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Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar when Muslims restrain from food and drink and other things from dawn till sunset every day for 30 days.
It’s a practice anticipated by the members of the Muslim faith as it’s a month of spiritual reflection, body detoxification, charity and community values.

Now, as Muslims are practically fasting all day long and just having food and drink during the night time only, the big question is….
When is the best time to workout?

I’m going to give my opinion but of course, please consult your GP and listen to what your body tells you.

Ramadan was never meant to be a month of over-eating, idleness and non productivity.
So there is no justification that a person who is fasting mustn’t workout (unless you are exempted by your doctor), but the volume and intensity are the only factors that must lower during this month.
Therefore, don’t think of making any gains.  Consider it as a month of maintaining your workout schedule only and a cut /dieting month food wise.

To keep it really short, you can do both or one of the following:

• You can do a 30-45 minute walk before Iftar (the break-fast meal) by 2 hours. It should be a very low impact walk as you can’t exhaust yourself since you haven’t had any water since Sohoor (the last meal before dawn). A slow steady walk (preferably outdoors) helps with boosting your mood after a long day of fasting. A yoga class can do as well.

• After Iftar, you can workout at the gym after about 2 hours to guarantee proper digestion. But take into consideration that you must have had a small well balanced meal consisting of protein, fibre, complex carbs and healthy fats (do not over-eat) and plenty of water. You can go with tradition as well by having milk or a yogurt drink with some dates if that’s what you prefer. When you go to the gym, and if you lift weights, go with 3 sets of 10 reps of each exercise using a light to medium load (No heavy lifting this month!). Compound exercises are great as they work all body parts.

Keep your session no more than 60 minutes. Always warm up and cool down properly. And of course, drink a lot of water and have good sources of protein after you are done with your workout.

You can do one day walking, the next day weight lifting, and so on.

This is a general rule of thumb and this can be customised depending on one’s energy levels and health during this month.

But remember that Ramadan is a month of reflection, prayers and self discipline. If you perform it correctly you will achieve many benefits mentally and physically.

Here’s a guide you can use.

Check out this video on fasting Ramadan and it could help you change your mindset for this year. English captions are available. The episode starts at 2:30:

Ramadan Kareem and may the Almighty accept your prayers and deeds!

If you would like me to train you during feeding hours in Ramadan, I have a few available slots in the evening. PureGym Nottingham Castle Marina is a 24/7 gym so it’s open at night time.

Contact me for arrangements.

While I was dieting, I searched high and low for a dessert that I can have that won’t break the scales. A non guilty treat that I can have when those wild cravings hit in. After a lot of experimenting, I found protein baked oats was my holy grail.

I wanted something warm, that had chocolate, a bit sweet, and had a crunchy, fudgy, and cakey texture. I want it also to be low calorie, low sugar and filling. Sounds impossible, right?

Before I lay out the recipe (enough for 2), I want to talk about the ingredients. Everyone of us has different diet requirements so I’ll try to mention all the possible alternatives:

• Oats OR gluten free oats (not the quick oats)
• Isolate whey protein powder OR vegan protein powder (preferable non flavoured)
• Chia seeds (to hold the mixture together)
• 85% or higher dark chocolate OR dark vegan chocolate (the less sugar in them, the better)
• Low calorie no sugar syrup any flavour you like OR date/grape/carob molasses

Of course you can add into the recipe fruits or nuts if you want, but I’m keeping it simple and low calorie as possible. If you were to put fresh fruit, take out about 125 ml or less water from the required water needed for the recipe to avoid the mixture being too soggy after it is baked.

Now, preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Then, you need a silicon baking pan, a whisk and start mixing:

125 grams of oats (coarse or fine, up to you)

125 grams of protein powder

1 teaspoon of chia seeds

1 teaspoon of baking powder

After mixing the dry ingredients, pour over them 375 ml of water and whisk them all together.

Place the pan in the oven on the middle rack and put 15 minutes on your timer.

When 10 minutes have passed, open the oven and place a square of your dark chocolate or 20 grams of dark chocolate chips over the mixture.

