Should You Exercise While Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting can help you lose weight because you’re eating fewer calories during your eating window (via Men’s Health). The key to burning fat during intermittent fasting is metabolic switching, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. That’s when your body burns up the sugars from your last meal and turns to fat for energy. Whether you choose a daily eating window of six to eight hours or eat one small meal two out of seven days a week, it can be tricky if you work out. Working out too hard in a fasted state could either break down your muscle or have you hit a workout wall (via Healthline).
According to Men’s Health, you should consider scheduling certain workouts around your eating window. If you’re into high-intensity workouts or weight-lifting, it’s best to work out during your eating window so you can power your workouts and fuel your recovery. You can also work out after your feeding window ends so you have enough energy for a good workout.
When to work out while fasting: If doing cardio is more your thing, you can work out during your fasting window as long as it’s relatively low in intensity, according to Men’s Health. This might mean a 4 out of 10 on the rating of perceived exertion scale (RPE) if your cardio is longer than 20 minutes, according to Everyday Health. If your workout is shorter than that, it’s okay to up the intensity a bit.
Excerpted from Health Digest
