Islam

Should You or Should You Not Exercise While Fasting?

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Of course, we have six more months until Ramadan. But it’s vital to stay prepared, yeah? So I have always wondered whether it’s okay to workout during Ramadan or while fasting. Or should I just skip exercising for a month as I don’t eat much? But that’s not how fitness works. Whether I’m eating less or more, working out is essential. However, I’ve heard people say different things about working out during Ramadan. So I did some research to find out whether I should work out during Ramadan or not. Here’s what I learned.

It’s considered a time-consuming activity

Logically speaking, exercising during Ramadan wouldn’t be time-consuming because we do many other time-consuming activities. For example, you’d spend time on WhatsApp, Twitter, and other social media accounts. Wouldn’t you be spending at least around 20-30 minutes on social media accounts?

What if we spend this time exercising? You don’t have to exercise for hours. Instead, you can spend around 20-30 minutes working out. It could be anything from walking to running. I’m not saying that you should avoid social media as a whole; this is just a suggestion to use your time effectively during Ramadan.

Let alone using your time effectively. If you take care of your body, it’ll reciprocate with excellent energy levels. This helps in engaging in spiritual activities like praying and reciting for longer hours.

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has said –“Verily, your body has a right over you.”

(Sahih Bukhari). 

Your body needs your attention if you want it to perform at its best. As a Muslim, finding the balance is crucial, and that applies to working out during Ramadan. If you plan to stop working out for a month and start doing it after Eid, you’ll find it hard. God forbid there could be negative consequences as well.

It will reduce your potential to do better in Ramadan. You might experience a loss of energy, and we all know exercising helps in accumulating energy.  

Summing up, you shouldn’t skip working out during Ramadan by quoting random stats and facts. Instead, you can talk to your health professional or trainer to solve your doubt. If you think logically, you’re supporting your body and mental health by working out during Ramadan.

Check this article here if you want to know what happens when you suddenly stop working out during Ramadan.

It’s assumed as unsafe

If you can select an appropriate time to workout during Ramadan, you don’t have to worry about it being a risk. As dehydration is a concerning factor, you have to be mindful of the time you workout.

Though it’s safe, you should be cautious when you’re working out in Ramadan. Different people have different fitness goals and schedules. First off, you should analyze your fitness goals. Second off, go through your Ramadan schedule. Once you analyze these two, you’ll be able to fix a proper time to exercise.

It would help if you didn’t dive into a workout schedule without trying it a bit beforehand. Sometimes, the workout time that you thought would be perfect might work as much as you assumed. This is why you have to try a few workout schedules before you settle with one.

On top of all, you shouldn’t assume that someone else’s workout routine will work for you perfectly. This is why you should read more about Ramadan workout routines and schedules. The knowledge you gather will help you find the perfect time to workout.

Also, you shouldn’t stress your body if it doesn’t cope with the fitness goals. So how can you decide whether you’re stressing your body or not? Once you’ve decided on a perfect workout time, you should slowly incorporate it into your schedule. And then, monitor whether you’re comfortable with the routine and your body is coping with the changes that you’ve made.

If you feel uncomfortable, don’t think twice to stop working out. This is what we mean by listening to your body.

Once you gather knowledge and understand what your body needs, you’ll be able to incorporate workout routines during Ramadan without making it look like a tough fight.

It’s okay to halt working out

Well, well, halting your workout routine in Ramadan isn’t going to help. It’s not needed. Even though you assume that your body needs rest, not working out in Ramadan is not the way to offer it.

If you’ve been working out every other day, you should continue to practice it even in Ramadan. It shouldn’t miraculously disappear in Ramadan just because you don’t eat much. Even during Ramadan, your body needs exercise. You already know feeling lethargic during Ramadan isn’t a new feeling, so letting your body move around is the best way to overcome this feeling.

Even though you don’t have to exercise like you usually do, you can, at least, aim for 30 minutes of workout. It can be anything that enhances your mood, energy, and productivity. By doing so, you can engage more in devotional activities while keeping up the energy throughout the day.

So if you’re vigilant, you wouldn’t be halting your workout during Ramadan. Instead, you will continue it with some modifications to fit your fitness goals. However, one of the main confusions that most Muslims have is – what type of exercise one should select.

This, actually, is a personal choice that you must select based on your routine and Ramadan schedule. Apart from that, you should also have the knowledge to choose the right workout type.

“…Verily! Strength is in archery, strength is in archery, strength is in archery.”

[Muslim]

If you know about archery, you’ll understand the hadith better. Actually, archery is about patience over anything. Your target shouldn’t be missed. Therefore, you need an excellent level of attention and patience.

Likewise, many sports and exercises were followed by the Prophets and their companions. This is also one of the main reasons Muslims shouldn’t ignore working out and engaging in sports.

Getting back to our point, so if you are contemplating whether to workout during Ramadan or not, you would have got your question answered by now.

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