How Aijaz Aslam stays fit during Ramazan

Express Tribune

11-03-2025

In an interview with Adnan Faisal, actor Aijaz Aslam shared how he keeps his fitness in check during Ramazan, especially when it comes to maintaining a healthy diet. "I have my personal iftari that I take to Ramazan transmissions," he said. "I bring my own fruit chaat and spices. Aside from that, I have some nuts and later, some coffee and dark chocolate. I follow the same routine I do for breakfast."
Aijaz doesn't follow strict diets. Instead, he views his healthy habits as a learned part of his daily life. "It has become a lifestyle now. You have to make some effort to stay healthy."
However, he doesn't let a change in routine limit his fun. "I do stay up late till sehri if I have plans with friends, but I have a system for that too. I go to sleep early, right after iftar, so that I don't feel hungry again," he explained.
"If you go to sleep in the first half of the night, you wake up feeling refreshed. You may fall asleep after 3 AM, but even if you wake up at 12 PM, you won't feel the same way. Your body won't be able to recover as it does with a good night's sleep," he added. "You'll be lethargic and drowsy. You won't have fun for the rest of your day. That's because your body doesn't recover from the previous day's activity."
Per the Uraan actor's observations, a lot of people succumb to weight gain in Ramazan, which is especially evident when Eid comes around. "That's because an iftar with pakoras and samosas has become a tradition here, and without them, people think an iftar is incomplete. This is a very wrong concept," he said.
"When you're fasting, digestive juices accumulate in your stomach since it's empty. If you don't break your fast with the right food then those juices turn acidic in your stomach. When you start chowing down on fats and fried foods, what's going to happen? Many people end up feeling fatigued. They even develop gastric issues."
Aijaz asserted that these physical reactions begin manifesting early on, when one's body isn't able to adapt to the sudden change in routine. Keep it simple," he said. "These days, the trend of having grand iftar parties has decreased, so people have now shifted these gatherings to sehri."
The 52-year-old actor also believes that these changes are a part of life and, ultimately, Ramazan should be spent well spiritually. "What matters is how you utilise the month of Ramazan when it swings by," he said. "You should aim to not just enjoy it but also to perform as many good deeds as possible."