İslamic Source 2026-07-10

As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh

In today's post, we will focus on every aspect of sports, insha'Allah. We will delve into bodybuilding, muscle building, cardio, stretching, martial arts, and many more parts in detail, insha'Allah. And of course, we will again strive to handle the matter within both a religious and scientific framework as much as possible.

In our previous post, we addressed the importance of sleep and examined it in detail. If you haven't read it yet, we strongly recommend you read our post about sleep from here first.

Sports are indispensable for mental and physical health. Our bodies, created with the ability to move, can experience many problems when they do not move sufficiently, harming our physical and mental health. Just like a well-tended sapling can flourish and strengthen, our bodies, which are mobile, dynamic, and open to change and development in accordance with the constantly changing and dynamic world, can wither and die if neglected. It is also possible to see here the connections to the soil from which we were created.

Unfortunately, the topic of sports is often handled incorrectly from many perspectives. Due to popular culture and misinformation, serious errors exist in the definition of sports, what each sport branch or movement is useful for, and which sports should be done by whom. Additionally, reducing exercise merely to building muscle for men and burning fat for women—simplistic, inadequate, and limited definitions—can lead to different problems.

Why Is Sports Important?

Exercising has many benefits. Properly done sports strengthen the skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems, keeping them fit and healthy. It supports the circulatory system and metabolism, largely preventing fat accumulation, heart attacks, and obesity. It burns excess fat, if any, increases motor skills, body coordination, balance, and mobility, and provides physical strength increase, endurance, and flexibility. It is good for anxiety and depression, clears the mind, and expels toxins from the body through sweat. As you can see, the benefits of sports are many, but let's briefly look at the most important ones:

1-Physical Health

One of the most well-known benefits of sports is undoubtedly its positive effects on physical health. During exercise, many processes occur: blood flow and blood pressure rise above normal levels, senses become more active, breathing quickens, the need for oxygen and glycogen—which will be carried by the blood—increases in the relevant muscles being worked, and the heat generated by movement is expelled through sweat. Allah (c.c.), with His sublime wisdom, created humans and animals as mobile creatures, while creating plants as relatively immobile. That is, human nature (fitrah) is created suitable for movement. The Almighty Creator has created us in the most perfect form to perform our daily tasks, interact, explore the earth, build, and worship. The human body is actually in a much more complex, much more intricate, and magnificent structure than we think. So much so that it is out of the question for any man-made functioning system built today to even approach the functioning of this magnificent work of our Lord. Our heart beats rhythmically continuously, even while we sleep, pumping our blood powerfully enough to reach and collect from the tiniest capillary vessels in our body. Our blood carries oxygen, glycogen, and vitamins to the necessary organs, muscles, and tissues. White blood cells in the blood fight germs, and the whole body functions with this blood. Our lungs meet the need for oxygen by working continuously, mixing oxygen from the air into the blood and expelling carbon dioxide from the body. There are many more systems in our body that we cannot count and that work without us even being aware. The circulatory system, respiratory system, excretory system, digestive system, skeletal system, muscular system... Our Lord, the Most Merciful of the merciful, has created not only our body but also the planet we live on suitable for us. He has placed the oxygen gas our body needs in the air, the water we need in lakes and rivers, and the foods we need as fuel in various blessings. Even gravity balances our internal pressure caused by our blood pressure, provides our sense of direction with inner ear systems, and offers an environment where we can live comfortably. We cannot praise our Lord enough for all this. Praise be to Allah as much as the heavens, the earth, and all that is between them. Returning to the topic, this system is mobile by its nature and needs movement. Because the rule "iron not used rusts" also applies to our body. If we do not move enough, our vessels, never exposed to pressure, will start to clog and lose their flexibility. We can think of this like grass covering a rarely used path. Additionally, our joints will calcify, our muscles will slowly lose function and atrophy, the energy we take in during the day and do not use will be stored as fat, further increasing harm. And it will have many more negative effects. However, it is possible to prevent all these, and even achieve positive development, with the right exercises. When we look at the life of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.v.), we see that he swam, wrestled, helped in construction, participated in battles, held races, and also, due to the living conditions and transportation means of his time, walked a lot and engaged in physical activity, so it would not be wrong to say that he was essentially exercising in a way.

