Is it safe to workout when fasting? – The Indian Express

The importance of working out daily cannot be stressed enough. Keeping oneself active and engaged in physical activities, helps prevent certain diseases both, mental and physical besides keeping the weight in check. However, there is often confusion around exercising while on a fast. As such, while many people maintain their exercise routine while fasting, others abstain from it thinking that it may do more harm than good. But what is it that one should do? Answering that question is Mukul Nagpaul, founder of Pmftraining and Fit India Movement Ambassador, as he lists the dos and donts of working out when fasting.

The expert opined that in most cases, where people are healthy, exercising during fasting is safe. In fact, research suggests that there may be a benefit to workout during fasting as it can help increase human growth hormone, which plays an important role in cell repair, boosting metabolism, increasing muscle growth, and increasing exercise performance.

Workout types during fasting

One must ideally do low or moderate-intensity exercises as these will utilise more energy from the stored body fat, helping you sustain them for a long time; while also accelerating fat loss. High-intensity exercises, on the other hand, should be avoided as they require more carbs; and since you are fasting, your body doesnt have enough carbs to fuel the workouts, so you will feel tired while exercising and if you push beyond your capability then you can even faint, Nagpaul told indianexpress.com.

Who should be careful?

People with coronary artery disease, diabetes, and those taking medication for hypertension need to be careful. People with coronary artery disease are more prone to cardiac events if their heart rate goes up during workouts, and with fasting, due to low storage of energy, the chances of the heart rate going up is very high as it puts more stress on the body. Hence, they need to be careful with the intensity of their workouts, Nagpaul stressed.

Diabetics, who are on medications, also need to be careful of their blood sugar dropping too low while working out. Such people already have the risk of blood sugar going too low if they dont eat frequently, and by working out during fasting the blood sugar level can drop too low, which can be fatal for them. On the other hand, people who take medication for hypertension may find it hard to take their heart rate up even with intense exercises so, if they workout while fasting they wont be able to realise if the intensity of the workouts goes too high and can cause damage to themselves, he explained.

The expert doled out the following tips for working out during fasting. If you want to workout during fasting, then keep these tips in mind, he said.

Intensity

The workout should be low in intensity such that you are able to hold a conversation with a person.

Duration

The duration of the workout should be between 40- 60 minutes if you are trying to do this for the first time. Experts can go beyond 60 minutes

Hydration

Make sure to keep yourself hydrated during workouts as you lose salts, which will make you weaker and can cause cramps.

Timing

Its best to workout at the start of the fast as your body still has the stored energy. If you work out during the end of your fast, your body has already lost a lot of nutrients so the workout can cause more damage than benefit.

Listen to your body

If you feel tired, get a headache or feel low in energy while working out then its better to stop the activity.

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Is it safe to workout when fasting? - The Indian Express