Planning to work out during fasting?  How to stay fit while fasting this Navratri

Navratri, celebrated to appease the nine forms of Goddess Durga, is around the corner where most of us fast during the auspicious 9-day event. Fasting, apart from the spiritual choice, is also considered as one of the best ways to detox your body of unwanted toxins. Many people also do ‘Water fasting’ where they only consume water for a certain period and this is done to cleanse the system from within.

So on this auspicious occasion, can we stick to workout devoid of giving reasons of keeping fasting? Well the answer is Yes! But we have to be very careful in choosing the right type of work out during fasting.

Fitness during Fasting

We should be careful of not doing ‘too much’ on empty stomach when fasting. When we workout, the energy demand is met from the glycogen levels in body which is only a short supply of energy fuel. What happens when the glycogen level depletes after prolonged workout? The body looks for alternative source of energy to meet this demand. If you have been fasting for long and not eaten much, it’s very likely that the body will be tricked into using muscles as source of energy while conserving body fat. This will nullify the positive effects of workout as you end up reducing muscle mass and increasing fat percentage in the body.

Keeping a watch on calorie intake

At some point in fasting, we usually take so many calories by eating potatoes fries, ghee fried meals, sweets etc. hence to burn these calories, workout becomes vital. Working out during fasting should be measured thoroughly as body is not getting all essential nutrients. Eating before workout is the best way to loose fat. If you do not eat food which will be available to burn while workout, then the body will extract energy from muscle and as a result, leave you weak and feeble. Therefore, you should eat small portion of meal (preferably protein + carb source) as your pre-workout to fuel you better. Since there is a restriction on what you can eat or can’t eat, you can choose wisely to make sure your carbs and protein requirements are met. During Navratri, you can choose from any of these to make a balanced meal: Sabudana Khichdi, Roti made of Kuttu aata, boiled potato, banana, walnut and other dry fruits etc.

Choosing low-intensity cardio when fasting/ empty stomach

This Navratri, manifest devotion with a workout of low impact exercise such as short running, walking, cycling, stretching are good to do however at the same time, listen to your body and know your parameters. The Workout should not be painstaking and strenuous during fasting else it can be a danger and may cause injuries and health concern.

Let’s cheer up and Celebrate Navratri by fasting, worshiping and with the spirit of staying fit. Fix the stairs of your workout plan and Maa Jagdamba will lead you ahead in liveness and joyful fitness world.

Happy Navratri!