2-Mental Health

It is a widely known fact that exercising positively affects mental health and helps issues like anxiety and depression. Additionally, it has been scientifically proven that sports clear the mind. It reduces stress, anxiety, mental fatigue, and overthinking, increases attention and focus skills, happiness, and self-confidence, strengthens memory, and improves sleep quality. If you are wondering how it does all this, let us explain. During sports, general blood flow in the body accelerates. This leads to the body and senses becoming more active. Since the amount of blood going to the brain also increases, skills such as attention, focus, decision-making, problem-solving, and memory are strengthened. Also, stress hormones like cortisol decrease, and toxic substances are expelled through sweat. The secretion of happiness-inducing chemicals like endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine increases. Sleep becomes more comfortable as excess energy in the body is expended. In addition to all these relaxing effects, the act of thinking—which is impossible to stop—the mind that wanders freely and often gets stuck on negative thoughts when a person is unoccupied, focuses on the activity during sports, thus helping issues like anxiety, worry, and depression. Moreover, self-confidence increases with the feeling of accomplishing a difficult task. All these are actually the fruits of an effort in accordance with the fitrah (human nature). Humans are, by their nature/creation, mobile beings, and Almighty Allah, with His wisdom, has designed us and our worldly life in such a way that the one who complies with fitrah and Allah's commands and prohibitions benefits both in this world and the Hereafter, while the one who opposes his nature and his Lord suffers loss and harm in both worlds. We pray to Almighty Allah to make us among His servants who obey Him, His commands and prohibitions, and act according to fitrah, and we seek refuge in Allah (c.c.) from being otherwise. Amin. Speaking of movement, moving is not just physical, and the benefits of moving are not just about sports. Due to the topic of our post, we mentioned that movement through exercise is an effort in accordance with fitrah, and with all these positive effects that come additionally, it increases positivity while similarly distancing from negative feelings. We explained that when we stop, we look for other things to occupy ourselves because it is impossible to completely stop the brain, and that Satan and our nafs (ego) will push us towards bad thoughts. This situation is just like a person stuck in a swamp and staying still. This person needs to make an effort and take action to get out of the swamp; otherwise, they continue to sink. So, when you remain idle and motionless, Satan and the nafs will play tricks on your mind, pulling you into a deep swamp of negative thoughts, and you will continue to sink further unless you move to escape the swamp. This is also how it is in life. If we stop, give up, and do not try, we lose. If we try, at worst, we learn our mistake and correct it; at best, we succeed. For example, imagine you are lost in a forest. If you never move and stay where you are, you will never be rescued and will die of hunger, thirst, or wild animal attacks. But if you move and try to find a way out, you might find water or food, you might get rescued, or at worst, you learn that the path you took is not the way out, thus eliminating one possibility, learning a lesson from this situation, and trying the other directions. However, it is beneficial to make a note about life. Especially in this worldly life where our time is short, and particularly in religious matters, if we are given a compass and do not use it, or go in a direction other than the shown path, there is absolutely no possibility of finding a way out. Therefore, it is crucial to move by determining the right direction within the available means. In short, moving will similarly motivate us and enable us to cope with problems. From a religious perspective, in summary, we can say that being created to move means that movement is human nature (fitrah), and complying with fitrah will always make a person feel good. In the modern world, people move less, eat more, and sleep more than ever in history. This comes back to them in their lives as physical and mental ailments. We will touch on this dimension a bit more under a different heading later, insha'Allah.

3-Overcoming Physical Difficulties

Almost every aspect of our lives requires some physical action. From removing something harmful from the road, blinking our eyes, earning, preparing, and eating our food, to preparing our bed for sleep, even using devices like computers and phones, or turning pages to read a book—all these actions require more or less physical activity and capacity. In people who do not exercise, muscles that atrophy and even waste away over time due to disuse, and joints that calcify from inactivity, cause difficulty even in the simplest movements, especially in old age. Keeping the body constantly active will ensure being fit and active both physically and mentally. Moreover, problems related to inactivity are not only experienced in old age. If the body is not prepared for the day's hustle with the right exercises, even a simple movement during the day can lead to injuries lasting weeks. For these and many other reasons, exercising is necessary for health in every aspect. The fact that the Companions would even pick up their fallen items themselves without asking anyone, and worked in all areas from digging trenches to building mosques, is also an indicator of their physical activity. Additionally, our bodies do not belong to us; they are trusts given to us by our Lord in this worldly life. For this reason alone, we need to take good care of our bodies.

4-Protecting Ourselves and Our Loved Ones

Throughout history, there have been bandits. And you never know when and where they will appear and get you into trouble. Especially as today's societies have distanced themselves from fitrah and revelation, becoming captives of their nafs (desires), and as a result of not applying the judgments, commands, and prohibitions of their Lord—who created them from nothing—and establishing corrupted systems with their own limited views, knowledge, and wills, the environment is filled with bandits. In modern societies, you can never consider yourself safe, even when walking on the street minding your own business. And your head can get into trouble for various reasons. In such a situation, running away might seem like the most logical solution, but this is not always possible, and you also need to exercise to run fast. But there are also situations where you cannot run. For instance, if there is someone weaker than you with you, you cannot leave them behind. Even if they are stronger than you, you should not leave them. Secondly, you cannot run forever, every time, in every instance. Therefore, for situations where you must stand your ground and face the challenge, sports are essential to defend yourself and those with you. Actually, beyond sports, martial arts are essential, but it is unfortunately unlikely for someone who does not even exercise to emerge unscathed from a situation requiring self-defense. From a scholarly perspective, the wrestling of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.v.) and the Companions' playing with swords and shields and wrestling were actually forms of sports, exercise, and self-defense training.

