Some forms of exercise could be safe depending on the kind of fast you’re doing and how long you’re doing it for. However, you should use caution.
A healthy lifestyle must include regular exercise. Regular exercise may help you maintain a healthy weight, lower your chance of developing diabetes and heart disease, and build your muscles and bones.
However, there are situations when you would wish to proceed with exercise care. One of those situations is fasting, which is the practice of going without food and liquids for a certain period of time.
Is Working Out While Fasting Safe?
Generally speaking, exercising while fasting is OK, particularly if you are already in generally good condition, according to William Dixon, MD, an emergency care doctor and clinical assistant professor at Stanford University in California.
However, some people need to exercise caution.
The main categories that require caution include individuals with coronary artery disease (a condition in which the arteries have difficulty delivering blood, oxygen, and nutrients to the heart), as well as those who take medicine for diabetes and high blood pressure.
Is it Safe to Exercise During Different Types of Fasting?
Fasts can last anything from a few hours to several weeks.
According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, eating and drinking are only permitted during predetermined hours (dusk to dawn) during spiritual fasting rituals like Ramadan, a holy month in the Islamic religion.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, some eating habits, including intermittent fasting, are used for weight reduction or health benefits.
Guidelines for Working Out While Fasting
Even with safety measures, working out while fasting may be dangerous. Before working out and fasting at the same time, see your doctor if you’re taking any drugs, have one of the aforementioned health issues, or any other condition that would make it unsafe for you to exercise (or safely fast).
Follow these guidelines for a safer, not to mention more relaxing, experience if you want to exercise while you’re fasting.
Watch your level of exertion. Stick to lower-intensity workouts while fasting to save energy for the remainder of the day, particularly if you’re exercising at the start or middle of your fast, advises Accetta. Aim for an intensity of no more than a 4 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 representing rest and 10 being full effort.
Keep it brief. Long-term low-intensity exercise can lead to higher-intensity workouts. This means that even a low-intensity three-hour stroll may not be a smart choice while fasting. When exercising while fasting, keep your workouts to the shorter of your usual workout sessions of 30 or an hour.
Remain hydrated. While fasting, make sure to drink lots of water and monitor the color of your urine to determine your level of hydration: The darker the color of your urine, the more dehydrated you are. Drink at least eight glasses of water daily.
Beginning with exercise. Try to work out towards the beginning of your fast if your schedule permits. According to Mary Wirtz, RD, CSSD, a board-certified sports dietitian located in Colorado Springs, as long as you’ve recently eaten, your body still has enough of resources stored to power the activity. In contrast to trying to exercise at the conclusion of your fast when your body is nutrient-depleted, this may make exercise more tolerable.
Bottom line
Listening to your body, your doctor is always worth it and keep you out of the troubles. Recognize when your body is warning you that you are doing too much. Pay attention to your body’s signals and stop working out if you get nausea, dizziness, or a headache. Perhaps you could refresh with a quick bite. You can also check an article i wrote on How to Start Running or check this website for intermittent fasting methods.
