it’s a great time to create a plan that will work for you and an even better time to be focused on your health and goals.
Plan an exercise diary so you can stay on track with daily exercise.
1. Listen to your body
During Ramadan, your body is going to go through some changes and this will take getting used to. The exercise that you were doing beforehand won’t be as easy now, so you need to listen to your body and work out the signs it is telling you. The last thing you want to do is push yourself to the limit and end up injured.
Do some light stretches before and after reading the Quran (Islamic scripture) or praying your salat (Prayers). Break up sitting for long periods when reading the Quran with regular short breaks to avoid your muscles and joints getting too stiff.
2. Choose your exercise wisely
During Ramadan, you may want to consider reducing the intensity of your workouts rather than the length. By undertaking high-intensity training you will be placing your body under a huge amount of strain, so think ‘little and often’ to help your body cope. Perhaps you can add more strength sessions or add more walking to your plan?
Aim to complete at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. You can break this up throughout the day, (i.e. walk 10 minutes in the morning, do 10 minutes of light gardening in the afternoon, and then 10 minutes of strength exercises at night).
3. Create a plan and stick to it
We definitely recommend planning your exercise during Ramadan. By planning you can set a suitable timetable to couple your exercise with your eating and drinking. If you work better in the morning, plan your exercise within a couple of hours of eating or if you prefer the evening, make sure you fit this in after your evening meal. Either way, create a plan to make sure you are consistently moving!
4. Get enough fluids
If you are going to exercise during the day you need to make sure your account for your fluid loss. Your body won’t have the stores of fluid it usually relies on, so perhaps it’s best to choose an activity that reflects this.
5. Exercise with a friend
Multiple research shows that we are more likely to be successful with exercise if we do it with a friend. So why not call up a friend and give each other the support to move more during this time?
Getting the right advice
If you have a medical condition and don’t know if it’s safe to exercise during Ramadan, please speak with your doctor or health professional. For individualized exercise prescriptions, it’s best to talk to your local Accredited Exercise Physiologist (AEP). An AEP is an allied health professional who is specially qualified to help you “exercise right” for your age, fitness level, and health status. To find an AEP near you, click here.
Written by Mohamed Saad. Mohamed is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist at Cohealth. He is passionate about building local community engagement through physical activity and assisting those who are less fortunate to have access to individualized exercise needs as part of their overall health and well-being.
