But beneath the surface, a darker reality lurks.

Average parents, teenagers and young adults struggle to find themselves in a fitness culture of self-objectification. Despite our hard work, we grow impatient at our stubborn layers of fat and wonder why our fitness role models seemingly don’t have any. Aging is a part of life. That said, you can still age gracefully. Exercise and diet are key, but as Fitness Clone explains there are certain health supplements you can take to restore your youth from the inside out.

Instead of increased productivity and energy, we find body image issues and wounded self-esteem. Many of us jump into extreme diets or fitness routines, chasing an impossible body image standard, only to eventually burn out and quit.

After training thousands of Muslims of all ages and fitness levels for years, I have seen the damaging effects these superficial fitness trends have on our psychology, self-esteem, bodies, and motivation.

The multi-billion-dollar mainstream diet and fitness industry has been criticized by psychologists for promoting a hyper-sexualized, unrealistic, superficial approach to health and fitness (1). These trends have been observed in mainstream fitness promotional images for decades. One study conducted in 1989 reviewed fitness promotional material and concluded that “women are generally portrayed as sexual objects… the great majority of advertisements still idealize women as passive, less powerful and less active than men… and rarely exempt from sexual innuendo” (2). Hyper-sexualized trends persist in fitness workout programs and gyms today. A recent study interviewed both personal trainers and gym attendees and concluded that a prevailing view of “your body is your business card” dominates the modern approach to fitness (3). The psychological impact of these hyper-sexualized trends on body image and self-esteem cannot be understated. Thus, the fitness industry outwardly claims to empower men and women while at the same time acting as a vehicle for widespread self-objectification (4).

I believe a Barakah-based fitness model is the only way to see lasting changes that improve our health and productivity holistically. Changing our approach to fitness invites Barakah into our fitness pursuits and allow us to see greater impact and improvements in our health with the same effort.

In a previous Productive Muslim article, the difference between Hustle culture vs. Barakah-focused productivity was discussed as a powerful mindset shift in terms of productivity. The Barakah effect argues that when we align our actions, mind, and soul to the way Allah wants us to live in this world, we will see increased productivity and impact in our lives. The same is true when it comes to our fitness!

When we shift our approach to fitness away from the superficial focus eschewed by mainstream fitness industry, we can experience Barakah in our health that will boost your long-term fitness results, overall health, and wellness, energy, confidence, and self-esteem in the process.

In the following infographic, I compare 8 ways in which someone following a Barakah-based fitness practice differs from someone following trends established by the hyper-sexualized, superficial fitness industry.

Download full infographic here

Focus on Functionality vs. Appearance

Someone with a Barakah mindset approaches fitness by looking at their personal weaknesses and medical conditions and strives to improve overall health and functionality to increase physical and spiritual performance. They understand the role of fitness is to improve worship and social impact, instead of just for the sake of appearance alone. Versus someone with a superficial approach to fitness looks at areas of their body they “don’t like” and tries any tactic possible to change their appearance, even if it is holistically unhealthy (eg. crash diets, cleanses, etc.). Many fitness enthusiasts start off with a superficial focus and eventually burn out after years of a healthy lifestyle because superficial appearance focus becomes difficult to pursue long-term. The body naturally changes with age, injuries and lifestyle shifts. If the purpose of fitness was only for the sake of superficial appearance, eventually a person will become demotivated and drop off. A functional approach to fitness is long-lasting and stands the test of time.

Commitment to the Process vs. the End Result

Someone with a Barakah mindset commits to the process of self-improvement in physical health, not just the end result. They understand they can be rewarded by Allah for their efforts to improve their body. This process is as valuable as the end result, which becomes deeply motivating to continue pursuing an active lifestyle. Versus someone with a superficial approach to fitness strives for changed appearance and can get easily frustrated with their body when faced with slow progress. Once again, this can quickly lead to burnout and getting discouraged.

Patience and Sustainability

Someone with a Barakah mindset approaches their desired health changes with patience while understanding each small change will lead to self-improvement. This is likely to lead to lasting, sustainable health habits. Versus someone with a superficial approach to fitness approaches desired body changes with impatience and wants to quickly attain their coveted body image as quickly as possible. This is likely to lead to short-term, unsustainable fitness or diet phases.

Balanced vs. Imbalanced Approach to Total Body Wellness

Someone with a Barakah mindset aims to improve their physical, mental, spiritual, social health holistically and will not undertake extreme measures in one domain by sacrificing another. Exercise practices are balanced and include routines designed to push yourself and develop your body, as well as restoration to allow the body time to recover. Versus someone with a superficial approach to fitness may engage in short-term radical approaches to improve appearance that can jeopardize total-body health. For example, a fitness model who severely starves and dehydrates before a modeling competition is sacrificing long-term health for short-term appearance goals. Exercise practices may be imbalanced and overly tax the body because restorative work may be seen as a waste of time.

