How Ramadan fasting and fitness can run together

Ramadan is usually a month of quiet contemplation for millions of Muslims around the world.

Daytime is a period of deep introspection and inner peace, with food and water fasting.

But for some, physical fitness still plays an important role, they say, and exercise and spiritual journeys go hand in hand.

Pilates instructor Sahil Ahmed Evans believes there’s a natural link between fasting and fitness.

“Fasting is a discipline,” she said.

“We have no food, no water and we are challenging our bodies. We are committed and consistent for 30 days.

“It’s just like exercise…you have to be committed, you certainly have to be disciplined.

“And you have to be consistent to get results. I think they go hand in hand.”

After a period of ill health, Sahir, 46, owner of SAE Pilates and Fitness Studio in Cardiff, said it was time to make a change by pursuing a health and fitness lifestyle and career. rice field.

Today, she is a certified Pilates instructor and mentors other women as an avid advocate for women’s health and wellness.

“During Ramadan, we not only work on our mental health, but we feel connected to our emotional, mental and physical health.

“This is a complete overhaul to begin a new program later this year. Improving.

“We can be complacent and life takes over, but Ramadan resets it and makes us realize that we can do a lot. It means having a deep inner strength of “and into life”.

Ramadan ends this week and many Muslims are exempt from fasting. This includes children, the elderly, those who are in poor health, those who are traveling, those who are menstruating, and those who are breastfeeding.

But for those who fast, Dr. Nabeel Illahi, 29, says there are many potential health benefits.

Dr. Illahi, a general practitioner of training, says, “Fasting helps with obesity because shorter meal windows typically burn fewer calories throughout the day and lead to weight loss.”

“Obesity is also an independent risk factor for type 2 diabetes and heart disease, so it can help reduce your chances of getting either of these.

“Fasting has also been shown to reduce inflammation in the body, and since increased inflammation has been linked to things like cancer and heart disease, fasting has many health benefits.”

Links to health benefits have made fasting popular around the world, even among non-Muslims.

For Dr Illahi, who also creates fitness content online, the spiritual aspect of this month is to boost his fitness.

“My spiritual health is very closely related to my mental and physical health because when I feel closer to God, I feel my mental health improves.

“I’m better able to handle my challenges. I feel better and actually want to exercise.”

The pre-dawn meal and evening prayers may disrupt some people’s routines during the month.

Dr. Irahi said he noticed that people who struggled all day long suffered from not getting enough sleep.

“Even during the month of Ramadan, you should try to get at least seven to nine hours of healthy sleep in a row,” he said.

Amin Ullah, 25, works out twice a day, before and after fasting, before competing in her first bodybuilding competition.

“If I hadn’t competed, I wouldn’t have been training as hard and as hard as I used to,” said Amin, who hails from Barry, Vale, Glamorgan.

He explained about stopping fasting, “It’s like losing your sense of self because you don’t feel good unless you train.”

He’s been training intermittently for eight years, but this year is the first time he’s maintained a workout routine during Ramadan.

“Religion for me is ultimately the most important thing,” he said.

“I’ve tried not to make excuses this year, but I want to pray and fast five times each day while working out and being as productive as possible.

“And during this Ramadan, I was able to make the most of both my religion and my daily life.”