title: Evaluation of a new physical exercise taken from salat (prayer) as a short-duration and frequent physical activity in the rehabilitation of geriatric and disabled patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The major function of rehabilitation and physical medicine specialists is to provide the proper therapy that helps in improving the physical activities of impaired, disabled and handicapped persons through improvement in their muscle strength. In performing their function, the rehabilitation team should always take heed of the social and mental well-being of such patients. Having observed millions of Muslims perform the salat (prayer) regularly at specified times throughout the world, we postulated that salat, along with its various postures, can play a role in increasing psychological well-being including self-reliance and self-esteem, improving musculo-skeletal fitness, motor behavior and cerebral blood flow that may be beneficial in the rehabilitation of geriatric and disabled persons.
  
  
  METHODS
  The various postures of salat were studied and a range of joint motions were measured by goniometer, an instrument for measuring angles. Brain blood pressure was calculated from the effect of gravity on blood pressure at different positions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that during the offering of salat, most of the joints and muscles of the body were involved in physical activities with little effort, which probably play a vital role in cerebral blood flow and postural reflexes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The physical activities involved in the performance of salat helps in the rehabilitation process in disabled geriatric patients by improving blood flow and increasing musculoskeletal fitness. The salat prayer involves little effort (standing, bowing, prostration and sitting), has a short duration and is beneficial for mental and physical health. More studies are needed in future to determine the full beneficial effects of the salat prayer on the rehabilitative process of disabled persons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: Mohammed Faruque
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Reza
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Urakami
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mano