By Beenish Mahmood

Ramazan is a great opportunity for people to shed off the extra kilos they have put on. When talking to a fitness expert, Mr Talha Majeed Khan who is the owner of the gym by the name of XnF (Exercise and Fitness), (located in 150 A, Ahmad Block, New Garden Town, Lahore), Talha advises us to take on the following routine to make the most out of this month. He talks of how to master physical discipline.

People fast primarily for religious reasons but a major benefit on the side is that it keeps the body fit. So here’s how to do physical training, according to our fitness expert:

· Eat less but eat healthy. A few things which we are sure you already know but just a reminder: eat light at sehri and eat light at iftari again. Eliminate parathas, red meat, fatty and fried foods. Have only one meal after iftari- have lots of water and juices at iftari time and then go straight for dinner.

· Drink lots of water but don’t gulp all the glasses. Drink water with small intervals.

· Exercise: do cardio (70%) and weights (30%). This is the ideal combination.

· Go for small workouts, between 30 and 60 minutes. Avoid strenuous cardio. Light forms of cardio such as walking or cycling will help you burn calories and will not be that testing as well.

· Go for a walk just before iftari. This helps you kill time and also burn fat.

· Exercise only as much as the body can take. Do not do strenuous work outs as it can cause low blood pressure, muscle injury, fatigue, etc.

· Swimming is also a good idea. Although swimming results in sweating as well but because the body is sub-merged in water it keeps the body cool and one doesn’t feel a lot of fatigue while fasting.

Make the most of this month so that you can look fantastic on Eid! Cheers to all those who have succeeded in achieving their weight loss goals.