When 15 minutes have passed, take the pan out of the oven and drizzle over it 1.5 teaspoons of syrup or molasses. Since the chocolate has been melted at this point, you can mix it with the syrup or molasses and spread it all over the dessert with a spoon.

And bon appetite!

This dessert can go roughly around 400 calories, so share it with someone you love or cut the ingredients and cooking time in half to make a portion enough for 1 person. If you want to consume the whole thing, my advice… have it after your workout!

It’s very filling, and it’s good for satisfying your sweet tooth, taking into consideration that it’s not something you can have everyday. You can have it when you have cravings for something sweet and to be honest, better than ready made desserts. As there are no hydrogenated fats in it or processed flour or sugar.

You want to call it a healthier version of a cake… I don’t mind!

Give it a try and let me know how it turns out with you, and if you made any upgrades to it, I would love to see your creativity!

If you need nutritional advice along with personal training to achieve better results during your weight loss journey, give me a call!

When many people hear the word forest bathing (or Shinrin Yoku), they think of swimming or bathing among trees. It actually rarely involves bathing in water and yet, the air which one breathes while walking shares some similarities with water in many ways.

The air moves in currents and flows in waves; this can be seen in the countless patterns of floating clouds in the sky. The air contains so many ecosystems including breeze-borne strands of insects and birds, pollen, soil and fungal spores to name a few. So technically, the air is like an ocean in which everyone “bathes”.

During forest bathing, you immerse your senses in the special characteristics of the forest. You walk through nature while focusing your senses in the multitude of ways the trees surrounds and touches you. You are able to feel the breeze, hear the brooks and rivers as they flow, hear the birds sing and even see the trees move.

By tuning into your senses, you are able to reduce the volume on the unmelodiousness of your inner thoughts. This allows your senses to bring you into the current moment where you can now appreciate what nature has to offer.

Shinrin Yoku is not hiking; the focus of Shinrin Yoku is connections and relationships. Many people have never learned about the art of stillness in nature, although there are some exceptions. For example, over time, a fisherman would learn how to tune in to the sounds of the ocean, how the sun reflects on the water and the fishes’ feeding timetable.

The term Shinrin Yoku was first coined by Tomohide Akiyama. The idea behind it was to create a distinctive brand identity which linked visits to the forest to health and wellness-based ecotourism although this does not mean that Shinrin Yoku is a modern phenomenon.

Many cultures have long been able to find healing in nature. In fact, until recently, all medicines came from herbs, roots, rituals and even relationships with other beings. Practically all preindustrial native communities had customs, ceremonies, rituals and medical techniques that were reliant upon natures’ healing; many of these are still based on the forest.

Wherever you find native people in the forest, you are bound to find forest-based healing practises.

There has been a growing interest in forest healing practises which appears to be a response to many failures experienced with mainstream medicine.

I recently took a certified course in Shinrin Yoku and I am pleased to announce that I will apply some of its practices during my Walk! With Mona service.

It’s an excellent option if you are just starting out in fitness. You will feel refreshed and energised after the walk, full of positive energy and ready to achieve your goals. At the end of the walk, you will enjoy a nice cup of green tea made by yours truly.

Consistency and determination are essential keys to start any transformation. It is a journey, an emotionally bumpy ride, where all members should hold hands and support each other.

Mistakes may happen, but one must not stop there. Learn from the mistakes and do corrective actions to avoid making them again.

It all starts with that little desire to change for the better. Change is difficult; no one can deny it, especially if that change involves habits.

It all depends on foreseeing the positive results using SMART objectives (Specified, measurable, achievable, realistic, timed). It is an investment, and any person needs to be convinced of the returns of that investment.

Common sense and reason play a big role as well. I am sure that each one of us standing here wants the best for themselves and for their loved ones. It does take courage to admit our weaknesses sometimes, but we are humans at the end of the day, and we can never reach perfectionism.

So, speaking up and seeking help and support is the best way to reach our goals. Success, happiness and satisfaction for sure are the Holy Grail we humans seek for.

Hard work and dedication are the routes to them, but every person’s experience looks, tastes, smells, sounds and feels different. This uniqueness must be celebrated.

Want to start your first move?

Contact me and let’s make that happen!