JP/Adi Purnama

Fasting from dawn to dusk, most Muslims shy away from strenuous exercise over the course of Ramadhan. That’s no excuse, though, to stop exercising altogether and descend into unfitness. Here we list five light physical activities ideal for keeping toned and healthy during Ramadhan.

Walking

While running on an empty stomach is no fun, walking is a suitable alternative, especially for those who lead largely sedentary lives.

Sport medicine specialist Rachmad Wishnu Hidayat said on Thursday that a brief walk or light jog was appropriate for those fasters whose exercise routines normally involve running .

“They just need to slow the pace,” he said, adding that the length of the run should also be cut.

For example, a run of an hour or half an hour, he said, should be shortened to around 20 minutes.

Calisthenics

People who usually start their days with a bout of calisthenics, an exercise consisting of a variety of gross motor movements including push ups, squats and sit up, can keep this routine up during the fasting month.

Specialist Rachmad advised two sets, each consisting of 10 repetitions. “This exercise does not require lots of energy or produce lots of sweat, so it is quite safe to do during fasting,” he said.

He stressed the importance of continuing to exercise during Ramdhan. “Although the impact is not significant, the fitness of people who stop regular exercise during Ramadhan will drop in three or four weeks,” he said.

It would be much harder to take a routine up again having abandoned it for a month, he added.

Aerobics

Although aerobics seems to demand high levels of energy and effort, Rachmad argued that the activity was still suitable to be engaged in over the fasting month.

For a more comprehensive work-out, he advised practising aerobics shortly before the dusk ifthar or breaking of the fast.

“It is safe to do aerobics 30 to 40 minutes before breaking the fast as the fluid would be immediately replaced,” he said, adding that the risk of dehydration would be low.

Swimming

Swimming is arguably the perfect activity for fasting Muslims, especially denizens of hot and humid Jakarta; the cool embrace of the water will serve as a welcome distraction, at the same time as helping the faithful keep fit.

However, Rachmad said Muslims who wanted to swim should be careful. “You have to be extra careful not to accidentally drink the water,” he said, noting that this was a fairly common occurrence when swimming.

He said the safest time to swim or engage in other, more lengthy exercise was in the evening, when energy levels had been topped up. However, he also urged swimmers to be aware of the time of the evening Ramadhan prayers (tarawih) and sleeping hours.

“Make sure your exercise doesn’t disturb your sleeping time, as you also have to wake up before dawn for sahur,” he said, referring to the pre-dawn meal eaten before the daily fast begins.

Cycling

JP/ R. Berto Wedhatama

If walking or jogging aren’t your thing, cycling is another great choice for light morning exercise.

Rachmad stressed, though, that a morning bike ride should not be overlong.

“This will ensure sports enthusiasts do not become dehydrated; it takes a long time to refill fluid levels and recharge energy,” he said.

Those who live in housing complexes can use neighborhood parks or shady sidewalks to cycle. The Car Free Day (CFD) program is also a great venue, although fasting Muslims will have to endure the temptation of chicken porridge or curry rice cakes after a CFD cycle ride at the Hotel Indonesia Traffic Circle.