TRAINING DURING RAMADAN
Can’t believe Ramadan has returned so quickly for March/April 2024, but that’s probably because it moves back ten days every year. Trust me, you can also keep moving with it - all you need are a few tweaks that will sustain your energy levels & fitness goals.
Skipping food/liquid intake from dawn to dusk doesn’t have to compromise the nutritious quality your body receives as long as it’s paired with a rescheduling your daily routine, whether it’s when you eat, what you eat and what time of day you workout, to suit your needs. In fact, studies on exercising in a fasting state demonstrated added benefits such as enhanced growth hormone production for burning more fat and building muscle, regulating insulin levels in the blood, and inducing autophagy whereby the body’s naturally breaks down damaged cells for reuse, therefore, optimising immunity.
In one way or another, fasting will shift your energy levels, perception of your performance, dietary habits and recovery needs. To those who want to keep their “cardio” high-intensity training going, consider reaching a lower effort level than usual. That will improve your fitness and at the same time, prevent any dizziness, dehydration and over-fatigue. If, however, you opt for a Ride class or go for a run a few hours after a nutritious meal (check out the array of time slots we have available), there won’t be many adjustments to worry about.
Strength training during a fast may not make your breath as shallow, but nevertheless requires appropriate protein-intake. If that drops, then embrace resistance-training more for maintenance and form over bulking up. This means less muscle soreness and days-off, and more focus on subtle changes.
Whatever you do, make sure you’re empowering yourself by listening to your body when it asks to pull back. Instead of extreme goals, those days are all about reflection & acts of kindness, not only to those around you but also to yourself. This also means intentional hydration (maybe fill your thermos for the day and avoid spicy/salty foods and caffeine), reasonable resting days (consider days for slow movements, mobility & stretching), high-fiber starchy foods (brown rice, potatoes) & selective timing (explore both pre & post fasting workouts to see which you feel better with)
The best part of this is that you’re never alone - we’re here to share your new experiences and the familiar ones. So whether you want a delicious suhoor (the meal right before sunrise) recipe or need more advice on your training, you’ll find our doors and DMs always open for you.
Wishing you all a prosperous, blessed & happy Ramadan.
Dr Abdallah
Ride & Reformer Instructor / Junior NHS Doctor