Ramadan began on Friday 28th February 2025. For Muslims around the world, it is a month of reflection, prayer, charitable acts and fasting during daylight hours.
The physical and mental challenge of Ramadan brings Muslims closer to their faith. The change of routines and the impact on your body means keeping active can be more difficult. But you absolutely can continue working on your health and fitness goals if you’re fasting.
Exercising and eating well will ensure you don’t build too much fat and lose too much muscle. It’ll also help to keep your digestive system working efficiently and help maintain your mood.
We’ve put together some tips on how you can stay healthy, active and well during Ramadan.
Manage expectations
If you’ve been pushing hard towards your fitness goals before Ramadan, you’ll need to take your foot off the gas throughout the month. However, that doesn’t mean you need to get out of shape and lose all the progress you’ve made.
With a balanced diet and a sustainable exercise plan, there’s no reason why you can’t maintain your current level of fitness. You should aim to finish Ramadan at a similar level of fitness to when you began.
Eat and drink the right stuff
Nutrition is more important than ever during Ramadan. Ensuring your suhoor (meal before sunrise) and iftar (meal after sunset) contain the right sort of foods can keep you going through the day.
Your suhoor should be rich in carbohydrates and fibre. This’ll give you slow-release energy and keep you going for longer. Foods like oats, cereals, wholegrain bread, fruit and lentils are all good foods to eat in the morning.
You should also include protein as that will stave off the hunger for longer and prevent muscle breakdown. Eggs, nuts and yoghurt are all great sources of protein.
If you’re short of time in the mornings, you can quickly top up your carb levels with energy gels and fruit smoothies. But try to avoid sugary snacks and foods. They’ll give you a short burst of energy but you’ll feel lower when they wear off.
Having not eaten or drank anything for around 18 hours by the time iftar arrives, it can be tempting to load up with fatty and sugary foods - especially when your iftar involves big family feasts. While there’s nothing wrong with indulging with a few of your favourite
treats every now and then, it’s essential that you break your fast with food that’ll help your body recharge.
Proteins such as egg, chicken and fish will help prevent muscle breakdown, and carbohydrates are essential for rebuilding your energy supplies. Rice, flatbreads, pasta and potatoes are all tasty, healthy sources of carbohydrates. A good mix of fruit and veg will also be very beneficial.
Rehydrating is just as important as eating the right foods. Drink lots of water between iftar and suhoor, but make sure you sip it slowly.
Try to limit the amount of salt in your food, as this will make you thirsty. And try to make sure most of your food is grilled, baked or steamed rather than fried, as too much oil can cause problems. Caffeine is also best avoided during Ramadan. It’s a diuretic, meaning they make you need a wee more often and you’ll lose more water through the day.
Exercising
There’s no reason why you can’t maintain a solid exercise routine during Ramadan. All it needs is a bit of planning and consideration.
It’s best to concentrate more on strength exercises rather than cardio during Ramadan. Muscle loss can occur during fasting, so doing more strength work will combat this. Also, intense cardio will make you sweat more - not a good idea when you’re already dehydrated. If you do cardio, keep it light - a brisk walk or gentle jog is ideal.
You should also lower the intensity of your workouts. Avoid lifting heavy weights because it’s harder for your muscles to repair themselves when you’re not refuelling as much. It’s a good chance to try out different types of exercise that work different muscle groups, so you don’t overwork the same few muscles.
Most of all, listen to your body. If you start to feel unwell, dizzy or exhausted during exercise, slow it down or stop if necessary.
But try to do something. Even ten minutes is better than nothing, as sitting around all day can increase fatigue and lower your mood.
Sleep
Your sleep will also be impacted during Ramadan as you’re eating later and getting up earlier for suhoor. A nap during the day can be very beneficial if you can fit it in, as it’ll give your mind and body more chance to recover.
Get to Eid in good shape
If you follow these guidelines we’re sure you’ll get to Eid al-Fitr feeling as fit and well as you did before Ramadan.
If you do decide your membership will not be used during Ramadan (or due to other circumstances), you can freeze your membership at no charge for 1 month. Complete an online form here: https://www.activeluton.co.uk/membership-1-month-freeze