Measurements of Success

Someone with a Barakah mindset aims to be within normal healthy ranges on standardized measurements of health and weight. They want to get inside the normal BMI range, <50% Waist-to-Height Ratio, healthy cholesterol levels and resting heart rate (to calculate your BMI, click HERE. These standardized measures can be used to determine the healthy weight and other markers of good health for each unique body. Although no one measure of health is perfect (and certain measurements, such as BMI, have been criticized by health professions), taken together, these measurements can be used to approximate whether an individual is overall healthy in terms of weight and optimal performance for their body. However, these measures may not perfectly align with societal beauty standards. For example, the healthy BMI weight range for a woman who is 5ft4 inches is between 110 pounds to 140 pounds. Any weight within this range is considered healthy. However, societal beauty image standards impose an image that “thin is better”, so a healthy young woman who weighs 140 pounds may feel self-conscious, despite being within the normal healthy range. Someone with a Barakah mindset uses objective measurements to better understand their health, instead of societal beauty image standards. Versus someone with a superficial approach to fitness aims to meet societal depictions of beauty, even if they are unhealthy (eg. desiring extreme thinness or coveted size “zero” regardless of healthy weight ranges, which can lead to the development of eating disorders, etc.)

Gratitude

Someone with a Barakah mindset is grateful for their body and the way Allah has shaped each of us individually, even if they do not match societal standards of beauty. They understand pressures to conform to societal standards exist and can create mental and emotional pressure. Despite these pressures, they constantly remind themselves to be grateful for their body until it becomes a practiced habit. Versus someone with a superficial approach to fitness feels their body dictates their self-worth. They may experience self-loathing if parts of their body do not match societal beauty standards. This is an easy mindset to fall victim to in an overwhelming culture of fat-shaming. However, we can all work on shifting towards gratitude through positive self-affirmations, dhikr, and practicing other aspects of the Barakah-based fitness mindset.

Appreciation & Modesty

Someone with a Barakah mindset strives to show gratitude to Allah for the gift of improved health by practicing modesty in fitness. as believers show gratitude by using Allah’s gifts in ways that please Him. Versus someone with a superficial approach to fitness inadvertently falls into arrogance and immodesty. They view any muscle gains as an opportunity to show off. This commonly results in wearing tighter, exposed clothing and increased boastfulness and self-objectification in the gym and on social media. The fitness industry promotes a culture of self-objectification. However, as Muslims, we must be careful not to fall into these trends, as it is a perversion of the true objective of fitness: to better the body in servitude to Allah . Dressing modestly at the gym is not just “something Muslim women do”; it is an expression of gratitude to Allah for our bodies and should be taken seriously.

Humility vs. Arrogance

Someone with a Barakah mindset feels humbled by health improvements and understand any changes to be a gift from Allah as a reward for their striving to be better. They may dua to Allah for improved health in their journey and are thankful at their progress. This results in a positive attitude and mindset along all stateless of the fitness journey, despite potential setbacks. Versus someone with a superficial approach to fitness feels entitled and arrogant from health improvements and views any gains as being the result of their own effort and skill. Engaging in constant dua for good health (as is seen in the morning and evening adkhaar) is a strategy to shift towards a barakah based fitness mindset.

Final Thoughts

As Muslims, it’s important to remind ourselves that the importance of a healthy body has always been emphasized in the Islamic tradition.

Abdullah Ibn Umar narrated that The Prophet said: “Allah  has not been asked for anything more beloved to Him than being asked for ‘Afiyah (complete physical & spiritual wellness).” [Jami’ at-Tirmidhi]

This emphasis on our physical health is so fundamental to our Islamic rituals that we are instructed to ask Allah for health in our body multiple times every morning and evening as part of the Prophetic Morning and Evening Adhkaar Supplications.

“O Allah, make me healthy in my body. O Allah, preserve for me my hearing. O Allah, preserve for me my sight. There is none worthy of worship but You. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from disbelief and poverty and I seek refuge in You from the punishment of the grave. There is none worthy of worship but You.” (Recite three times in Arabic every morning and evening.) [Sunan Abi Dawud]

There are clear pearls of wisdom behind this faith-based/Barakah-based emphasis on physical health:

• When our bodies are healthy, our productive and spiritual potential increases.
• When we ask Allah for improved health, we understand that good health is a blessing from God that we are in need of. This creates a culture of gratitude and modesty as opposed to arrogance and immodesty.
• When we ask Allah for health, we are motivated to “tie our camel” by taking steps to enhance our functionality to reach improved levels of health every day.

Notice that these supplications for health ask for and imply body FUNCTIONALITY and do not necessitate a sculpted, model-like physique or particular body image. 

Functional fitness is defined as exercises that utilize the entire body with the intent of developing foundational strength to make every task in life easier.

To get started with functional training, you can download my modest Muslim Energy-Boosting workout guide – you will notice all the movements are bodyweight, balanced movements meant to strengthen your entire body for improved energy.

By focusing on functionality, gratitude, modesty and a balanced approach to total-body wellness, we can invite Barakah into our physical health by practicing faith-based fitness for maximum impact.

A Barakah approach to fitness is based on the understanding that our bodies are an “Amanah” (trust) from Allah that we are meant to use to unlock our full potential in this life. Approaching fitness with this mindset creates a culture of God-consciousness instead of self-consciousness.

