What are the best exercises when you’re fasting?
I have to point out the following two crucial aspects concerning exercising while fasting before answering your question:
If you are a non-working person and do not have a household then training in the morning after you wake up is fine. A lot of people tend to train immediately before Iftar, which they think is the best for burning fat. Wrong! If the human body does not find essential proteins in the blood stream necessary for the build-up and recovery of muscles, then it will break down precious muscle tissue, thus slowing down the metabolism and the fat burning furnace of the human organism at the same time. Remember that one pound of muscle burns approx. 30-50 calories per day. In addition to this, elderly people and people with medical history and/or ingesting medication should abstain from exercising before Iftar, as it may negatively affect their already questionable health and blood circulation.
If you train after Iftar, then keep at least 90 minutes between your workout and your meal. Also do not train right before Sohoor and have your post workout meal and sleep. The blood will be distracted between digestion and muscle recovery/repair. None of them will be done in perfection. The most important thing here is to reduce the intensity and volume of any exercise you carry out. Reduce the pace of your jogging and increase the resting periods between your workout sets. High intensity exercises should be avoided, especially when exercising before Iftar. Never try to go overboard and set new personal records, as both your nervous and muscular system will not be performing at full capacity.
I keep on drinking a lot of water during exercise classes, is it ok or should I drink just after the class?
Athletes and those exercising should drink adequate fluids throughout the 24 hours prior to an event or workout. Exercisers should start drinking early, and at regular intervals, in order to consume water at a rate sufficient to replace that which will be lost through sweating.
Fluid intake during exercise
Water consumption is equally important for someone who enthusiastically power-walks or works out in the gym as it is for the seasoned athlete. Fluids consumed should be cooler than ambient temperature as this ensures more rapid absorption through the stomach into the body. If an event/session is greater than an hour long then isotonic sports drinks can be effective. If they are not available, then water is still acceptable.
Fluid intake after exercise
It is difficult to completely replace all of the water lost during exercise. Generally speaking, exercising individuals lose between 0.5 and 1.5 litres of sweat in 1 hour of exercise. In the majority of cases, the average person is definitely dehydrated when he/she has finished exercising. Try to consume 8-10 ounces every 15 minutes after exercise. Hydration is vital and everybody engaging in exercise, at all levels and intensities, should work to increase their water intake. You will be very surprised at how much better you will feel and perform just by drinking more water.