Can I go to the gym if I fast?!
Question: Fasting for religious reasons. Coming up for 3 weeks. But I really need to detox my body from all this holiday bad food in my body. I would like to go to the gym. Would this be dangerous if I go to the gym- eliptical, weights, etc. and fast? (I've never fasted before).
I'm 5'6'' 140 lbs.
Answers: Fasting for religious reasons. Coming up for 3 weeks. But I really need to detox my body from all this holiday bad food in my body. I would like to go to the gym. Would this be dangerous if I go to the gym- eliptical, weights, etc. and fast? (I've never fasted before).
I'm 5'6'' 140 lbs.
I'm not sure that I understand properly. Is the fast "coming up in 3 weeks"? Or is the fast for 3 weeks in length? I did a fairly 'short' fast for religious reasons, previously...it was about 40 hours. I can tell you that your body will feel so weak around that time that you won't even think about the gym. I'd say yes, that would be very dangerous to go to the gym. The reason being...you won't be getting the right nutrients into your body to replenish your muscles and all of the nutrients, vitamins, etc. that you used up. So your muscles would basically be exhausted through exercise...and allowed to basically starve afterwards, because you won't be able to provide them with the nutrients they need to recover. I'd say that is a lot worse than not going to the gym at all. At least when you don't go to the gym at all during the length of the fast...your muscles won't be requiring all of those nutrients to replenish themselves, because they won't be exhausted. Trust me, when you get into a little over one day of the fast...you'll see what I'm talking about and won't have the energy or desire to go to the gym, anyway. The first couple of days (and I've heard 3, but haven't done one that long, personally) are said to be the hardest.
You should not go to the gym if you are fasting.
You should also not fast for the first time without some guidance - if you are doing it for religious reasons then find someone at your church, mosque, temple, or meeting house who can help guide you through it so that you don't make yourself very sick.