Someone who understands the role of our bodies in achieving our ultimate purpose in life will have a dramatically different FUNCTIONAL approach to their health, versus someone who approaches their health for superficial reasons.

Have you been affected by the superficial focus promoted by the mainstream fitness industry, either consciously or unconsciously? Leave a comment below!

References

(1) Hasyim, M., & Arafah, B. (2017). Sexuality For Sale At Television Advertising. Turkish Online Journal Of Design Art And Communication, 7, 89-101.
(2) Duquin, M. E. (1989). Fashion and fitness: images in women’s magazine advertisements. Arena Review, 13(2), 97-109.
(3) Hutson, D. J. (2013). “Your body is your business card”: Bodily capital and health authority in the fitness industry. Social Science & Medicine, 90, 63-71.
(4) Stern, M. (2008). The Fitness Movement and the Fitness Center Industry, 1960-2000. Business & Economic History On-Line, 6.

 If you’re looking for a place to practically learn more about the Barakah values and mindsets, then check our Barakah Academy. 

The Barakah Academy is your online platform to train with professionals who want to learn practical personal and professional development skills that are faith-based and linked with the latest research and science. It’s your global community of like-hearted professionals who want to live a better version of themselves spiritually, physically and socially. 

The post Barakah-Based Fitness vs. Superficial Fitness: 8 Mindful Ways to Change Your Fitness Perspective appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.

It’s time for another team meeting in the workplace! You walk into the meeting room, pull out a chair, and join your co-workers in gobbling up the delicious muffins and pastries in the middle of the table to share. As the meeting drags on, you find yourself munching on the treats available out of boredom. Three hours later, your team leader finally adjourns the meeting, and you stand up out of your chair for the first time – your legs feel stiff and your back hurts from all the sitting, and your energy is completely drained after all the sugar. You felt so lazy, so you realise you didn’t even come up with a single idea during the entire meeting, either! Do team meetings always have to make you feel so awful?!

Team culture is a powerful determinant of behaviour. Many books discuss how to create more effective teams by improving workplace habits and efficiency. However, perhaps the most important factor contributing to a team’s effectiveness is the health of the team members! High-energy, healthy team members will have better ideas, feel more creative, and create a more positive team environment.

This article will share 4 tips to discover how work teams can encourage one another to eat healthier and follow healthier lifestyle strategies. If you are your team leader, you can implement these strategies directly. Or, if you are a team member, feel free to suggest these strategies to your team leader by explaining that these strategies will improve efficiency and motivation within the team!

Tip 1 – Meet on your feet!

Walking meetings are a great way to gently introduce your team to a more active lifestyle and reduce sedentary behaviour in a fun way, which can actually improve productivity!

Harvard Business Review evaluated the growing trend of “walking meetings”, in which teams take their meetings outside and discuss while they walk. Incredibly, HBR found that walking meetings had the following positive benefits for team effectiveness:

• Team members who engage in walking meetings were 5.25% more likely to report being creative at their jobs
• Survey results suggested that walking meetings improve cognitive engagement (focus) while working
• Walkers were 8.5% more likely to report high levels of work engagement in surveys

It should be noted that research from Psychology Today finds that walking meetings are best to improve creativity and divergent thinking, in which individuals are independently brainstorming. One study found walking meetings improved creativity by up to 60%. However, other studies find that for convergent thinking, in which individuals need to reach consensus, come to agreements, and pool their creative ideas together, walking reduces effectiveness.

The bottom line: Take divergent work like creative meetings and brainstorming work while walking, and keep convergent work like reaching consensus and coming to conclusions while sitting.

Tip: Walking meetings sound too intense or impractical? Add more movement into your team the easy way by encouraging standing desks. You don’t need the expensive sit-stand desks on the market; just add 1-2 tall bar tables from IKEA into your workspace to help your teammates swap to standing a few times in the day to boost their creativity! I’m actually writing this article while using a standing desk right now!

Tip 2 – Challenge Your Team

Instead of lecturing your teammates on why they should be healthy, get them involved in a fun way with a team challenge! Challenges foster improved teamwork, team communication and are a great way to have conversations about adopting simple healthier habits at work. Organise a prize that would get your team excited, and try launching or proposing either one of the following challenges within your team at work:

1. Team walking challenge

Step count challenges encourage team members to find creative ways to squeeze in more movement throughout the day. Increased stepping improves metabolic rate, daily calorie burn, and energy levels. Challenge your team members to compete against each other to log the highest number of steps over a period of 1-2 weeks. If your team members have fitness trackers, you can set-up these challenges within the Fitbit or Garmin apps. Or, you can use a free website like countit.com to link multiple Garmin and Fitbit devices, as well as free iPhone step apps!

2. Team hydration challenge

Tip 3 – Rig the potluck

Office potlucks are essential social functions in which team members share food to increase teamwork and communication. Unfortunately, many office potlucks and snack corners become junk food havens that decrease team energy and load everyone on the team up on sugar!

As a team member, you can take it upon yourself to start bringing a healthy option to every potluck. Better yet, ask a few of your team members to secretly join you in this endeavour, to ensure more healthy options are available at every meeting to provide balance.

