Ramadan fitness: 5 exercises to maintain your health

To achieve any fitness goal, having a well-drawn plan is essential. But if you’re fasting during Ramadan, it becomes critical.

Aimlessly training without a plan can be dangerous and also put your results on the back burner, say trainers Adam and Olivia McCubbin, who run the Dubai-based Best Body Co. Also, a number of factors have to be taken into consideration during Ramadan, including fatigue, recovery and hydration.

The fitness couple recently launched their Ramadan Results Challenge, which trains groups (fasting and not fasting) three times a week, and included detailed nutrition guides and meal plans. With the aim of helping people to maintain their fitness or lose weight, the workouts focus on low-impact exercises designed to produce the most effective results.

Here, they share 5 key exercises you can do to help you maintain (and improve) your health and fitness:

1. Goblet or barbell squat

Squats are often referred to as “the king of all exercises” and for good reason! They activate large amounts of muscle groups in the body and help to maintain lean muscle mass (which will help keep your metabolism firing). Doing 3 sets of 6 repetitions will be more than enough to maintain muscle mass and keep your strength and body fat in check.

2. Kettlebell swings

This is a fantastic exercise for metabolic conditioning, maintaining strength and power. This is great for all the posterior chain muscle groups (hamstrings, glutes, lower back etc.) 3 sets of 1 min AMRAP (as many reps as possible).

3. Barbell bench press or dumbbell bench press

One of the best upper body exercises for overall results! Doing 3 sets of 6 repetitions will be sufficient and effective.

4. Single arm bent-over dumbbell row:

A fantastic exercise for the muscles of the back and to maintain and develop core strength and rigidity under load. 3 sets of 6 reps each side.

5. Incline treadmill walk for 30 min

Don’t think you need to be pounding the pavement at a fast speed for the cardiovascular system to be working. Using a steep incline and a moderate-paced walk reduces the overall impact and stress on your system but still enables your heart rate to be elevated enough for a beneficial training effect! Pace between 5 to 7 km/hr and incline 9 to 15 degrees for 30 min.

THINGS TO NOTE:

- During Ramadan, for those who are fasting, it’s best to avoid high impact exercises if you are exercising before iftar, as you will be dehydrated, may feel faint, low on energy and will be more prone to injury. High impact exercises might include plyometrics like jumping lunges, jumping squats and box jumps.

- Try to incorporate the above fives exercises, completed 3 times per week and you’ll be on your way to getting your best body this Ramadan.

To find out more about the Best Body Co Ramadan Results Challenge, following Adam and Olivia on Instagram at @bestbodyco.