Muristek
Staying fit and safe during Ramadan with a little help from the Apple Watch
Dr Muhammad Shazril Shaharuddin is a rare celebrity influencer doctor who uses his platform to promote healthy living to his followers. — Picture via Instagram/ @say_shazril
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KUALA LUMPUR, April 4 — If you keep up with local celebrities on Instagram, you might already know of Dr Muhammad Shazril Shaharuddin or by his nickname Dr Say.
The charming and very Instagram-savvy medic is prolific on Instagram with over 327,000 followers on the platform, where he also shares the limelight with his doctor wife Dr Azura Abas.
I picked his brains on what he thought Muslims could do to stay fit and healthy during the holy month of Ramadan and his own experience staying fit with the help of digital devices such as the Apple Watch.
Staying patient, staying healthy
On staying healthy during Ramadan, Dr Shazril said: “Ramadan is not just a test of patience but a time when we need to care for our health and wellbeing. Fasting for 12-14 hours can be difficult for some, especially those who are on medications or pregnant women.”
One common misconception, he said, was that those who are fasting should eschew exercise and instead focus on rest and worship.
“Yes, it is true that we should focus on worship during the holy month, especially now that we have entered the endemic phase and mosques are now open as usual for prayers, but it is important that we take care of our health through exercise.”
He said that while it is very possible to maintain a fitness regime while fasting, his advice was to always listen to your body.
“If for example, while performing the exercise you feel the intense urge of wanting to drink, then call it a day as dehydration can lead to bad consequences,” he said.
As to what exercise was best, he said it was just about choosing the exercise that you love and enjoy the most.
“Let’s say you love skipping, go for it. You love zumba, zumba it away. Any type of exercise is okay as long as you listen to your body and don’t push yourself,” he said.
Watch-ing your health
Dr Shazril said that if you happen to use a device that tracks your heart rate, such as the Apple Watch, it would be helpful to monitor your readings while fasting.
“For example, if you are pregnant and fasting and your body is too dehydrated, your heart rate may increase beyond the normal range,” he said, noting he liked that the Apple Watch’s readings were fairly accurate.
The doctor is rather attached to his watch, only taking it off to charge it and even taking it to the shower and to sleep.
He also said it was a lifesaver in helping to find his often-misplaced iPhone thus one of his favourite features had to be the Find My feature as well as the ability to track his sleep.
“Sometime juggling being a father, doctor and influencer can be overwhelming so I like to just put on my AirPods Max, select the Breathe function on the Mindfulness app and just breathe according to the rhythm.” He found that that quiet time helped calm any anxiousness he was feeling.
Keeping it healthy
On the temptation of divine Ramadan food: “As we all know Ramadan only comes once a year and of course features special foods that also come only once a year,” he said.
“So my advice since we are all human is it’s okay to indulge but be mindful and be wary of the quantity you are eating. If possible, consume a complete and balanced meal first in line with guidelines from the Health Ministry.”
What he was alluding to was the Health Ministry’s ‘Suku Suku Separuh (a quarter, a quarter, and a half)’ tagline, promoting the nutritional guidelines to allocate a quarter of your daily nutrition to meats/proteins/nuts, another quarter to grains and starches while the remaining half should comprise fruits and vegetables.
Keeping health on the mind
What else did the doctor recommend to stay fit and hale during Ramadan?
Dr Shazril said, “First and foremost, never ever skip your sahur since we need energy to fuel our day and energy comes from food.”
Waking up for it and eating a healthy and balanced meal is important, with sweet desserts such as traditional kuih after.
“If you are on medication, consult your physician first on how you should consume your medication during this fasting month and take them as per recommended.”
As to breaking of fast, Dr Shazril also recommended to take a light meal first such as kurma and water before performing the Maghrib prayers.
“Only then should you consume your healthy and balanced meal before you perform your Isyak and tarawih.”
“After that you can have your kuih but again be mindful of the quantity,” he said.
He again emphasised that exercise wasn’t something to skip during Ramadan but instead it was all about finding a routine that works for you.
“If it’s not too intense, you can do it just before breaking fast. If it’s intense, consider exercising after you break fast or after you are done with your tarawih but the key point here is don’t skip your exercise,” he said.
While keeping fit is important he also said in the end Muslims do know their priorities for the month.
“Ramadan is all about resting your mind and your body. Use this month to worship as much as you can and take it easy,” said the good doctor.