It’s always a norm to change one’s dietary habits, eating and sleeping routines during the holy month of Ramadan. Therefore, many tend to reduce engagement in physical activities which can inevitably affect a person’s strength and fitness. After all, those who are fasting will experience low energy levels without the luxury of refueling during fasting.
Having said that, we should still remain mindful of our health and wellbeing. Thankfully for those with the Apple Watch Series 7, their device has made their day-to-day life much easier as they prepare for Hari Raya. If you’re looking to stay motivated and active during this season, scroll down to read some tips and tricks from 3 local KOLs’ testimonies:
Dr Say Shaharuddin, general practitioner
- Alarm is an absolute must since Ramadan comes only once a year and we are not used to waking up at 5AM for morning prayers. Waking up at that time can be tough, and since I wear my Apple Watch to sleep, the vibrations helps to wake me up on time. Find out more about Alarm on Apple Watch here.
- Sleep tracker is really useful since I aim to have 6 to 8 hours of quality sleep each night and during Ramadan, Muslims would want to use the month wisely for worshipping hence its important to balance between these two goals. The app reminds me of my goals and helps keep track of them. Find out more about Sleep on Apple Watch here.
- Mindfulness app. Personally, this holy month is all about taking it slow and the Mindfulness app especially its Breathe feature really helps me with achieving that especially juggling my career, family and really just the daily hustle which can be taxing on our mental health. Taking moments throughout your day to focus on breathing can help clear your head tremendously and keep your focus on where it needs to be. Find out more about Mindfulness on Apple Watch here.
Cik Manggis “De Fam”, singer
- Fitness & Workout app: Each time Ramadan comes, I naturally feel highly motivated to workout or just do any activity that can make me sweat because Raya is coming soon and this the perfect month if I want to lose weight and keep my body and mind in good shape. Typically, I would roller skate about an hour before breaking fast. The Workout app (skating open goal) is really convenient to keep track my daily goal, calories burn and heart rate during the session. I would usually adjust and set my daily goal lower so that I don’t stress my body and mind. Find out more about Workouts on Apple Watch here.
- Water Minder: Staying hydrated is the most important part of maintaining good health especially during fasting month. Water Minder does its job perfectly for someone who’s lazy to drink enough water daily (like me!) and personally I think this app is really intuitive where it calculates appropriate hydration amounts based on my body weight or personal goal. I am now staying hydrated, thanks to the all day reminders! Download Water Minder here.
- Pillow: I have this bad bedtime habit during Ramadan which is staying up late (if possible until sun rise) and I know it’s bad. Since I started using the Pillow app, my sleep habits have improved and I became more disciplined! It’s the first time I am sleeping on time just for the sake to reach my sleep goals but slowly I started to appreciate the app and it tracks my sleep quality in great detail, it even records the data of my heart rate! Download Pillow: Auto Sleep Tracker here.
On maximising the use of Apple Watch during Ramadan, Cik Manggis shares: “As we all know Eid is about family bonding time and we will be busy with family and friends. Try to keep your phone away and wear your Apple Watch like I always do. No phone but I can still can keep track of important messages with my Apple Watch!”
Nor Soraya, fitness coach
- Health Sleeping Habits: My sleeping hours tend to go a little out of whack during Ramadan. I sleep with my Apple Watch to track sleep patterns and as an indicator of how well I rested for the night so I can take on the day ahead!
- Fitness Tracker and Performance Indicator: The major function of my Apple Watch is to keep track of my workouts and how I faired during my workout! The Apple Watch acts as a great indicator to measure your performance each time. Spinning is pretty demanding. During Ramadan, I can still see how hard I’ve worked in class and it keeps me motivated to keep going at a pace that’s good for me!
- You can adjust your goals during Ramadan! Don’t beat yourself up for not burning as many calories or getting as many steps as you normally would. There are other great areas of focus that can help you get through Ramadan and manage your daily output and energy levels, such as your reminder to Breathe! If you still want to have a workout, there’s Apple Fitness+ that comes with a variety of different workouts in 10, 20, 30, and 40-minute intervals for all levels. Find out more about adjusting your Activity goals on Apple Watch here.
Soraya shares “my Apple Watch has been a long companion of mine. One of the key reasons is its function in keeping my fitness in check! Here are some of my favourite personal tips on how your Apple Watch can help you this Ramadan!”
In addition, you can also make the most of Apple Watch with these great third-party apps:
- Athan Pro not only tracks all prayer times, but also contains text from the Holy Quran, and uses advanced features like augmented reality to locate and visualise the Qibla direction. A dedicated Apple Watch app means you’ll always know when it’s time to observe daily prayers.
- Those who want to follow the moon will find it easier than ever with My Moon Phase Pro, a complete lunar calendar with precise moonrise timings and information about the current cycle and beyond.
- Watching one’s hydration levels is important under normal conditions, but even more so when you’re fasting. WaterMinder lets you track your water intake visually, and also syncs with Apple Health so data can be shared with other apps if you choose.
- Rising to meet each new day with energy starts with great sleep the night before. Sleep Cycle analyses your movements, how long you take to fall asleep, and any disturbances throughout the night, simply by leaving your phone beside your bed. Then, it gently wakes you at precisely the right time in your natural cycle so you’ll be up without hitting Snooze.
- When it comes to planning meals, MyFitnessPal’s food database of over 14 million items is a useful tool to ensure you’re eating well. With detailed nutrition insights, recipes, and camera-powered meal logging, you can keep tabs on your calorie intake and stay healthy.
- Keep track of your Ramadan grocery list and ensure you don’t miss out on essentials with an intelligent assistant: the aptly named Grocery List & Shopping app. It makes light work of getting everything you need, from quickly jotting down (or dictating) items, delegating to other family members, and even tracking how much you spend, down to the category.
- Stay active throughout the day with Wakeout! – Move and Smile that features over 1,800 unique ways to move for over 35 different situations. With a range of amusing, easy-to follow physical activities, the app will help you ensure you get your body moving.
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