Intermittent Fasting and Workouts

Figuring out when to workout and the types of workouts to do while intermittent fasting

is probably in the top 3 most commonly asked questions. In short, you can definitely still

do your regular workouts while doing intermittent fasting, it just might take a little

tweaking as far as when you workout, including if you should do your regular routine

while fasting or during the eating periods.

Do Your Workouts Before Eating

Generally speaking, you want to try to schedule your workouts for shortly before you are

going to start your eating phase. Of course, this may vary based on the type of workout

you do and how long you fast for. The intensity of your workouts can also make a big

difference. Some people who have extremely intense workout routines, like CrossFit,

find that they need the boost in protein and carbs prior to a workout. If this is the case,

you may be someone who should do your workouts during your eating phase, and not

your fasting phase.

If you do decide to workout when you are fasting, be careful with your cardio workouts.

High-intensity cardio, like running or HIIT, can be a little hard on your body when you

haven’t been eating for a prolonged period of time. Don’t schedule your cardio workouts

on days when you are fasting if you do the 24-hour protocols. If you are doing a 16:8

split, then you want to do cardio after you have entered your eating period, at least

allowing for a protein shake or something small and healthy before starting the rigorous

routine.

There are a few reasons to try and schedule your workouts during fasted periods, as

long as you aren’t feeling sick or faint. They include:

Burning more fat – Intermittent fasting is already helping you to burn more fat, so why

not increase it a little bit? You might be able to increase how much fat you burn just by

doing your workouts while you are fasting.

Helping with indigestion – Exercising while fasting can also help with digestion issues.

Many people find that eating shortly before or after a workout makes it harder to digest,

leading to a variety of stomach problems.

Decreasing hunger – Fasted periods can be hard to handle, especially if you are

accustomed to eating every few hours. One great way to decrease the hunger pangs is

to workout in the middle of the fasted stage. This helps prevent you from eating when

you’re not supposed to be.