Table of contents:
- Fitness is the main asset of the hajj pilgrimage
- Tips for maintaining physical condition during the pilgrimage
- 1. Prevent health problems due to hot weather
- 2. Pay attention to and maintain food intake
- 3. Use comfortable and supportive footwear during the pilgrimage
What you need to prepare for the pilgrimage is your physical condition. Based on an article published on the official website of the Indonesian Ministry of Religion, Hajj is categorized as a form of worship that requires maximum physical health. Hajj activities such as Tawaf, Sa'i, and while in Mina require excellent physical condition because the congregation will inevitably experience congestion with congregations from other countries. Here are tips for staying strong in carrying out a series of pilgrimages.
Fitness is the main asset of the hajj pilgrimage
When performing the pilgrimage, you will often be crammed with thousands of other worshipers at the same time, in limited space, and in hot weather. Therefore, if the physical condition is not supportive, the congregation will easily experience health problems to the worst, which can be life threatening.
The physical abilities of the pilgrims must be trained from the initial preparation. Long before the day of departure, you have to start exercising regularly so that your body gets used to it. The Ministry of Religion explained that your health is influenced by four factors, including:
- Personal behavior: 40%
This first point covers daily habits or PHBS (Clean and Healthy Living Behavior) and diet. - Environmental condition: 30%
The difference in climate between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia also affects the physical condition of the pilgrims. - Heredity / Genetics: 10%
Health conditions passed down by parents, for example, you may have a hereditary hypertension or diabetes. - Health services: 20%
Prospective hajj pilgrims must actively participate in the maintenance and health checks at institutions established by the government so that conditions are maintained.
Personal or personal behavior is the biggest factor affecting the health of the pilgrims. This is in line with what was conveyed by the Head of the Hajj Health Center of the Ministry of Health, dr. Eka Jusup Singka when met at the Ministry of Health office. He said that some of the congregation have not been able to control themselves during the haj pilgrimage.
Apart from neglecting to live a healthy life, the conditions of each congregation are different so that each one must know the limits in carrying out activities. Sometimes it is easy for pilgrims to be tempted by invitations to perform sunnah worship even though their physical condition is inadequate.
Hajj pilgrimage tips from dr. Eka always maintains the best possible physical and health condition because health is the main asset in the smooth running of the haj pilgrimage.
Tips for maintaining physical condition during the pilgrimage
Here are some ways for the congregation to continue running all Hajj activities smoothly, including when crammed with fellow congregations.
1. Prevent health problems due to hot weather
Most of the worship activities in Mecca and Medina were carried out outdoors. Congregation is vulnerable to experience heat stroke or overheating, causing fatigue to fall ill. Protect yourself from the hot sun from outside and inside by:
- Increase drinking water (water, zamzam, juice, and so on).
- Trying to avoid direct sun exposure, use umbrellas or hats if allowed.
- Avoid excessive worship and adequate rest after performing the obligatory Hajj to restore energy.
- Take vitamin C, vitamin D, and zinc supplements in effervescent format (water soluble tablets). Besides being effective at increasing endurance, at the same time it also increases the consumption of fluids in the body to avoid dehydration.
2. Pay attention to and maintain food intake
Pilgrims also need to always pay attention to the food they eat. Even though it has been provided by the officers, outside food such as snacks or snacks can cause poisoning. As a precaution, you can do the following:
- Always wash fruits or vegetables.
- Check the expiration date when buying food.
- Avoid eating food without a cover because it is prone to insects and pollution.
- Wash clean hands before and after preparing meals and at meals.
- Avoid storing food on the bus for too long when moving from one place to another.
Storing food at a temperature on the bus for more than two hours triggers the growth of bacteria. This causes food poisoning during the Haj pilgrimage.
3. Use comfortable and supportive footwear during the pilgrimage
The pilgrimage forces you to do a lot of walking so it is important to wear shoes or sandals that can reduce the risk of injury to your feet. Moreover, being full of places of worship causes the duration to be long and you will likely be crammed too.
Choose footwear that has soft pads, especially on the heels and ankles. The size of the footwear must be the right size, because if it is loose it will cause blisters. Meanwhile, if it's too small, it can trigger cramps in the toes and sores. You can use a moisturizer applied three times a day to reduce friction during walking.
Every pilgrim would not want to miss the opportunity to worship as much as possible while in the Holy Land. But on the other hand, you really depend on your body condition to be able to go through the pilgrimage.
