How To Stay Active During Ramadhan

Ramadhan is here once again 🤍 and we wish you peace, blessings, and mind-body-and spiritual growth! 🥰

Although Ramadhan is an Islamic holy month, we believe that the benefits of fasting can be for all mankind. Fasting has been positively linked to numerous physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual improvements. From supporting metabolic health and digestive system, to mental clarity and deeper gratitude. The effect of fasting extend beyond religion. We hear it all the time—people practice intermittent fasting year-round, regardless of whether it’s during the holy month of Ramadhan or if they follow Islam. Everyone can benefit from the health and wellness advantages of mindful fasting. How do you stay active during Ramadhan?

Staying active when you are fasting requires a mindful approach to balance your energy level. Just like anything else with mindful approach, it's all about making mindful decisions. Here are some key things you can consider when staying active while you are fasting.

Choosing The Perfect Time for YOU

It's ideal to say that the best time to exercise is before you start fasting (before Suhoor). or is it before you break your fast (before Iftar)? or is it after Iftar? 🤔

It's not necessarily the best to exercise before, during, or after we fast. It all goes back to the perfect time for YOU. If I learn anything from a decade of carving my way of living into more of a mindful one is to realise that the time and routine of me showing up to the mat is created. I won't find any time in the world to exercise if I don't actively and consciously create and knit it into my day or routine.

This requires us to really pause and realise-- what kind of life are we living and aim to be? Are you an early riser who naturally has higher energy in the morning and doesn't really rely on caffein to stay awake during the day? Then I guess fitting your exercise before suhoor would be perfect for you. Or perhaps you're a young small business owner who has relatively busy morning to noon schedules, but able to slow down just after 3pm because you're your own boss and you can make this happen? exercising just before Iftar would be perfect for you. Maybe, you're a 9-5 kind of person who has to go from meeting-to-meeting all day long and by the end of the day you feel like you've used up all your brain and physical power to stay focused during the day? I'd say it's best to break your fast and charge up your energy level with food before hitting the gym.

At the end of the day, in spite of which ever time is generally ideal to fit your workout into your schedule, the perfect time depends of who you are. This is your opportunity to explore yourself. Write a page of "who am I" in your journal to see what you can reflect on your own writing.

Opt For Lower Impact or Intensity Options

Whether we like it or not, fasting affects our energy level because we deprive our body of fresh glucose we usually get from breakfast, snack, and lunch. In turn, our body relies on stored energy from our liver, muscle, or fat to stay functional. Adding exercise while this happens can speed up the process.

Hence, it is our responsibility to be mindful of the type of exercise we choose. I believe all forms of exercise exist on a spectrum of intensity. For instance, Ashtanga practice tends to be more physically demanding in comparison to a gentle Vinyasa flow. Similarly, running with faster pace would deplete your energy more quickly than if you choose to jog instead. We don't have to completely change the type of exercise we do if we just lower the intensity or the impact from the practice.

During fasting, tuning in to our body's signals becomes even more essential. Opting for lower-impact, mindful movement can help sustain energy levels while still promoting mobility and strength. The key is to choose a form of movement that supports both the body and mind without overexertion.

Strategise Your Nutrition & Hydration

If there's one message Micro Mindfulness wishes to leave with everyone who has worked with us, is that food is not just fuel. It definitely IS fuel for energy, but it's also our source of comfort and emotion. Food is medicine. Food has the power to either heal or disturb the balance of our digestive system. And the only person who can experience what each food does to your body is YOU.

Keeping a food journal can help you recognize patterns and gain clarity on how specific foods influence your body. The more you understand your relationship with food, the easier it becomes to strategise what and when to eat—allowing you to optimise your energy and well-being, especially while fasting.

Every meal is an opportunity to nourish your body, mind, and soul. ✨ Stay curious. 😊