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Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It’s a time of spiritual growth. What makes Ramadan unique is that participants must fast from sunrise to sunset for the month.

The goal for this month is to develop consistency and maintenance. This means you are not trying to help the client lose any fat or achieve any performance goals. You are giving them exercises that they can easily complete and that don’t require much fuel.

Is it safe to work out when you are fasting?

It depends on what kind of exercise you want to do and what achievements you are looking for.

You may not have the same performance and progress compared to what you used to, but you can maintain it if you work out properly.

If you are fasting it is vital to stay hydrated whether you are exercising or not. Drink a lot of fluid before starting your fast and after opening your fast. Example: If you are looking to lose weight, you can make a negative energy balance with fasting.

The issue is getting thirsty after doing exercise. You have to find a way to manage that in an effective way. So, you can start your workout one or two hours before the end of your fasting time. In this case, you can drink or even eat immediately right after your workout.

But there is a downside in that. The performance might be affected by having lower energy at the end of your fasting, For cardiovascular exercises like running or cycling, most people are able to do them without any major problems. But with resistance training the story is a bit different. It will be problematic during fasting. Your muscles rely on the amount of food you take in daily. It’s possible to lose your muscle mass. Again, you can perform your workout one or two hours before the close of your fasting, but the energy level now is more important in weightlifting. Performance is not going to be as high as any other normal workout day.

Another option is to work out before starting your fasting in the morning. You can eat and drink before and after your workout and the energy level is not as big of an issue. But in this case you will feel hungry and thirsty sooner during the day. For some people it will not be a big deal to tolerate such feelings for a couple of hours more.

HAMID MOJTAHEDINIA
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
HAMID MOJTAHEDINIA

With more than a decade of fitness coaching experience, I have found my immense passion for learning and educating my fellow colleagues. I have nurtured this passion through collaboration with professional international teams, fashion industry and health care community. As the founder of the Scientific Workout brand, I am a firm believer in science based approach toward training and staying current with the most recent kinesiology research. My professional commitment is to design smart yet sensible training strategies that offer a sustainable growth plan for each individual.