As a team leader, you can share with your team that you want to encourage more healthy, energising foods in the team. You can take the lead and start bringing healthy items, as well as sharing a list of healthy snacks that other members might want to bring in the future. This shift towards healthier choices will influence the team environment towards healthier options.

Tip 4 – Incorporate ongoing fitness & health learning into your team’s continuing education

Many teams already have a concept of continuing education amongst team members. Team reading lists, book clubs and sponsored online conferences are common ways to encourage team members to keep learning and improving their core competencies. However, a truly effective team requires healthy team members!

As a team member or team leader, you can suggest adding the following books to your team reading list. These books have been selected as they are foundational contemporary works in the field of health that give an individual a solid foundation of how to live a healthy, balanced, holistic life and improve their energy and vitality in their lives:

Health & Fitness Reading list:

1. Eat, Move, Sleep by Tom Rath
2. No Sweat: How the Simple Science of Motivation Can Bring You a Lifetime of Fitness by Michelle Segar
3. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
4. Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us by Micheal Moss

Adding health discussions into your team’s concept of continuing education helps create a culture in which health, fitness and healthy eating are part of your team’s core values, which naturally creates healthier, happier, more productive team members!

Is your team “healthy” or “unhealthy”? Do you spend most of your workday sitting or standing? Let us know in the comments! 

The post 4 Awesome Ways Teams Can Create a Healthy Eating & Exercise Culture at Work appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.

We all know how this familiar story will end. Social influence at work can sabotage our healthy eating efforts, making it seem almost impossible to avoid sugary treats and unhealthy luncheons! A few treats are fine on occasion, but after indulging in hundreds of calories of extra unhealthy snacks at work every day, you may experience unwanted weight gain, and all the sugar will have a negative impact on your energy.

Incorporating a holistic approach to health can help mitigate the impact of those sugary temptations and maintain overall well-being. By focusing on the mind, body, and spirit, you can build resilience against the social pressures that often lead to unhealthy eating habits at work. This means not only paying attention to what you eat but also ensuring you get enough physical activity, sleep, and stress relief throughout your day. Engaging in mindful practices like meditation or yoga can further reinforce your commitment to a balanced lifestyle, making it easier to resist the allure of the office snack table.

For more comprehensive strategies to improve your holistic health, check out Scholistico website, which offers a range of resources designed to support your wellness journey. Their expert advice and practical tips can guide you in creating a sustainable plan that aligns with your personal goals. Remember, maintaining a healthy diet is just one piece of the puzzle. By nurturing every aspect of your well-being, you can achieve greater energy, better mood, and long-term health benefits, effectively countering the negative effects of those daily indulgences.

If you struggle with “food peer pressure” in a work or social setting, this article will give you 3 practical tips to fight unhealthy food temptations at work and stick to your healthy eating goals!

Tip #1 Be proactive by saving yourself with emergency snacks

Many work environments are obesogenic and promote a culture of unhealthy eating and snacking. High-calorie, fattening snacks are often readily available and shared widely amongst coworkers. When you inevitably get hungry during your work day, you are likely to head straight to the junk food corner!

The first secret to save yourself from unhealthy snacking is to put yourself back in control of the snacks available to you throughout the day. The first principle of Stephen Covey’s famous book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is to “Be Proactive”, which is a skill you need to practice in your office snacking environment. Stop trying to resist the junk food with discipline alone. Peer pressure weakens your discipline and will make every day feel like a never-ending struggle.

Remember, you WILL get hungry at some point during your workday. Once you are hungry, you WILL look at your environment for a snack, and you WILL eat whatever is most convenient and quick. (Consider this a rule of eating behaviors!)

Stop the cycle of resisting the tempting junk by bringing your own healthy snacks from home. Keep your snacks easily packaged (in a Tupperware, Ziploc bag, or clingwrap) and readily available on your desk or purse. As soon as you feel hunger, you can immediately reach for your own snacks, which are now MORE convenient than the office junk food!

Healthy snacks that will boost your energy should be:

• High in protein
• No added sugar (or as low in added sugar as possible)
• Wholegrain or whole wheat
• High in fiber

Excellent examples of healthy work-friendly snack options include:

• Single-serve sugar-free yogurt package with a spoon (go for a plain Greek-style yogurt and add your own fruits for less sugar and fresher flavor!)
• Fruits with peels (bananas, oranges, mandarins)
• Cut fruit in a Tupperware container (sliced apples, pears, kiwi fruit, peaches, watermelon, cantaloupe, melons)
• Small ready-washed fruits in a Ziploc bag (grapes, raisins, dates)
• Dips to pair with your fruit: cottage cheese, peanut butter
• Overnight Oats
• Wholegrain crackers with feta cheese
• No-sugar-added date balls
• A no-sugar-added protein bar or granola bar (Read: the Quick guide on how to buy the best granola bars)
• 1 small handful of dried fruit (apricots, figs) or nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios)
• 1 Ziploc bag of air-popped popcorn with no butter (season with salt, pepper and a spritz of olive oil!)
• Leftovers from last night’s dinner (stir-fry, chicken or beans make excellent snacks!)