5-Positively Affects Social Life

It might sound a bit far-fetched, but you will understand the reason when explained, insha'Allah. Even if someone exercises alone at home, besides being good for physical health, it distances them from negative feelings, nurtures self-confidence and positive emotions, and reduces anxiety, so the person can communicate more comfortably and calmly with people. Additionally, since the body will learn to cope with stress to some extent through exercise, the person can maintain their composure more easily. Now, compared to a person who cannot cope with stress, is depressive, aggressive, drowning in negative thoughts, a positive, confident, calm, composed, and relaxed person will, of course, be much more successful socially. From a religious standpoint, a Muslim should treat other people well and smile at their brothers/sisters in faith. While a negative person might even start a fight, let alone do these things, a positive person can be more tolerant even of the other party's negative behaviors. Do not forget, happiness, smiling, and good things are contagious. But negativity, sulking, and bad things are also contagious—very much so. Therefore, let's try to spread the good, creating a pandemic of goodness if possible, and as much as possible, try to assimilate, remove, and prevent the spread of negativity. Does our religion not teach us to enjoin good and forbid evil, to avoid argument and say 'peace'?

BONUS: Why Should Men/Women Exercise?

Why Should Men Exercise?

To spread the religion of Islam, implement the commands and prohibitions of Almighty Allah, stop the oppressor, repel injustice, help the oppressed, and defend Muslims, jihad is necessary, and this is the duty of men. From a scientific perspective, humans need an ideology. They need an idea to defend and follow, a life philosophy, a set of values, a system of judgments, a definer of good and evil. At the same time, for the sake of mental health, humans also need a life purpose or a value to fight/struggle for. If you ask people in the world, "What is your purpose in life?", there is no one, except conscious Muslims, who can answer this question. Indeed, there is not even anyone who brings this question to mind. Most people are born into a world they do not know why they came to, grow up, suddenly find themselves in school, learn many things without knowing why, work and earn money their whole life, live, eat, drink without knowing why. They don't even think about it. Because man-made systems do not want this. The most dangerous person for a system is a thinking and questioning person. No system likes such people, except for Islam, which is the truth and has nothing to hide. Additionally, Islam satisfyingly meets all the fitrah-based needs of humans for purpose, goals, values, and judgments. This raises the Muslim to a much different level of consciousness compared to other people. Because in this sea of the purposeless, he is a person with a clear route, map, and destination. He knows what he does, why, and for what reason, and lives with this consciousness. This sets him apart from others. Jihad is done only for the sake of Allah. While jihad is among the most virtuous deeds, it is fard 'ayn (obligatory upon every individual) in some situations. Furthermore, a Muslim dying without going to jihad or without the intention of going to jihad has been censured. Also, because men need to work outside and provide for their homes, they need to work in more physical jobs and struggle with the outside world. But doing this with an unhealthy and weak body is not easy.

Why Should Women Exercise?

Let's try to explain this part without upsetting women, with as delicate a language as possible. Men are created physically stronger than women by nature (fitrah). In Islam, physical tasks like providing for the household and participating in war are placed on men. Consequently, the metabolism of women, who are physically more delicate, is also slower compared to men. This means they digest the food they eat more slowly. Also, because providing for the household and physical work falls on men, women generally stay at home, thus moving much less in daily life compared to men. This situation can lead to negative health effects, unwanted weight gain, palpitations, various health problems, and mental depression. Additionally, to cope with the effort required by jobs that are not highly visible but are extremely valuable and tiring, such as childcare and housework, exercising and being fit will make women's work easier and boost their morale, insha'Allah. Sports are actually something that people of all ages and genders should do for mental and physical health.

Since we have listed enough reasons why we should exercise, before moving on to how we should exercise, let's briefly learn about today's sports problems.

What Are Today's Sports Problems?

Due to increasing social media and information pollution, the topic of sports is one of the most exploited and misdirected health subjects, along with nutrition and mental health. Especially on the internet, everyone produces content and makes comments and opinions on every topic they know or do not know. This confuses people's minds. However, knowing what you don't know, remaining silent on matters you don't know, and consulting those who know is a virtue. Similarly, one must convey what they know to the extent they know it and be open to learning what they don't know. Many false pieces of information about sports exist today. We will try to briefly explain all of them, insha'Allah, but you will need to do your own research to learn more because addressing each problem here in detail would make the post considerably longer. However, even if what is written here seems wrong to you at first, we strongly suggest you conduct comprehensive research before rejecting it. Let's touch upon a few of the most common problems:

