DUBAI: Want to work out during fasting hours? Devinder Bains, personal trainer and nutrition coach at Fit Squad DXB, shares five exercises . . .
If you are going to train during your fasting hours then it’s important to choose resistance training over cardio, as this is less likely to leave you out of breath, needing water and it also helps preserve muscle mass. Do these exercises in a row to build yourself a super-strength workout.
Frontal shoulder raise
Repeat 10 times making sure not to swing the torso. (Shutterstock)
Stand with hands on the front of your thighs — use weights or canned goods. Slowly lift both arms up, keeping them straight, until your hands reach your eye line, then slowly return to the start position. Repeat 10 times making sure not to swing the torso.
Walking lunges
The front leg should be bent at 90 degrees at the knee. (Shutterstock)
Start at one end of the room and take a large step forward with your right foot into a lunge and lower the left knee almost to the floor. The front leg should be bent at 90 degrees at the knee. Hold this position for a count of one and then push back up and step forward with the opposite leg; continue until you reach the other end of the room. Do five lengths.
Plank
Hold for as long as you can with good form. (Shutterstock)
Lay down facing the floor and lift your body up on to your toes and forearms. Engage the core, glutes, legs and shoulders, keeping the back and neck flat and aligned. Hold for as long as you can with good form, before putting the knees down. Repeat three times.
Squats into lateral leg-lifts
As you push back into standing position, lift the right leg sideways into the air at about a 45-degree angle. (Shutterstock)
Stand with legs just wider than shoulder-width apart and lower your bottom into a squat. As you push back into standing position, lift the right leg sideways into the air at about a 45-degree angle. As you return this leg to the ground go into a squat again. As you come up this time, lift the left leg before again going into a squat. Repeat 10 times on each side.
Press-ups
You can drop your knees to the floor to make it easier. (Shutterstock)
Start in your full plank position with hands right below the shoulders. Lower the whole body to the floor while bending the arms at the elbow. Keep the neck and back aligned and bring the chest as low to the ground as you can before using the arms and chest to push the body back up. Repeat 10 times. You can drop your knees to the floor to make it easier.