Tip #2 – Make the hard choices early

Research shows that we are more likely to make poor food choices when we are presented with unhealthy food choices, and made to choose immediately. Human beings have a “present bias”, which means we underestimate long-term consequences of our choices when we are making an immediate decision. When we make a decision in advance, we are better able to weigh the pros and cons, our circumstances, desires and challenges, and make an informed decision.

Whenever possible, try and make your food choices in ADVANCE. From a psychology perspective, whenever you plan your meals and snacks early, you are more likely to eat healthily!

To make this very practical: During your commute to work (eg. in the car, or on the train) make a conscious habit of quickly deciding your 3 types of eating at work:

1. Pick your lunch choice: Do you have a packed lunch? Or will you be eating out? If you are eating out, try and plan the restaurant and exact item you will order in ADVANCE so you don’t get drawn into the menu and pick an unhealthy item spontaneously later on. If your work caters lunch, plan what you will select for lunch and whether you will make any special requests (brown bread instead of white bread, etc.)
2. Plan your snacks: Think about the foods you have brought with you from home. What healthy snacks are you equipped with? When will you eat them – before lunch? After a prayer break?
3. Plan your indulgences: Remember, a few small treats are perfectly fine in moderation – maybe you decide you will have ONE Timbit at work or ONE small cupcake or HALF a doughnut or a SMALL slice of cake. Making this conscious decision EARLY will prevent you from eating 3 doughnuts at work and feeling guilty later!

Tip #3 – Stop the mindless munching!

The fundamental reason that munching snacks at the office is so harmful to your weight and health is that office snacking often promotes a culture of mindless eating, as you munch on snacks while doing other work.

Numerous studies have shown that you eat more food when you are distracted, especially on a screen. You will feel less satisfied and want to keep eating. On top of this, when you choose to eat sugary snacks like candy or fattening snacks like chips during mindless eating, this becomes even worse. You take in a huge amount of calories in a very short time, and you don’t even feel full!

If you are having trouble resisting treats at work, here’s a new suggestion: Instead of trying to STOP eating the office junk food, why not try making a new rule that you can eat anything you want in the office, as long as you eat in MINDFULLY, with FULL attention, NOT distracted, and you STOP eating when you feel full.

Mindful eating is a tremendous skill to practice, and once mastered, you will be able to eat more of what you enjoy with less guilt! (Watch: Quick video on how to practice mindful eating).

If you commit yourself to ONLY eat at work when you are NOT on the computer or doing other work, and you engage your 5 senses in a truly mindful eating experience, you will notice a dramatic difference in your workplace eating behaviours, and you will find yourself enjoying your foods a lot more too!

What are your favourite go-to healthy office snacks? Let us know in the comments below! 

The post 3 Tips to Overcome the Peer Pressure to Eat Unhealthy at Work appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.

The Prophet  said: “This month (of Ramadan) has begun and there is a night in it better than one thousand months. (So,) anyone deprived of its (blessings) is actually deprived of all goodness. Indeed, He is truly deprived who is kept away from its good. [Ibn Majah Daif] 

As the final special last nights arrive, this is no time to be lazy, low-energy or feel fatigued. 

If you watched our Productive Muslim webinar on sleep and fitness in Ramadan, you know that sleep is essential for your energy in this month. Your sleep in Ramadan is one of THE most important factors impacting your energy levels, and productivity and concentration both in work and worship. However, many Muslims don’t prioritize it in Ramadan. One survey found that 60% of fasting individuals who stayed awake after 11:00 pm attributed their wakefulness to socializing with families and friends and watching TV – that’s a lot of wasted sleep opportunities! (1) 

In Ramadan and especially during the last 10 days, it’s essential to prioritize worship and rest in the nights and cut out other activities. But even if you’re not wasting time during the nights in Ramadan, many Muslims feel a tension between sleep and worship during the nights. The nights are short, and with Taraweeh, suhoor and a busy work schedule, it can feel challenging to get enough sleep AND maximize night worship, even when you’re doing your best.

As we reach the last 10 nights of Ramadan, it’s time to get serious about your sleep. Ironically, the more you PLAN for your sleep and sleep SMARTER, the more opportunities you will have to take advantage of night prayers with high energy and full concentration. 

Those with mobility issues also know the value of having the right bed. Getting in and out of bed can be challenging. The right hospital bed can make it easier for you to move around and get assistance from your caregiver, find out more here. We suggest reading the Saatva Firm Mattress Reviews to help you make the right decision.

Repay Your Sleep Debt To Boost Your Energy

Understanding the little-known concept of “Sleep Debts” will prove invaluable to help you maximize night worship opportunities and improve your energy levels this Ramadan. Research studies have identified that when you miss out on hours of sleep, your body accumulates the negative effects of these hours of missed sleep, like a growing debt. (1) Sleep debt is a mathematical relationship between the hours of sleep that you need each night (7-9 hours) minus the hours of sleep that you actually get. Each hour of lost sleep is added to your sleep debt (2)   

If you need 8 hours of sleep per night, and in Ramadan, you are only getting 4 hours of sleep daily, then every night, you will roughly acquire a sleep debt of 4 hours. In the research literature, the exact mathematical relationship is slightly more complex, but for the sake of simplification, let’s leave it at that. 

