Muscat: Sports play an important role in daily life of many people. In Ramadhan the usual routine changes drastically and here it becomes important for the people to maintain a balanced nutritious pattern.
Ramadhan is an opportunity to get rid of bad habits categorically and not just for 30 days. Exercise experts advise to take new habits during the holy month, and accustom your body to avoid fatty food and sugar and increase water intake as much as possible.
Fasting during Ramadhan has practical benefits of diet management. By not eating anything for more than 10 hours daily for a month, you develop tolerance with three quarters of the way to stop eating unhealthy food forever. So, use Ramadhan as an opportunity to get rid of fast and fried food, caffeine, and soft drinks. It's a great time to change your negative eating habits and stay fit.
Budoor Ahmed, a fitness trainer says, "My exercise programme changes completely in Ramadhan. What I do is a routine change away from practicing cardio or exercises that require intense effort."
Having all gyms and sports yards closed because of the Covid-19 outbreak should not be an excuse for those who want to stay fit during this period.
She adds: “It is recommended that you reduce the intensity of your exercises during your fasting period. For example, if you were running for half an hour a day before Ramadhan, during this month you can limit the sports days to five days a week, and replace running with fast walking. And if you were used to lifting five kilograms of weight, there is nothing wrong in reducing it to three while fasting.”
About exercise timing in Ramadhan, she says, "It is preferable to exercise two or three hours after breaking the fast, as your body will be able to carry weight because it is full of energy. However, you need to get appropriate amount of carbohydrates, minerals and proteins for your body to recover fast. It is also preferable to exercise about half an hour before ‘suhoor’ (meal consumed early in the morning during Ramadhan), because by that time you already have consumed a good amount of water, have received your daily need of calories, and your stomach is not full at that time, so blood goes to your muscles. Choose from these two timing that suits you, so that you do not feel sick, rather feel energetic."
The Trainer advised people by saying, "Whatever is your choice regarding the type of exercises, it is duration and timing that is important. It is preferable to stick to a regular programme that you do throughout Ramadhan, as this would put your body and mind in the best possible state of health."
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