It is a center of conversation for many Muslims each year during their fasting time. Is it safe to be working out and exercising during Ramadan? Would working on an empty stomach be safe? 

During the Holy Month, which will begin on April 2, 2022, Muslims around the world will have to go in the daylight without any food and water for the day. Based on the advice from the experts, exercising during your fasting time is something considered safe and sustainable.  

Over the thirty-day period of reflection, exercising seems more daunting. On the other way around, the activity is recommended by the medical world as a means to maintain physical health. 

It has also been proven that exercising helps to better cope with fasting, even though the levels of exercise might be different for various people. In fact, physical activity enables your body to signal your brain better when excreting the toxins in your body. 

Though there are conflicting opinions about exercising during Ramadan, we are here to tell you that it is completely fine. Here are some tips for exercising during Ramadan. 

Focus on strength training
While fasting, it might be the perfect time to prioritize strength training over cardio workouts. Strength training helps slow down muscle loss and is in fact, one of the safest training modalities during Ramadan. 

During fasting, your body might experience energy loss that might lead to muscle loss as food intake decreases. Thus, strength training will help ward that off. The exercise is also recommended to be done pre-Iftar but ultimately, it is a personal preference. 

Go for high-fiber and protein-rich foods
Go for high-fiber and protein-rich foods when you break your fast and after exercising. Combining them is an important part to stay fit during Ramadan as those foods are digested slowly which results in the slower release of energy. 

Thus, your body can maintain longer energy for the rest of the day. Recommended foods are bran, oats, cereals, whole wheat grains, seeds, brown rice, potatoes with skin on, lentils, green beans, and almost any fruits including dried fruits. 

Another option would be combining foods such as milk, yogurt, bean, fish, or meat. The combination will ensure the stability of glucose in your blood and will make you less likely to feel hungry. 

Be gentle with yourself

Scaling back your intensity is not a wrongdoing. Ramadan is all about being more gentle with yourself as you try to maintain the strength and energy you have previously before fasting. 

Moderate your intensity and volume by 30-40 percent, per experts. You can continue exercising but you may want to focus on low-moderate training. Even after decreasing your exercise allowance and you still might feel more easily exhausted, you should try to give yourself a break. Do not worry, you can still make progress even with the littlest exercise you did. 

Use the time to work on skills that you want to get better at in the gym. Or, you can try to do home exercises like skipping, core work, push-ups, and mobility.