1-The More Muscle, The More Strength: True but False

This perception has increased greatly, especially with the popularization of Bodybuilding due to the influence of social media. However, having a large volume of muscle mass does not always mean more strength. In Bodybuilding, the aim is to aesthetically achieve maximum muscle mass. That is, Bodybuilding is not about strength; even if it were, its contribution to strength is limited because the training methods are focused on enlarging muscles. First of all, it is beneficial to note that abnormally large muscles are not achieved through sports but through drug supplements like steroids, and these supplements have serious side effects on health that can lead to death. Additionally, muscles develop based on how they are trained. The human muscle-bone-skeletal system is a highly complex system that seems simple. When we exercise, what we actually do is challenge our muscles in a controlled manner and cause micro-tears/ruptures in our muscles. The reason for post-exercise pain is these tears. Muscles repair these torn areas with protein and become stronger than before. This means stronger muscles. However, this process does not always happen the same way. Depending on the training method, muscles can either thicken the muscle fibers or recruit more fibers instead. This results in muscles with different functions emerging as a result of exercise. Therefore, separate training can be done for speed, strength, and endurance. In Bodybuilding, since muscles are worked in isolation rather than together, they may become larger in volume but cannot learn to work together and become non-functional. We call these types of muscles "Cosmetic Muscles." Because, unlike "Functional Muscle," "Cosmetic Muscle" generally has no function other than appearance, despite usually looking bigger. Additionally, excessively large and tight muscles hinder mobility, rendering the person unable to even scratch their own back. Moreover, more mass makes a person heavier, slower, and consumes more energy. That is, just like everything else, even in muscle mass, exceeding the limit is harmful as long as it is not done correctly and in the right amount. Even if done correctly, strength is not only linked to muscle mass; the number of fibers in the muscle, the thickness of fibers, and neurological adaptations play determining roles. Also, the muscles in the body are the same in everyone, but the fat ratio on these muscles and the development of the muscles differ. The human skeletal system basically consists of 3 main components, not 2: Bone, Muscle, and Tendon. Bones are hard structures reinforced with calcium. Bones strengthen through different exercises than muscles. Bones develop through micro-fractures created by small impacts/shocks and the repair of these micro-fractures more solidly with calcium. For example, when we run, we actually apply very low amounts of shocks to our feet with each step. Then, we can achieve bone development with the calcium we consume. Bones develop over a very long time. Muscles are relatively soft fleshy tissues. They strengthen by creating micro-tears through stresses in the right directions and repairing these tears with protein. They develop much faster than bones. Tendons are structures between bone and muscle. Their job is to connect muscles to bones. Tendons develop more easily than bones but harder than muscles. They generally require frequent repetitive training.

2-Looking Weak/Not Looking Muscular Is A Sign of Weakness: False

As we explained above, being strong and being muscular are different things, and when trained with the right method, one can be quite strong without increasing muscle mass very much.

3-Bodybuilders Are Very Healthy and Strong: True but False

Bodybuilders can be much healthier and stronger compared to an individual who never exercises, but due to the effort they expend, the mass they carry, the drugs they use, and incorrect exercises, it cannot be said they are sufficiently healthy and strong.

4-The Less Fat, The Healthier: True but False

It is true that excess fat accumulated in the body returns to us as harm like weight, cholesterol, obesity, and visceral fat, but hypotheses that the body does not need fat at all or that the lower the fat ratio, the healthier the body—taking things to an extreme—are completely false. On the contrary, the body needs healthy fats. If body fat falls below a certain level, it can even lead to death. Fats in the body ensure the secretion of hormones, store energy, contain vitamins, and preserve body temperature. Just as being excessively fat is unhealthy, being excessively lean is also unhealthy.

5-Sugar Prevents Muscle Building: True but False

Similar to fats, excessive sugar consumption can lead to various health problems, but this does not mean that sugar is unhealthy. On the contrary, glycogen, the main energy source of muscles, is obtained from sugar and carbohydrates. Moreover, most of the foods we eat, from lemons to strawberries, contain more or less sugar. The key is not to consume excessive sugar and to burn off the sugar consumed.

6-Carbohydrates Are Harmful: False

Carbohydrates are the number one energy source. Just as consuming too much is harmful, consuming too little is also harmful. Quality carbohydrates are important for sports performance. The key is not to consume excessive carbohydrates and to burn off the carbohydrates consumed.

7-The More Protein, The Better: True but False

Muscles worn out by sports need protein for repair, but excess does not unlimitedly increase muscle growth; in fact, it is harmful to health. As in everything, it is necessary to be moderate.

8-Martial Arts Are For Men: False

Everyone needs to know at least one martial art to protect themselves and their loved ones.

9-Gymnastics, Pilates, Stretching Exercises Are For Women: False

On the contrary, gymnastics, Pilates, and stretching are beneficial sports that men can also do. Especially gymnastics is a branch where strength, flexibility, and balance combine. It is important for everyone—children, youth, elderly, men, and women—to do stretching-warm-up exercises every day.

10-You Can Start Sports Without Stretching: False

It is essential to do warm-up and stretching before starting sports, even before starting the day. Otherwise, muscles unprepared for the day and strain can be challenged by sudden movements and cause injuries. This is like starting the car and warming up the engine before setting off on a journey.

11-Women Will Bulk Up Like Men If They Do Weights: False

Since the nature (fitrah) of men and women is different, the kind of muscle gain seen in men cannot naturally be expected in women due to their hormonal structure.

12-Athletes Must Use Drugs/Supplements: False

On the contrary, for centuries, people have managed to stay in very good physical shape for centuries without taking any supplements, just by consuming daily food. Moreover, we do not recommend using protein powder and creatine as supplements. Even if they are considered supplements and not drugs, it is not recommended to take artificial supplements through unnatural means unless necessary. Additionally, there is a possibility of overdosing. The best is supplementation obtained by eating natural foods.

