Sport is a physical activity that is good for one's health and fitness. In addition to physical health, the benefits of exercise are good for mental health such as improving mood, making you more confident, relieving stress, improving memory, and relieving anxiety. Of the many benefits of exercise that can be felt, some people choose to do it outside the fasting month. In fact, exercising in the month of fasting can actually increase body stamina, you know. Moreover, if you have previously been doing sports regularly.
1. Things to Pay Attention to When Doing Sports in the Month of Fasting
1.1 Nutritional Intake at Suhoor and Iftar
A limp body is caused by a lack of nutrients or carbohydrates as a source of energy. In order to fulfill your nutritional intake, you can eat foods that contain complex carbohydrates that make you feel fuller for longer. Complex carbohydrates can be found in foods such as brown rice, vegetables, whole grains, and beans. Not only carbohydrates, protein can also be a source of energy reserves that you can meet your needs at dawn and iftar.
1.2. Sports Time
The next one is exercise time. It is advisable to do exercise in the morning after sahur, before breaking the fast, and after breaking the fast. This is certainly very appropriate considering the energy reserves are still a lot at that time. By doing exercise in the afternoon, you can immediately replace the lost energy before breaking the fast later.
1.3. Exercise Duration and Intensity
Next is the duration and intensity of exercise. The exercise that you should do is a light and moderate exercise with a duration of approximately 30 minutes and done at least 2-3 times a week. If you feel you are still able and accustomed to exercising, you can increase the intensity and duration.
1.4. Meet Body Fluid Needs
It is unavoidable that when fasting, the body will experience a lack of fluids. To prevent dehydration, you can meet the fluid needs of at least 2 liters a day at dawn and iftar. Avoid consuming drinks that are diuretics or drinks that can bind salt and water to be excreted through the urine and can cause body fluids to decrease. The drinks are coffee, tea, and soda.
1.5. Make Sure You Get Enough Rest
If you want to exercise while fasting, you also have to make sure you get enough rest. In order not to get weak easily, make sure you sleep around 7-9 hours per day so that your body's performance is maintained.
1.6. Understand Your Body's Ability
Last but not least is understanding the capabilities of your body. If you feel unable and experience symptoms of weakness, dizziness, shaking, to staggering, you should stop exercising and rest. Forcing yourself to exercise while fasting is actually very harmful to the body.
2. 10 Types of Sports You Can Do While Fasting
The types of exercise that are considered safe to do while fasting but the body does not feel weak and tired. Here's the review.
2.1. Jogging
The first type of exercise you can do is jogging. Jogging is a light exercise and easy to do. You can start jogging before breaking the fast by going around the housing complex or using a treadmill if you are reluctant to leave the house. You can jog 10-15 minutes so that the body is not too tired and weak.
2.2. Yoga
The type of exercise while fasting that you can try next is yoga. Yoga is also a light exercise that can provide physical and mental health for you. You can do this exercise at home or visit the nearest yoga club. However, now there are many tutorials for doing yoga from the experts, making it easier to do at home.
2.3. Zumba
If you want to do sports that can burn a lot of calories, this one exercise can be the solution. Zumba is a cardio exercise that can improve the function of the heart system and maintain body fitness.
2.4. Cardio Sports
Apart from Zumba, you can also do cardio with high knee movements, jumping jacks, and squats to improve heart function and make the body sweat.
2.5. Bicycle
Light exercise that you can do while fasting is cycling. You can do it in the afternoon when the air and the weather are cooler. Cycling can also relieve stress by looking at the surrounding scenery. Choose a cycling location that is near a park and avoid cycling on the highway for comfort and safety.
2.6. Skipping
If you are reluctant or lazy to leave the house, skipping can be an alternative exercise that can be done at home. With the help of this jump rope, you can improve heart function, body balance, bone density, and burn even more calories. In addition to jumping following the rope loop, there are several styles of playing skipping that you can try and imitate from the youtube tutorial.
2.7. Weightlifting
This one sport is indeed a fairly heavy sport. However, this sport can be a light exercise if the weight being lifted is a lightweight. This sport is suitable to be done before breaking the fast by lifting a barbell that is not too heavy. You can choose barbells weighing from 1 kilogram in the marketplace of your choice.
2.8. Ball Crunch
Not only intended for pregnant women, ball crunches can also be done during the fasting month. This exercise can stretch stiff muscles and make the body more supple and flexible.
2.9. Bowling
The next sport is bowling. You can do this sport with colleagues, friends, or family. Playing bowling is a sport that can make you feel more comfortable and happy. This sports game is carried out in an air-conditioned room so it doesn't make you feel tired and reduces the potential for thirst. This sport can be a killing time activity while waiting for the time to break the fast.
2.10. Cross Jack
Image Source: Workout Trends
The last type of exercise during fasting is cross jack. Almost similar to jumping jacks, this sport is done by crossing your arms and legs while jumping like scissors. This sport can train muscle strength, and bone density, and make the body fit.
You can do those types of exercise while fasting at home. So that worship is much calmer, make sure to stay in top shape, okay? Hopefully, BFI friends can get abundant enjoyment in this month full of blessings.
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