Staying Fit in Ramzan

Ramzan is a month of many blessings, one of them being the cleansing of the body as a result of fasting. When we fast, our bodies burn glucose and fat for energy. This aids weight loss and lowers cholesterol levels in the long run. Weight loss results in better control of diabetes and in turn reduces blood pressure. Fasting also allows a detoxification process to occur which removes all the toxins from our bodies. So for starters, be sure to keep your fasts.

Here are some tips to gain maximum benefit from your fasts this month:

Don’t Skip Sehri

Your body takes 8 hours to digest the food you eat so you want to take in the nourishment during sehri time to last you those hours. For sehri, eat oatmeal and other complex carbs that take longer to digest and release energy for a longer time. There are several recipes online for making your oatmeal delicious and to your taste. Give it a shot!

Eat wholesome, nutrient-dense foods

Don’t we all just love those pakoras and samosas! Well, we hate to break it to you but those fried foods aren’t doing you any good. Instead, eat wholesome foods such as lean proteins and vegetables to keep your mind and body healthy.

Stay Hydrated

Water! Water! Water! We can’t say it enough. Keep the sugary drinks at bay and guzzle water as much as you can. It’s a hot summer month so your body is constantly losing water and needs to be hydrated even more.

Exercise

Say what? During a fast? After breaking a fast? It may seem impossible but you can do it. If you exercise while fasting, your body becomes more sensitive to insulin and allows the human growth hormone to burn fat and build muscle. You don’t have to do an intense workout. Your body just needs movement, which could be a brisk walk before the iftar. You could grab a bicycle and get some fresh air. Try to stretch daily and do some calming yoga. Just get your body to move!

Sleep

Now we know our sleep cycle can be completely disrupted during this month because of late nights and sehri plans. Besides, what easier way to get through the day than to sleep through it! You can do better than that. Sleeping through the day isn’t the same as sleeping through the night. If you stay awake during the night, you are accumulating sleep debt, resulting in adverse effects on your immune system, appearance, and brain function.

We hope you found these tips helpful. Good luck and Godspeed fellow fasters!