Every night that you miss out on sleep, your sleep debt grows. As your sleep debt grows, you will experience negative health consequences including decreases in cognitive performance, memory, an increased risk for weight gain, irritability, fatigue, increased hunger, and reduced impulse control. Many Muslims will experience these negative effects in Ramadan as their chronic sleep debt begins to mount. 

Letting your sleep debt run wild is a major hindrance for your worship opportunities in the last 10 nights. By the last 10 nights, most Muslims are so sleep-deprived from the first 20 days of Ramadan that they can hardly keep their eyes open in the last 10! Don’t let this happen to you! 

The good news is that you can reverse the negative effects of sleep deprivation if you repay your sleep debt – as long as you repay your sleep debt QUICKLY. The research suggests that you can repay your sleep debt before your sleep debt reaches a maximum of 20 hours of missed sleep, at which point you will have reached a point of “sleep bankruptcy” (3)(9). 

Repay your sleep debt by doing in small, consistent amounts through the following strategies: 

• Using “power naps” to fill in your sleep debt 
• Aiming to go to sleep 15 minutes earlier by taking steps to get home faster after Taraweeh 
• For women: Catching up on your sleep by 1-2 hours on your week of menstruation when you do not have to wake up for Fajr
• Adding 1-2 extra hours of sleep on the weekend when you don’t have work
  

Sleep researcher Kurt VonRueden suggests keeping a “sleep diary” in which you keep track of your hours of sleep missed (2). Even 15 minutes of extra sleep squeezed in regularly to repay your sleep debt can provide immense benefits for your ongoing energy in Ramadan. 

Sleep Strategies Before, During & After the Last 10 Nights

Once you understand the concept of sleep debts, there are important sleep strategies you should take before, during and after the last 10 nights in Ramadan to ensure optimal energy. (If you’re not willing to put in the work to prepare for the last 10 nights… are you really serious about your desire to maximize your reward?) 

BEFORE The Last 10

You are preparing your body to take it to the next level in your night worship. To optimize your energy and worship opportunities in the last 10 nights of Ramadan, you should take steps in the FIRST 20 days of Ramadan to try and repay as MUCH of your sleep debt as possible before the last 10 nights of Ramadan begins. By repaying your sleep debt regularly, you will reach the last 10 nights of Ramadan with high energy and focus. By taking care of your sleep debt earlier in the month and during the last 10 DAYS, you can dedicate yourself to getting the most out of the last 10 NIGHTS of Ramadan. 

DURING The Last 10

You are in it to win it! The last 10 nights are a time to push yourself physically and mentally in the pursuit of spiritual rewards. Recognise that your sleep debt will widen significantly during the last 10 nights with increased worship, so take steps in the daytime to mitigate this as much as possible. Napping in the last 10 days is proven strategy to help power you through long nights of Qiyam prayers and keep your sleep-debt from spiraling out of control. If you’re taking a break from Qiyam, squeeze in sleep during the night instead of excessive socializing or time-wasting. Remember, your body recharges during your sleep to allow you to take it to the next level in your prayers! 

AFTER the Last 10

On Eid, continue repaying your accumulated (by now, presumably large) Ramadan sleep debt by attending the second Eid prayer a bit later in the morning if your work schedule allows it. Have a look at your post-Ramadan work schedule and realize that for the immediate days after Ramadan and the month after, you should commit to spending a little longer time sleeping every night, to repay your residual Ramadan sleep debt through an enforced earlier bedtime. Part of preparing for Ramadan is being responsible in repaying your sleep after Ramadan ends! 

Realise it is your RESPONSIBILITY to your body to catch up on your sleep whenever you can. Your body’s need for sleep needs to be respected, even as you try to make more time for worship: 

  The Prophet said: “Verily, your body has a right over you.” [Bukhari]

Remember that your sleep and energy are intimately linked – if you want to get the most energy for your Ramadan grand finale in the last 10 days, you need to respect your need for sleep and take steps to repay your sleep debt whenever possible – before, during and after the precious last 10 nights! 

So, grab your pillow and don’t ignore your growing sleep debt as we enter the second half of Ramadan! May Allah grant us all the energy and tawfique to get the most out of this blessed month, Ameen!  

References

1. BaHammam, A. (2003). Sleep pattern, daytime sleepiness, and eating habits during the month of Ramadan. Sleep and Hypnosis, 5, 165-174. 
2. VonRueden, K. (2014, September). Sleep Deprivation in the Workplace: The Hidden Side of Health and Wellness. In ASSE Professional Development Conference and Exposition. American Society of Safety Engineers. Available from: http://www.asse.org/assets/1/7/729_vonrueden.pdf
3. Harvard Health. (2018). Repaying your sleep debt – Harvard Health. [online] Harvard Health. Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/repaying-your-sleep-debt 
4. Broussard, J. L., Wroblewski, K., Kilkus, J. M., & Tasali, E. (2016). Two nights of recovery sleep reverses the effects of short-term sleep restriction on diabetes risk. Diabetes Care, 39(3), e40-e41.