13-The More Exercise/Reps, The More Gain: True but False

While this proposition is true to a certain extent, muscles do not develop during exercise; on the contrary, they are damaged during exercise. Muscles enter a repair process after exercise. However, if muscles are not given time to rest and recover, they cannot heal, and accumulated damage can lead to serious injuries. Similarly, excessively fatiguing a muscle in one session prolongs its repair time, reduces efficiency, and increases the risk of injury in the long run. What matters is not quantity but quality, technique, continuity, and working smart.

14-Rest Is Laziness: False

Rest is essential for the repair and growth of muscles and for the brain's adaptation and learning process.

15-The Body Gets Stronger During Exercise: False

The body develops not during exercise, but during rest.

16-No Pain, No Gain: False

Muscle soreness is not a mandatory indicator of development.

17-Training The Same Muscle Every Day/With The Same Routine Develops It Faster: False

Muscles need rest and recovery. Training the same muscle every day hinders the healing process. Additionally, training with the same routine and number of repetitions every day hinders development because the body adapts to it, and it no longer presents a challenge or a difficulty, which prevents development.

18-The Heavier You Lift, The Better: True but False

Just like with doing too much exercise, what matters is not quantity but quality, continuity, technique, and working smart. Light weight prevents development, and excessively heavy weight causes injury.

19-Sweating Indicates More Fat Burning: False

Sweating is the body's cooling mechanism; it does not solely indicate fat burning, but it shows that the body is exerting significant effort and heating up.

20-Fat Turns Into Muscle: False

Fat and muscle are different tissues; one cannot turn into the other. Through sports, fat is melted and used as energy, while muscles are damaged in this process and repaired to become stronger.

21-Best Results Are Achieved By Doing Only Cardio: False

One-dimensional training provides limited and one-dimensional development. Other types of training are also fundamental parts of health.

22-Exercising On An Empty Stomach Is Essential To Burn Fat: False

On the contrary, to burn fat, you need to create a calorie deficit, meaning you must expend more energy than the calories consumed, so that the body is forced to use stored fat.

23-Sports Wear Down Knees and Joints: True but False

Incorrect technique, lack of rest, and excessive load can cause harm, but correct technique and program actually strengthen them.

24-You Can't Do Sports When You Get Old: False

Sports are necessary at every age. Perhaps after a certain age, a person cannot do gymnastics or parkour, but suitable exercises can be done and are necessary at every age.

25-Children Cannot Do Weight Training: True but False

It is inadvisable for children in the development stage to lift large amounts of weight, but they can train with appropriate programs under expert supervision.

26-Heart Patients Should Not Exercise: False

On the contrary, exercise under a doctor's supervision is often part of the treatment and strengthens the heart.

27-Fitness Is Only For Building Muscle: False

It is also for health, endurance, and quality of life, but it should be supported with other branches.

28-Running Decreases Height: False

On the contrary, running is a very beneficial sport and can be done at any age.

29-Only Those With Good Genetics Can Build Muscle: False

Genetics provides an advantage, but everyone can develop in proportion to their work.

30-You Must Lose Weight First To Start Exercising: False

Exercise is already a very important part of the weight loss process.


Of course, in addition to these, there can also be problematic situations from an Islamic perspective. Unfortunately, the following issues frequently occur for those who want to do sports in today's societies.

1-Being Too Occupied With Sports and Neglecting Prayer and Religion

Spending time on sports but not on prayer, religion, and responsibilities leads to loss in both this world and the Hereafter.

2-Bowing to Greet in Far Eastern Sports

A Muslim only bows before Allah (c.c.); they cannot and do not bow before anyone else, even to greet them.

3-Doing Mixed-Gender Contact Sports

While it is even a sin for a man to look at a non-mahram woman or for a woman to uncover her hair in front of a non-mahram man, their touching each other is absolutely unacceptable.

4-Wearing Inappropriate/Tight Clothing

Tight clothing that reveals body contours, such as wrestling singlets or tights, or clothing that exposes the awrah (parts of the body that must be covered) and contradicts hijab, like short shorts, cannot be worn.

5-Being In Environments With Music

According to the view of the majority of past and present Islamic scholars, listening to musical instruments is haram (forbidden). Even scholars who argued it is not haram stated that the lyrics of what is being listened to should be proper, should not incline one towards worldly pursuits, and advised against listening to it excessively. Too much music alienates a person from the Qur'an, confuses their mind, and directs it.

6-Yoga/Meditation

Yoga and meditation are originally forms of worship in the Hindu religion, but today, when mentioned, yoga generally brings stretching movements to mind, and meditation brings breathing exercises to mind. While we advise staying away from both terms, stretching movements and breathing exercises are exercises that people of all ages and genders should do. It should also be noted that Islam, the most perfect and true religion, contains everything a person needs. Therefore, a Muslim needs not yoga and meditation but correct exercise, supplication (dua), reliance on Allah (tawakkul), and contemplation (tafakkur).

Yes, it was a bit long, but they were all important issues that needed to be addressed. We can now move on to the most beneficial types of sports.

What Are The Most Beneficial Types of Sports?

