You don’t have to quit anything! Just think before you eat; Is this good or bad for my body? – Sahr Haris

The general perception is that people lose weight during Ramadan, what are your views?

Yes of course! One can easily loose weight during Ramadan. It’s the only month of the year where your entire body is in a state of DETOX. So one can easily shed weight by controlling diet, eating healthy and exercising daily.

What kind of a workout routine do you recommend to people who are fasting?

It all depends on your goals & what you are trying to achieve. People who fast should not to workout more than 30 mins max – otherwise you loose too much energy. It’s better to workout after Iftaar – so one can easily exercise for an hour easily.  In Ramadan, one doesn’t eat at the right timings because of fasting, so it’s better not to plan or focus your workout on gaining muscles, rather focus on maintaining your muscles during this month.

Since your gym is open 24/7, how do you tackle the dilemma of working out before or after Iftar?

At SHREDS, we have clients coming before Iftaar during their fast. But majority prefer to come after iftaar and we being the only 24 hour gym gives them flexibility to workout at any time of their convenience till Sehri!

For people that want to tone and get lean, should their workouts alter from those that want to gain muscle?

Ofcourse – workout plan as well as diet plan is totally different if you want to get tone & lean compared to if you want to gain muscles and bulk up. Apart from workout, your diet plan is also focused on high protein if you’re looking to shed as compared to  if the goal is to bulk & gain muscles – your diet plan is focused on more carbs, fat & protein.

For people that find it hard to follow a healthy diet, how do you recommend staying fit in Ramadan?

Be it Ramadan or the rest of the year – just leave Fried Foods, Junk Foods, Sugar/Desserts & White Rice or Breads. Just simply adapt your life style to eat clean, eat as much as greens, eat at the right timings in proper quantities and drink plenty of water!

Some people find it challenging to exercise in Ramadan, so what other types of activities do you recommend to those who want to stay fit in Ramadan?

If one finds it challenging to come to gym and workout during Ramadan, maybe because of less energy one has because of fasting – just simply at least walk on a treadmill or a park or wherever for 45 mins at least or go for a swim for 30 mins! But just exercise to keep your body in shape & healthy.

What can be the biggest motivator to work out in Ramadan?

During this one month your body is already in a detox stage., so if you control your diet & eat healthy in Sehri&Iftaar and workout daily – you can achieve results faster  in this one month.

How is one supposed to structure your meals between iftar and sehri?

Sehri is most important meal of the day – as it’s the breakfast time, so eat like a KING because your body will generate energy from all you eat at sehri for the next 14-15 hours! A healthy Sehri should be – Oatmeal with Fruits & nuts, 3-4 Boiled Egg Whites, Fresh Fruits or Fruit Yougurt (low fat). At Iftaar, one should eat a Salad with Fresh Green vegetables, fruits & nuts and whole wheat multi grain brown bread sandwich with Chicken or Beef or Cheese. Drink sufficient amount of water both at Sehri&Iftaar rather than any other drinks. Dinner should be more intake of Protein & Fresh Veggies.