Patient Relations
February 20, 2025
The holy month of Ramadan provides an opportunity to maintain or improve your healthy lifestyle habits.
Exercise is essential for a healthier and longer life. Exercising makes you burn calories and strengthens your body.
During Ramadan, you should avoid doing vigorous aerobic exercise while you are fasting, because you will burn energy required to support your fast. You also risk becoming dehydrated.
While fasting, you can walk, stretch, do house chores and climb stairs. Any physical activity counts as exercise. After Iftar, the dinner when you break your fast, rest a little to digest your food and then do your favorite exercise.
Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day, such as brisk walking. If possible, try to fit in some strength training to keep your muscles healthy.
It is recommended that adults sleep for 7 to 8 hours per day. However, prayers, social gatherings, and other commitments during Ramadan can make it difficult to get this much sleep in one go. If possible, aim to sleep for at least 4 hours after Iftar, and a few more hours after Suhoor. A short nap in the afternoon, of about 20 minutes, may help if you are feeling very tired.
It may be helpful to alter your sleeping pattern in the week before Ramadan to ensure your body clock is adjusted for the month ahead.
Learn more about which food you should eat — and which you should avoid — by reading this article.
Smoking causes cancer, heart disease, and other serious illnesses. Nicotine withdrawal from smoking or vaping can cause irritability, impatience, outbursts of anger, depression, and anxiety. It can also trigger feelings of hunger and impair sleep.
You may want to use the holy month of Ramadan to quit smoking or vaping for good. If so, consider cutting down on smoking or vaping in the weeks before Ramadan to give yourself a better chance of success.
Learn more about good habits for oral hygiene and dental health by reading this article.
Our expert healthcare professionals are here to support you. If you have specific health concerns, we encourage you to consult your physician. Schedule an appointment through MyChart or call 800 305 4444
Do you have a question for a JHAH clinician about health, diet, or wellbeing during Ramadan and Eid? If you do, fill out the form below - completely anonymously - and we will seek to answer your question in an article published here.