If you are here, you might be wondering how to fast and stay strong throughout the day, as you are refrained from consuming food and drink, which is one of the main sources of energy.
But, being refrained from drinking or eating does not mean that you can be lazy in doing things. In fact, it would be better if you remain active and do activities as usual, e.g. working, studying, or just doing housework.
So, in preparation for the month of Ramadan, let's take a look at the tips on how to fast and stay fit during the holy month in the following article!
How to Fast and Stay Fit during Ramadan
To help you stay fit and strong in doing activities while fasting during Ramadan, here are some tips you can do:
1. Drink Enough Water during Suhoor and Iftar
Even though you are fasting, your body still needs to be adequately hydrated. If your body lacks water, it will be easier for you to feel tired, weak, sleepy, and just too lazy to do any of your activities.
Therefore, to prevent that, you need to remain hydrated by fulfilling your fluid intake by drinking mineral water in a 2-4-2 pattern, which is 2 glasses of water at iftar, 4 glasses at dinner, and 2 more glasses at dawn.
2. Stay Active
Even though you are fasting, it doesn't mean you can spend all your time being lazy.
In fact, to make you stronger while fasting, you are advised to spend more time doing activities such as meditation or simple household chores [1].
Not only is it good for your body, but these light physical activities can also help you forget about hunger for a moment [1].
However, it’s important to balance your activities wisely to ensure you have enough energy to sustain your fast until iftar.
3. Fulfill Daily Nutrition Intake
Another tip on how to fast and keep your body fit is maintaining a well-balanced diet. With that being said, you should never skip suhoor, as it provides essential nutrients to keep you energized throughout the day.
For a nutritious suhoor, you can prioritize foods rich in vitamins, protein, and fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, lean meats like beef and chicken, and whole grains.
4. Moderately Consume Sweet Foods and Beverages
Sugar is one of the energy producers needed by the body. However, its effects are short-lived compared to carbohydrates.
In other words, when blood sugar levels start to drop, your body may begin feeling hungry and fatigued again [1].
For example, if you consume sugary foods or drinks at suhoor at dawn, it is estimated that the energy obtained from this intake only lasts for a few hours. Thus, you may feel drained before midday.
Therefore, it is better for you to eat high-carbohydrate foods such as rice or potatoes and balance your meals with protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, or beans.
5. Get Enough Sleep
If you are wondering how to fast and keep your body fit the whole day, sleeping is one of the crucial secrets.
When fasting, many people tend to get sleepy easily even in the morning, which can be caused by insufficient rest time.
Since most people need to prepare a suhoor meal, they wake up earlier than usual, thus unconsciously reducing their overall sleep duration.
To counter this, you can avoid staying up late and make it a habit to sleep earlier. Ideally, aim for at least 4 hours of sleep each night [2].
If you still feel drowsy after suhoor, then try to take a short nap, but give your body some time to digest first.
During the day, if possible, you can also take a 20-minute power nap to recharge your stamina.
6. Don't Overeat
Avoiding overeating is also another way to help you stay fit and strong during fasting.
Some people tend to gobble up anything in front of their eyes during iftar or sahoor.
In fact, this habit can make the stomach bloated and exhausted. As a result, you may feel extra sleepy during the day [1].
Therefore, to stay strong and energized, you should control your meal portion on both suhoor and iftar.
7. Take Vitamins If Necessary
To maintain your strength while fasting, you can also consider taking vitamins.
Some types of vitamins that doctors usually prescribe to strengthen the body and stamina are vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, and calcium.
However, before taking any supplements, you need to first consult a doctor to determine which vitamins suit your body's needs and condition.
So, that is all the 7 tips on how to fast and remain fit during the holy month, Ramadan.
That explanation might remind you of the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle during Ramadan. Besides consuming a balanced and healthy meal, another crucial tip is to stay properly hydrated by drinking enough water.
Therefore, to ensure optimal hydration, drink #AQUADULU, during iftar and suhoor. Sourced from 21 selected mountain springs across Indonesia and undergoing 400 quality checks, AQUA guarantees pure, natural minerals that support your body’s needs.
AQUA also meets the mineral water standards by the Indonesian Ministry of Health (Kepmenkes No. 907 of 2022), which is clean, odorless, colorless, and tasteless.
So, don’t forget to drink enough water during sahoor with AQUA. Created by nature, AQUA is 100% pure for the holy month!