When we say sports, different things come to everyone's mind. While some only think of gym equipment, others think of weightlifting, fitness, gymnastics, martial arts, wrestling, walking-running, etc. In fact, all of these fall under the scope of sports, and while we can generally say they are all better than inactivity, some can lead us to the exit of the forest, i.e., our goals, while others may be insufficient or even lead us down undesired paths. To avoid such a situation, it is beneficial to briefly touch upon the most beneficial types of sports. Since the post is already quite long, there is no need to go into too much detail here.

1-Breathing Exercises

Breathing exercises are used to learn the correct breathing technique to provide sufficient oxygen to the body during sports and to develop breathing. Breathing correctly using the diaphragm is very important for conditioning.

2-Fitness

This rather popular type of sport is mostly focused on weight training. While it is much better and healthier than Bodybuilding, people can often drift from one to the other. While weight training is inherently good, it has some downsides that we will touch upon later.

3-Cardio

Cardio workouts can actually be defined as a form of long-duration endurance. It is based on the ability of muscles to work at high intensity for a long time and is very beneficial but insufficient on its own.

4-Pilates

A style of exercise focused more on fat burning and general health.

5-Crossfit

Among the exercises mentioned above, it is the most versatile and generally comprehensive one. It is mostly like a mixture of cardio and fitness. It is quite beneficial.

6-Calisthenics

These are exercises done using body weight. Among those listed so far, it builds the most functional muscle group. Its movements work more than one muscle group together in a single move. Thus, besides providing versatile development, it also gives muscles the ability to work together. The four most basic, well-known, and functional calisthenics movements are: pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, and squats. We will touch upon this topic later, insha'Allah.

7-Martial Arts:

Martial arts are divided into two main branches: striking and grappling sports.

7.A-Striking Sports

These are sports based on striking the opponent. They require serious opponent analysis and training. Withstanding blows requires a solid muscle structure, especially in the neck and abdominal area. Fast reflexes are needed. The most fundamental striking sport is Boxing.

7.B-Grappling Sports

These are sports where striking the opponent is prohibited; instead, techniques like throwing, sweeping, choking, and finishing/locking techniques are applied to take the opponent down. Due to the requirement to manipulate high weights, it requires solid cardio, strength, and flexibility. The most fundamental grappling sport is Wrestling.

We will examine martial arts in more detail later, insha'Allah.

8-Stretching

Stretching exercises are movements aimed at increasing the body's flexibility. They are very beneficial and also good for the joints. Stretching exercises also reduce the risk of injury during sports.

9-Warm-up

Warm-up exercises are generally used before starting any sport to prepare the body and make it ready for action. It can be likened to starting a car's engine and letting it run idle for a while to warm up before setting off. Warm-up exercises also reduce the risks of injury and heart attack during sports.

10-Running/Walking/Jumping Rope

Walking is a very nice and light exercise. Done for a long duration at an intense pace, it is especially very beneficial for the circulatory system. Running is even better. Diversifying it, such as tempo running, uphill running, or sprinting, will provide development in areas like speed, cardio, and strength. Also, the hearts of marathon runners, and even the way their bodies process energy, changes. Jumping rope also has beneficial effects like developing cardio, increasing hand-foot coordination, and working the circulatory system.

11-Swimming

Swimming, besides being recommended by our Prophet (s.a.v.), has extremely positive effects, especially on the spine and skeletal system. It also strengthens cardio and effectively works the cardiovascular systems. It is very important to learn, and Prophet Muhammad (s.a.v.) also recommended it. However, it is crucial to avoid mixed-gender environments and inappropriate clothing while learning to swim. Otherwise, while building the body, the soul will be ruined.

12-Marksmanship/Archery

Marksmanship is also a sport recommended by the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.v.), which improves hand-eye coordination and holds an important place in preparing for jihad. Today, this activity is most professionally performed at shooting ranges. Ranges generally charge per bullet. You would progress from basic to advanced levels. It is also very important for relieving stress and gaining self-confidence. Parallel to this, learning weapon maintenance would be very beneficial. Those without access to a range can also practice with BB guns at home; they are quite sufficient and beneficial for learning the basics. Additionally, knife throwing is a separate art anyone can do. Archery, on the other hand, is an important marksmanship sport that provides a significant amount of upper body development, especially in the shoulders. Particularly older/traditional bows require more strength, but unfortunately, although they are very beautiful, they tend to be less powerful than modern bows.

13-Horse Riding

Horse riding has also been recommended by Prophet Muhammad (s.a.v.), and it is a very special sport. It instills positive feelings, accelerates blood circulation, and excites, and since it requires connecting and caring for another living being, it will also provide positive effects in areas like compassion, sense of responsibility, and social relationships. Allah knows best, but if the reason horse riding was recommended by Prophet Muhammad (s.a.v.) is considered as learning to use the transportation means of his time, then by extension, it can be concluded that it is important to learn how to operate motor vehicles, which are the transportation means of our time.

14-Powerlifting

Powerlifting is a sport based on lifting maximum weight in a single attempt and developing this ability. Unlike Bodybuilding, the aim in Powerlifting is not to reach maximum muscle mass but rather to be able to lift the maximum weight. Powerlifting is generally centered around three main movements: bench press, squat, and deadlift.

What Are The Best Martial Arts?

