It’s not always easy to integrate more physical activity into your intermittent fasting routine. However, workouts are a great way to support your fasting success.
By combining exercise and intermittent fasting, you not only improve your posture, keep yourself young and promote fat burning. You also actively enhance your mental performance. So physical activity pays off in many ways!
Here are a few ideas on how you can consciously become more active in your everyday life.
1. Every step counts.
When you walk, you activate about 70% of your muscles, improve your fitness and even increase the performance of your brain. Studies show that people can concentrate better and are more creative when walking. So…
- walk the distance,
- get off the bus or train one stop earlier or
- park a little further away.
2. Revitalize routines.
- Make phone calls while walking.
- Do some squats while brushing your teeth.
- Watch TV on your exercise mat or home trainer.
- Meet friends for a walk.
The possibilities are endless! Get creative.
3. Make it a habit.
- Start your morning with a short workout or take a brisk walk during your lunch break.
- Stretching and mobilization exercises before going to bed are also great ways to increase your physical activity.
This is how you integrate more physical activity into your intermittent fasting routine
As you can see, you don’t need a lot of time, money or a certain age to be more active. And you don’t have to be an athlete!
Just get creative. Small workouts are all it takes to influence your intermittent fasting results in a positive way.
Hi there. I have just started Body Fast and am on my first day of the coach plan. I swim 1-2 km in the sea from Mon to Friday. Any reocommendations for combining this with fasting. It can be a rigorous routine depending on the weather and can last from 25-40 mins.
Thank you
Tom
Hi Tom, physical activity and intermittent fasting are a great team. So, as long as you feel comfortable with it you can do your daily swimming routine (also when fasting). But please always make sure to listen to your body when doing so, since your body might take some time to get used to your new fasting lifestyle. Happy BodyFasting 😊
hi, I am a competitive cyclist and I am worried about how IF will affect my performance if I am racing while supposed to be fasting. I have had experiences lately where I had to return home during a training session as I felt horrendous and one where I felt incredible and could have gone on all day! I also threw up bile one morning. So, can I train/race hard with IF? Duration of exercise is 3-5 hrs with up to 1500m of elevation. calorie burn 800 to 1300cals. So is IF compatible? The day I felt so incredibly energised is something I want to feel again.
Hi Soph!
High-performance sports and intermittent fasting do not rule each other out. There are even some professional athletes who use the method to improve performance.
However, there are some rather important factors to be taken into account such as the right fasting duration/intervals, a proper nutrition in your eating window tailored to your goals, and some more. So while we’d generally recommend only moderate fasting times on days of high activity plus a diet rich in proteins and healthy fats, it might be the best idea for you to contact a nutritionist to set up a proper meal plan together. This way, you are on the safe side and make sure to get in all nutrients and energy you need for your activity. That can be something highly individual and it would be untrustworthy to advise you from a distance.