Here is the best time to exercise in Ramadan

The most effective times and ways to exercise in Ramadan:

Ideally, athletes should eat and drink in moderation and not in large quantities before, during, and after training. Therefore, the timing, duration, and intensity of exercise sessions can be adjusted to make better use of the nutritional opportunities available on the fasting day. Recommendations The following are the ideal times for exercising during Ramadan:

1. Do not force yourself to exercise during the day while you are fasting. With the high temperatures and the inability to drink any liquid from sunrise to sunset, you will endanger your health by putting too much pressure on yourself to exercise, especially:

• Intense cardio.
• Weightlifting exercises.

2. Adapt the duration and intensity of your exercise to your nutritional and hydration status, and to weather conditions, such as heat and humidity.

3. Morning sports sessions can benefit from consuming fluids and food before dawn, but restoring energy and water after a sports session will not be possible, as there will be no other opportunity to drink or eat available until sunset! Try to avoid this timing!

4. Sports sessions planned to be completed before breakfast will allow you to eat food immediately after that, which will give him energy during the night! This is good timing!

5. Only training sessions that take place two to three hours after the end of the fast can respect the hydration/eating cycle that you must adhere to before, during and after your workout. However, it’s also important to get enough sleep at night, so make sure you don’t waste your sleep to get some exercise!

Also read: Is exercise recommended for heart patients?

The best times to exercise, according to the University of Birmingham, are before breakfast, two hours after breakfast, and before suhoor:

• Exercises before breakfast: It is best to exercise during Ramadan just before sunset, as you will have the opportunity to stock up on food and water immediately afterwards, and throughout the rest of the evening.

Carbohydrate-rich foods should be eaten for breakfast, at least 20g of high-quality, fast-digesting and absorbing protein should be eaten soon after exercise whenever possible, and high-quality protein-rich foods should be eaten at every meal opportunity in the evening and before dawn.

• Post-breakfast exercises: It is a good option for those who have less free time during the day, and exercising after eating may be beneficial, but a balance must be struck between exercising at that time and sleeping!

Make sure to consume small amounts of carbohydrates while exercising after iftar.

• Exercise between 3am and 4am, before suhoor: For early risers, the best time to start their fitness schedule can be right before suhoor time between 3 AM and 4 AM.

This way you’ll get the energy from last night’s meal plus you’ll be able to eat your pre-dawn meal in the morning after your workout. Make sure to drink enough water to hydrate yourself and then eat your meal.

Also read: How does sport help maintain mental health?

Moisturizing the body and drinking fluids when exercising in Ramadan?

The need to drink water varies from person to person, and depends in particular on the extent to which the body loses fluids due to sweating during physical exertion. Ramadan fasting does not change the basic water requirements, unless the athlete changes the type of effort and the duration of his exercises.

Thus, the challenge in exercising during Ramadan is to compensate for all the water lost between sunset and dawn, and to do this, it is preferable to follow a hydration plan rather than relying on drinking water according to thirst, as the athlete can easily determine if his hydration plan is sufficient to balance his losses of water, by:

• Body weight check.
• Monitor the color and amount of urine, especially in the morning.
• The urine should be clear and in a normal amount.

It should be noted that any weight loss after exercise must correspond to the amount of water that must be replaced, that is, an amount of liquid equivalent to 150% of the lost weight must be consumed, meaning drinking 1.5 liters equals losing 1 kg of weight.

Lost salt should also be replaced when you rehydrate, either by drinking rehydration solutions designed specifically for athletes, or by drinking and eating at the same time (most foods contain salt), as this will help your body retain water.

It is better to divide your fluid intake during the Iftar period on the day of Ramadan than to drink a large amount in one go, as this strategy helps reduce losses through urination.

Strategies to reduce sweating should also be used, for example avoiding exposure to heat or sun. In addition, consider using cooling vests, cool showers, and fans during and after exercise, especially if it’s hot.

Finally, creating an exercise routine that is suitable for fasting during Ramadan can be challenging! If you will continue to exercise during the month of Ramadan, cardio exercises and heavy weights are not recommended, and exercise may become dangerous if more effort than usual is exerted, especially during fasting!

And remember, if you are feeling unwell due to illness or fasting, please do not exercise until you feel healthy and able!