Both striking and grappling sports have their own advantages and disadvantages. Grappling sports are very effective in one-on-one combat and can finish the opponent once they catch them. Additionally, arts like BJJ can be suitable for women because they minimize the importance of size differences. However, they are mostly ineffective against multiple opponents simultaneously. Moreover, they are difficult to apply on hard surfaces. However, whether to harm the opponent or not is in the hands of the practitioner. Therefore, they can be applied in friendly matches as well. Striking sports are effective in one-on-one or against multiple opponents. However, they are ineffective on the ground against grappling sports. Also, since they are based on harming the opponent, they are harder to use in friendly matches, and the damage to the opponent may not always be precisely determined. Generally, to learn grappling sports, at least one partner and a coach are needed, but a person can learn and practice the basics of most striking sports at home and over the internet. However, in all cases, for a person's skills to be truly tested and to be prepared for the stress, pressure, and difficulty of a real situation, sparring with an opponent, and a feedback mechanism to check the correctness of techniques, is essential. In all sports branches and martial arts, the main issue is technique. The fundamentals are always the most important component. Whoever performs the fundamentals and techniques correctly will always have the advantage. In martial arts, the order of importance is technique, timing, distance control, precision, speed, strength, and finally mass. Also, defense comes before offense. A person must first put themselves in a position where they will not be defeated and will not take damage, then be in a position where they can defeat and damage their opponent. Martial arts and war arts basically carry the same principles. It is also possible to derive meanings applicable to life from many martial arts or team sports.

WARNING: Do not strike your Muslim brothers/sisters in the face, as this has been forbidden in a hadith. (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No: 2612)
Also, learn these types of sports not for professional fighting, but to be healthy, and to protect yourself, your loved ones, and the Ummah. Professional fights involve gambling, improperly dressed men and women, advertisements for boycotted products, and serve only entertainment.

1-Wrestling

Wrestling is the most fundamental grappling sport. It requires serious strength, flexibility, and cardio, but it is very effective in one-on-one combat, and it is also quite beneficial for health. Starting wrestling at a young age provides a great advantage, but those who start at an adult age can also reach a very good level. The aim in wrestling is to take down and overcome your opponent. For this, techniques like shoots, sweeps, and throws are used. It is a full-contact sport. It requires speed, explosive strength, flexibility, and conditioning. Prophet Muhammad (s.a.v.) also wrestled and was a very good wrestler. The intense pressure, physical load, and training difficulties involved in wrestling make it a very important sport for both physical and mental health. You can learn to manipulate an opponent in one-on-one combat, take them down, defend yourself, and neutralize the opponent on the ground. Someone who does regular wrestling training will be in a much fitter condition and still capable of wrestling to some extent even in their later years, insha'Allah.

2-Boxing

Boxing is the most fundamental striking sport. Boxing is a sport that people of all ages can learn. Moreover, it does not require high flexibility, strength, or size. One of the most common misconceptions about boxing is thinking it consists only of throwing punches with the arms. On the contrary, boxing uses the legs and torso much more than the arms. Many different skills and training are required in boxing, such as footwork to adjust distance from the opponent, find the right angle, attack and defend, rapid observation ability to escape punches and find the opponent's openings, the kinetic chain formed using the whole body to perform the punch in the fastest, strongest, and most accurate way, breath management and cardio to avoid getting tired during defense and offense. However, once learned, boxing is a sport that can be applied in any situation, on any surface, at any time, in any clothes, at any age, is easy to learn, and is very effective. Moreover, a person can research and learn the basic techniques, stances, footwork, punches, and slips in boxing at home by themselves and practice. Boxing is done not only as a martial art but also as fitness because it is quite suitable for burning fat and getting in shape due to requiring high effort and conditioning. Also, boxing shares much more similarities than expected with martial arts, struggle, and life. The simplest two things you can learn from boxing and apply to your life: 1-Take a breath. 2-Don't panic/Stay calm.

3-BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu)

In third place, we have another grappling sport. BJJ originally comes from Japanese Jiu-Jitsu. This art was originally the samurai's martial art. It was created to be used against armored or unarmored enemies. However, over time, parts of this art branched out and took different names. Aikido, Judo, and BJJ actually constitute different parts of the same art. As for BJJ, it focuses on the ground grappling and joint locks of Japanese Jiu-Jitsu. Unlike wrestling, it focuses more on ground fighting rather than takedowns and throws. And again, unlike wrestling, the opponent is tried to be submitted via joint locks or choking methods. With BJJ, the ground grappling and locking aspects where Wrestling is deficient can be completed.

4-Muay Thai

This savage sport, also known as the art of eight limbs, is a very effective striking sport. In this sport, besides punches and kicks, knees, elbows, sweeps, and clinches are also used. Thus, a versatile fight is conducted at all ranges. It is a very tough sport. It is a Thai martial art whose roots date back to the Muay Boran art. This extremely tough and effective sport is also the reason for the emergence of Kickboxing. It emerged because karate masters from Japan participated in Muay Thai (also called Thai Boxing) competitions in Thailand, suffered heavy defeats, and then wanted to produce a sport that could compete with Muay Thai. However, due to its lack of techniques and rule restrictions, it is not at the same level as Muay Thai. Despite all this, the only reason Kickboxing is so popular is because it was well-marketed.