The post Sleep Secrets to Boost your Energy for the Last 10 Nights of Ramadan appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.

In fact, it is precisely because of the sheer quantity and variety of tasks that need to be done throughout the day, as well as the immense opportunities for blessings and added worship, that we must pay special attention to our health, so learning about medicinal mushroom spores like lions mane spores can be helpful to improve your health as well.

We can think about our health as the necessary condition for us to do or accomplish anything in life. How can we set out to perform each of our responsibilities this month with ihsaan and excellence if we are fatigued due to neglecting our health?

As Muslims, we have to shift how we view our health. Our health is not just another responsibility from a long list of stuff we may or may not get around to working on in our busy lives. Your health is an investment that gives back more than you put in. When you invest time into your health, fitness and food choices, your body, mind, and soul will be capable of fully maximizing your potential in Ramadan!

In this article, we will share 3 steps to ensure peak performance during the month of Ramadan. Health is not the goal, but a necessary means to spiritual and worldly success!

Preliminary Step 0: Identify your personal health challenges you will be facing this Ramadan

The goal in prioritizing health and fitness in Ramadan is to ensure high energy to complete our worship with ihsaan and excellence while maintaining high performance at work and at home. However, we all have different challenges that we bring with us into Ramadan, from individual medical histories, our current fitness level, our family situation, available hours in the day, work circumstances, and more.

Many Muslims approach Ramadan with medical diagnoses such as diabetes. Others face personal time constraints and challenges, such as long work hours or highly-involved family responsibilities. Instead of viewing these challenges as barriers to health in Ramadan, it is important to use these parameters to formulate a realistic plan of action to work towards your healthiest, highest-energy Ramadan.

A busy mom or working professional who realistically will not make time for a 30-minute workout in Ramadan can shift their goals based on this challenge to focus on increasing their daily movement for ongoing high energy. A person who knows they need to lose weight to feel their best can make a plan on how to serve themselves at tempting iftar buffets and maintain proper portion control. A patient with diabetes can begin discussing low-carb iftar choices with their family and begin dialoguing with their doctor as to how to adjust their medication if they are healthy enough to fast.

Identifying your unique challenges in the following domains will help you approach Ramadan and make health goals with clarity:

• Work obligations & time constraints
• Family responsibilities
• Your family’s approach to meals in Ramadan that may affect you
• Your current fitness level
• Your medical history

The difference between a Muslim who reads countless health blogs in Ramadan but doesn’t implement anything, versus a Muslim who takes small but effective actions to ensure a healthy while following guides from sites like straight.com/guides/health/, high energy fast is being aware of your personal challenges and making a personally catered plan for your Ramadan health and fitness based on your lifestyle needs.

Once you have identified your unique challenges this Ramadan, you are prepared to begin thinking about the steps you can take to reach your full potential this Ramadan!

The secret to being productive in Ramadan is to reduce pain and discomfort experienced in Ramadan due to health imbalances. When you think about what holds you back from reaching your full potential while fasting, it’s due to some sort of pain or discomfort. Perhaps you cannot focus in prayer due to hunger pains. Or perhaps your productivity at work suffers because of headaches and thirst.

The discomfort or pain we experience in Ramadan that hinders our productivity is due to your body’s inappropriate output, input, recharge, or any combination of these three:

Step 1: Optimise your output

Overcome laziness with NEAT movement

Many Muslims complain of tiredness, low energy, crankiness, irritability and lack of motivation in Ramadan. A major factor contributing to these unproductive states is a sudden decrease in movement. It seems counterintuitive, but the more you move while fasting, the more energized you will feel from a physiological perspective, as endorphins and feel-good hormones are released into your body. While many Muslims try to move as little as possible in Ramadan, your secret competitive advantage is if you recognize that movement will help skyrocket your productivity and ability to devote your energy to worship in this blessed month!

Do not fall into the misconception of assuming fitness only happens in the gym or is for young people who “want to look good”. Fitness is your level of daily movement that protects you against the negative health consequences of a sedentary lifestyle. Fitness is the quick walking breaks you take at work to prevent stiff and sore muscles. Fitness is taking stairs instead of the elevator, and parking at the back of the masjid parking lot so you can squeeze in extra steps before Taraweh. Fitness is using your now-unoccupied food-free lunch break in Ramadan to take a speedwalk in your parking lot at work. Using products such as True Pheromones may also rev up your sex drive.

These types of movement are called NEAT – Non-exercise activity thermogenesis, which refers to calories expended by your body in daily activities. The higher your daily NEAT movement, the higher your metabolism, the stronger your energy, and the greater your concentration will be in worship throughout the day. While most Muslims reduce their NEAT movement in Ramadan, to be as effective as possible in your work, home and worship, look for opportunities for increasing movement throughout the day, while if you hurt yourself from sudden change on movements, you can always try marrickville physiotherapy until you feel better to exercise again!

