Fit In Ramadan.

The day that I am writing this blog was precisely 90 days before Ramadan. Counting on Ramadan, I highlight the importance of a fit body, preparing ourselves to welcome the blessed month. We have always heard the stories, mainly from our Muslim sisters, not to exclude me, about the struggle to remain awake, alert, and fit in Ramadan, sometimes with acute gastritis, especially in the first few days of the month.

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The strong believer is more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, but there is goodness in both of them. Be eager for what benefits you, seek help from Allah, and do not be frustrated. If something befalls you, do not say: If only I had done something else. Rather, say Allah has decreed what he wills. Verily, the phrase ‘if only’ opens the way for the work of Satan.” [1]

This hadith tick me inside. I must be physically fit to welcome Ramadan and my everyday life! Therefore, I want to share with you what we should do to stay fit and prepare for Ramadan and the coming months.

Moderate-intensity walking for at least 150 minutes a week.

We all know the benefits of exercising for our health and to avoid lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. One of the great exercises to do is walking.

Studies showed that it improves the heart’s ability to get oxygen to our muscles and how effectively our muscles use that oxygen. The best type of walking is known as moderate-intensity walking. It will increase our aerobic fitness and, more importantly, allow us to carry out activities for more extended periods with less fatigue. It also helps us maintain body weight, body flexibility, and balance.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 250 minutes or more exercise for an effective result. The minimum that we can do is to walk for 30 minutes each day for five days.[2] We can space out the walking time to 10 minutes 3 times a day or for 30 minutes each time five times a week. InshaAllah, after 90 days, we will find ourselves fit and can stay awake to do activities in Ramadan for longer.

10 minutes of strength exercise each day

A moderate-intensity exercise like what is mentioned above should be accompanied by a strength exercise for better health and body fitness. We should do strength exercises 2 to 3 times a week involving our body’s major muscles. We can download many free apps to guide us on how to do them.

Ten minutes of strength exercise with at least 1 set (eight repetitions per set) of 6 strength exercises involving all major muscle groups will be done inshallah to increase our muscle bulk and strength for more substantial muscles while doing activities in Ramadan.[3]

Eat in a small portion.

An adult’s stomach is about the size of a fist, but it can expand as much as 40 times its original capacity to hold a big meal or large fluid intake. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “A man does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to eat enough to keep him alive. But if he must do that, then one-third for his food, one-third for his drink, and one-third for his air.” [4]

It is good to start reducing the food on our dinner plates now. It is also an excellent way to train our stomach for fasting during Ramadan and avoid acute gastritis.

Smart snack choices

I am a person who snacks a lot. I have a problem to remain alert if I am hungry. It is found that snacking is not all bad, but the choices for snacks matter.

Regarding snacks, we must be aware of the food we snack on and the snack timing and place. It requires a lot of discipline and self-reminder. We snack only when we get the hunger pang. We must only snack on healthy food such as vegetables, nuts, and fruits, avoid fast food or sugary snacks, snack in small portions, and avoid sitting in front of the TV, laptop, or mobile phone while snacking.

Later, we would realize that we do not need the snack time anyway. Drinking plain water would do when we feel the need to snack. InshaAllah, it will help us to prepare ourselves from the thought of food and snacks during fasting in Ramadan.

Finally, with these four simple points, we should not forget to make dua to Allah, asking for His help to make us persevere and discipline in the four mentioned tasks to prepare our body to be physically fit and healthy. Take these small steps; start today to prepare for the blessed month of Ramadan, fully energetic and healthy to do the ibadah in the sacred month. Let’s start now, bismillah. 

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Written by: Dr. Fadzidah Ariffin UmmuAbdullah