Tips To Stay Fit When Performing I'tikaf

Illustration of people praying at the mosque (Antara)

JAKARTA - A fit body is needed for those of you who practice i'tikaf or staying in the mosque, as a practice that Muslims are passionate about in the last 10 days of the holy month of Ramadan.

As reported by Antara, Monday, May 3, usually i'tikaf starts after the Tarawih prayer is carried out until the dawn. Apart from praying and doing zikr, people who do i'tikaf also generally read the Koran according to their abilities.

This means that Muslims who do i'tikaf can sit for a while. Related to this, a sports medicine specialist from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia (FKUI), Hario Tilarso, advises people who have that activity to stretch between activities.

"You can stretch to improve blood flow. Hold for 10 seconds," he said.

A better circulation increases blood flow to your muscles, which can reduce muscle pain.

Another benefit of stretching helps prevent back pain by strengthening back muscles and reducing the risk of muscle tension, according to health experts, as quoted from Healthline webpage.

Stretching itself is divided into two, namely static and dynamic. In static stretches like Hario's suggestion, a person can hold the stretch in a comfortable position for a period of time, usually between 10 and 30 seconds.

While dynamic stretching is an active movement that causes your muscles to stretch. This type of stretching is usually done before training so that your muscles are ready to move.

Not only stretching, but you should also meet the nutritional intake according to the body's needs through a balanced nutritious diet and drinking enough water.

On the other hand, the World Health Organization (WHO) also reminded people to continue to implement health protocols to prevent contracting COVID-19, such as maintaining a distance of about 1 meter from other people including during prayer and ablution, wearing masks, and maintaining personal hygiene by washing hands regularly, especially after touching objects that people often touch, such as door handles, stairs, switches and more.