STEPS IN MAINTAINING GOOD HEALTH
HOMELAND
- Pilgrims must always maintain good health even long before their departure to the Holy Land.
- They must not be secretive about their diseases during medical examination
- It is compulsory for them to attend a series of talks on healthcare to expose them to the various health conditions in the Holy Land. The talks are jointly organized by HFCL and the specialized Doctors and conducted at selected mosques during Intensive Hajj Courses.
- Exercise:
- Pilgrims are advised to exercise three times a week with each session lasting between 15 minutes and 20 minutes
- Walking is an easy, enjoyable and effective exercise.
- Walking is good for the heart and blood circulation.
- Exercise session should start with walking at moderate pace for one minute and slow walking for four minutes. The process is repeated until you get a 15 minutes walking exercise.
- Walk for a short distance during the initial stage. Increasing of distance must be done on gradual basis to avoid a rude shock to the body. Familiarize your body with the increasing distance until you have been running between five and six kilometers.
- You can walk between five minutes and 10 minutes as an alternative. After several continuous weeks you should be able to perform a 40-minute exercise.
- You should start exercising for five months to six months before departure. You can start much earlier to ensure the body has been totally conditioned to face the rigorous walking culture at the Holy Land.
- Brisk walking is highly commendable since it prepares pilgrims with the condition during Tawaf (walking around Ka’abah) and Saie (brisk walking between two points).
- Walking helps to reduce muscle cramps caused by stress, physically and mentally.
- This is besides enhancing one’s stamina and conditioned the body for long distance walks during their stay at the Holy Land. At the Holy Land you have to do a lot of walking such as getting to the mosque and to perform various religious rituals and to buy your daily. In performing the Jamrah for example, pilgrims must be prepared to walk about eight kilometers to and fro under either the blazing sun or in the cold weather.
- It also helps to strengthen the heart’s muscles and reduces working pressure for the heart and lungs thus reducing the risk of heart-related diseases
- Exercise needs to be done on regular basis. Pilgrims must discipline themselves to ensure consistency in performing their exercise routine.
- Pilgrims with health problems must seek doctor’s advice before and after they start their exercise routine.
Diet:
It is better to subscribe to the saying, “Eat to live” rather than “Live to eat”. Food is vital for survival but the wrong dosage can be disastrous to the health such as having to depend on a handful of pills for daily survival due to chronic diseases caused imbalance food intake.
Balance diet with all the necessary vitamins, protein, carbohydrate and other essential elements is the best choice in keeping a healthy body, mind and soul. What’s more if you will be away in a foreign land to perform religious rituals and sharing limited space with millions of other Muslims from all corners of the world with stronger and bigger physical built.
Proper food intake is essential to maintain good health. Some healthcare tips:
- Go for variety since each type of food supplies different nutrients for your body needs
- You need to have balance between the amount of food intake and physical activities
- Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits.
- Minimize your intake of sugar, salt, fats and cholesterol that comes in various forms either directly or indirectly.
- Drink plenty of plain water
- Eat food that is hygienically prepared and served. Eat in a clean environment.
Drinks:
You need to drink plenty of plain water because:-
- You lose a lot of body fluid in the hot weather.
- Water is important for body physiology.
- It helps to maintain body temperature.
- It helps to purge out toxic in the body.
- Your body requirement of fluid is about 2.5 liter daily.
- You need to consume between 8 and 10 glasses of water daily to supply 1.5 liter of the needed fluid while your food provides the remaining fluid requirement.
- Minimize intake of sweet and carbonated drinks.
- Do not fear of having to go to the toilet frequently since the Saudi Arabia Government has provided plenty of “outlets” for you to ease yourself either on the way back from the mosque or upon reaching your destination. You also tend to frequent the toilet when consuming plain tea or hot drink during cold weather.
Woman:
Menstruation
It is not a problem except when performing of Tawaf and Saie. Female pilgrims who have yet to menopause must keep stock of sanitary pad.
Hormone Medicine
Female pilgrims who do not want to be disturbed by menstruation can subscribe to hormone medicine. However, they must first seek the doctor’s advice fearing complications to the individuals. Hormone medicine should be taken at least one month before departure to familiarize the body with such treatment and to identify suitability of the body to such medicine. Such treatment should be stopped if the body does not adapt well to it.
Female pilgrims with menstrual problems should seek advice from Obstetrician and Gynecologist before departure.
Pain Killer
Those suffering from menstrual camps should bring their usual painkiller.
Danger of smoking:
If you are a smoker, please quit voluntarily. Smoking is closely related to three causes of death:
Coronary heart disease.
- Lungs cancer.
- Stroke
Other dangers of smoking:
- Easily breathless – unsuitable for performing pilgrimage
- Gastric pains and gastritis
- Lethargic – smoking reduces appetite for food
- Addicted to nicotine
- Impotency
- Bad breath
- Causes fire outbreak
HFCL has enforced no smoking regulation at all buildings accommodating pilgrims.
AT HOLY LAND:
A large number of pilgrims suffer from stress due to different weather climate, huge crowds in Mecca and continuous religious rituals – at times it is done at odd hour to avoid cramming for space besides fully utilizing the time and chance to perform pilgrimage. Thus, pilgrims are advised:
- Always be patient and regard all difficulties as part of the test from Allah SWT.
- White-colored and non-thick clothes are suitable for hot weather.
- Avoid from getting cold by putting on thick clothes, socks and headgear during cold weather especially in Medina.
- Covers mouth and nose with mask, turban or thin cloth when in dusty areas.
- Drink lots of water each time you arrive back from the mosque or from walks. Drink between two and three liters of water during hot weather. The urge to urinate frequently may happens in such situation:
- One or two hours after drinking plain tea.
- After drinking hot or warm water during cold weather and in the morning
- Continuous exposure to fan and air-conditioner
- Take nutritional food including fruits and vegetables.
- Wash you hands before eating and after using the toilet
- Perform non-compulsory religious rituals according to your physical capability – do not push yourself too far to follow others.
- If you do not recover from flu or cough after 24 hours, get immediate treatment before it worsens.
- Avoid being in public areas during crowded period.