To get started improving your NEAT movement:

• Using a step tracker or free phone app, track your steps for 1 full day before Ramadan. Use this as a baseline to determine your current level of NEAT movement
• Aim to get as close as possible to 10,000 steps a day before Ramadan begins so your body can acclimatize to your new level of movement in a non-fasted state
• Commit to maintaining this new level of movement while fasting in Ramadan!

Increasing your NEAT movement in Ramadan is how you can avoid the sloth and laziness that plagues so many Muslims in this blessed month.

Step 2: Optimise your input

Keep hunger pangs at bay with fueling foods

Many Muslims agree that healthy eating is important in Ramadan, but struggle resisting heavy cultural foods, sugary desserts, and large portion sizes. When it comes to your food choices in Ramadan, the key principle is balance. You can absolutely enjoy all your favorite traditional foods and even the occasional dessert, but don’t forget that suhoor and iftar are opportunities to refuel your body in preparation for the long fast ahead and to replenish the energy needs for your body. Essentially, the quality of your work output and workship potential during the night and next fasting day largely depends upon the energy obtained from your food choices at suhoor and iftar!

First, consider the quality of food you are using as input for your body. Diversity amongst the food groups (protein, carbohydrates, vegetables, fruits, dairy, healthy fats) is an easy way to ensure balance in your meals. Many Muslims gravitate towards filling their plates only with simple carbohydrates and protein. However, the more food groups you can add to your meals, such as vegetables, legumes, beans and whole grains, the more your food will do for your energy and feelings of hunger! Try to include 3-4 food groups at every suhoor and iftar meal.

At suhoor, foods high in fiber and protein keep you feeling full longer throughout your fasting day.

• Fiber-rich foods: Whole grains, oatmeal, lentils, leafy green vegetables, nuts, fruits (apples, berries, etc.)
• Protein-rich foods: Eggs, fish, chicken, beans, yogurt, cottage cheese, quinoa, oatmeal, lentils

In addition to prioritizing foods high in fiber and protein, at iftar, hydrating foods also help fill you up and force portion-control:

• Hydrating foods: Soups, fruits (eg. melons), vegetables

The key to eating healthy in Ramadan is realizing that foods of ALL cultures can be healthy if you select raw ingredients from diverse food groups, and avoid overloading these beautiful natural foods with excessive amounts of fats such as oils and added sugars. Balance is key!

Prevent headaches with adequate hydration during non-fasted hours

Although many Muslims spend a lot of time thinking about their food choices, your hydration is actually one of the most important factors to consider for your overall performance and energy! Dehydration can cause headaches, irritability, as well as reduced focus and clarity. Hydrate aggressively with Sqwincher Industrial during suhoor, iftar, and keep a water bottle with your during Taraweh and night prayers. Remember, your hydration is just as important as your food input!

Step 3: Recharge

Avoid fatigue with adequate sleep and regular repaying of sleep debts

In Ramadan, the nights are short. Many Muslims argue that getting enough sleep is difficult due to night prayers and worship opportunities. However, a study on Muslim behaviors during Ramadan found that 60% of fasting individuals who stayed awake after 11:00 pm attributed their wakefulness to socializing with families and friends and watching TV! (1)

As the nights of Ramadan are such a precious opportunity for worship and blessings, as well as an essential time for our body to rest, repair and recharge, it is important to prioritize your worship and then your sleep and cut down distractions during the night. Avoid loitering around the masjid socializing after Taraweh as these moments need to be utilized properly, either for worship, or rest.

The Prophet ﷺ emphasized the importance of not neglecting your body’s needs:

It was narrated from Anas that there was a group of the Companions of the Prophet, one of whom said: “I will not marry women.” Another said: “I will not eat meat.” Another said: “I will not sleep on a bed.” Another said: “I will fast and not break my fast.” News of that reached the Messenger of Allah and he praised Allah then said: “What is the matter with people who say such and such? I pray and I sleep, I fast and I break my fast, and I marry women. Whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not of me.” (Sunan an-Nasa’i 3217)

Maximise your sleep around your worship, and fill in gaps in your sleep using short, daytime naps. Research has shown that if you accumulate a short-term “sleep-debt” due to missed hours, you can “repay” the sleep debt, for example, using weekends or naps (2). The negative health effects of sleep deprivation may be reversed if sleep-debts are repaid quickly and in short doses, for example, an hour of extra sleep on weekends or using 20-minute power naps.

Although the fasting days during Ramadan may feel long, we all know that the nights of Ramadan seem to slip by so quickly. This is a short opportunity to get serious about our performance and health, just as an athlete prepares for peak performance during their prime sports season.

Aligning your output, input and recharging behavior patterns during Ramadan is well worth the effort for to align with your desire for maximum performance in work and worship in this blessed month.

(1) BaHammam, A. (2003). Sleep pattern, daytime sleepiness, and eating habits during the month of Ramadan. Sleep and Hypnosis, 5, 165-174.

(2) Broussard, J. L., Wroblewski, K., Kilkus, J. M., & Tasali, E. (2016). Two nights of recovery sleep reverses the effects of short-term sleep restriction on diabetes risk. Diabetes Care, 39(3), e40-e41

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