5-Judo

Starting on the feet similar to wrestling, Judo, unlike wrestling, also includes locks, making it a very functional and nice branch. Additionally, it contains much more diverse techniques on the feet and on the ground compared to wrestling.

6-Taekwondo

Taekwondo was originally a martial art developed for the South Korean army, but the version most commonly taught is the Olympic version of Taekwondo. This version focuses almost solely on kicks. Taekwondo is a sport that contains a wide variety of kicks and requires flexibility. It is a very good sport for learning how to kick and is relatively light compared to the other sports we mentioned.

These branches we have listed in order are the most fundamental, most widespread, easiest to learn, and most functional martial arts. MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), which is not on the list and is very popular today, is not actually a martial art in itself. It arises from combining different martial arts in different ways. Generally, every MMA school combines different branches, and due to the nature of MMA, focusing on more than one sport provides versatility but does not allow for full specialization in any of them. On the contrary, most MMA fighters have individually trained in one or more martial arts in their background and later combined them. This method has been proven by professional fighters to be the most correct in terms of expertise and versatility. Therefore, taking separate training in the sports mentioned above, in order, will yield better results. However, for self-defense today, we strongly recommend that everyone learn at least boxing, considering its adaptability to today's conditions, applicability in all conditions and ages, and suitability for one-on-one and multiple-opponent combat. Additionally, women learning BJJ can also make it easier for them to defend themselves.

BONUS: Parkour

Parkour, while not a martial art, is a very entertaining and different sport. It can generally be defined as getting from point A to point B by going over, under, and around obstacles using various techniques.

BONUS: Fencing

Fencing is actually a sword fighting style, but due to requiring very fast footwork and reflexes, it is capable of supporting your other fighting styles. It can especially contribute to those involved in striking sports.

BONUS: Capoeira

A Brazilian-origin sport with African roots. Originally practiced by Brazilian slaves, this sport requires serious flexibility and practice with its unconventional stances and striking styles. However, its application is very different, entertaining, and free. It can provide its practitioners with very different perspectives.

There are many more martial arts not mentioned here. Many sports can be listed, such as Kung Fu, Wing Chun, Kali, Eskrima, Sambo, Savate, Karate, Greco-Roman Wrestling, Kyokushin Karate, Krav Maga, Systema, Aikido. However, we did not feel the need to mention the majority of them because they are dysfunctional today, require many years of practice, it is hard to find a real instructor, they are far from reality, or they are not practical enough. The sports we have mentioned are those that have proven their reality and functionality for centuries, for which it is easy to find an instructor, and the learning and application time is much shorter.

Since we have examined the types of martial arts in detail, there is one last topic we need to go over before moving on to how we should exercise, and that is the limits of the human body.

What Are The Limits of The Human Body?

The limits of the human body are much wider than we think. Moreover, it has an incredible adaptation ability. We cannot thank our Lord enough for this magnificent system and blessing. You may have heard the saying "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." There may be those who disagree with this saying, but if they think a little, they too will realize that it is quite true. Humans are quite durable both physically and mentally. The limits are not in our bodies but in our heads. For example, people in survival situations managing to survive by doing incredible things that no one would normally do can be an example of this. To give concrete examples, Aron Ralston, who got his arm stuck under a rock in a canyon, waited 5 days without food or water to be rescued, then amputated his own trapped arm with his limited means and survived; Sully Sullenberger, who successfully landed a plane that lost both engines on a river, saving 155 people; Yuichiro Miura, who climbed Mount Everest, the highest peak above sea level, at the age of 80; Corporal Seyit, who carried three 276 kg shells alone during the Gallipoli Campaign; Philippe Petit, who walked on a steel wire stretched between two towers approximately 400 meters high; people who lift ton-heavy vehicles alone to rescue people trapped under them; people who live for days without food or water in survival situations—all demonstrate that we draw our own limits and can surpass these limits when necessary.

So how did these people surpass their limits? First of all, it is worth noting that most living beings enter a "Fight or Flight" mode when they feel threatened. That is, to escape the danger, they are torn between dropping everything and running, or fighting with their entire being. And we actually encounter this situation much more often than we think, even in our daily lives. For example, if a timid cat you see for the first time does not run away when you want to pet it, but also does not attack, it means it has not yet made a decision. But as you continue to corner it, the threat you pose increases, forcing it to make a decision. In this case, if it has the opportunity to escape and is a very timid cat, it may choose to run away. However, if you have cornered it too much and it sees no escape route, it may attack you with all its might as the only option. You can see this situation when street dogs come at you. Generally, instead of attacking directly, they bark from a certain distance and test you. If you get scared and show a running movement, this encourages them. But if instead of running and fearing, you stay calm and maintain your distance, they get uneasy. Even if you advance towards them, they might feel threatened and enter the "Fight or Flight" mode. Therefore, in such situations, it is necessary not to force the threatening entity to make a decision and to exhibit calming behaviors. Especially if the threatening entity feels completely cornered with no escape route, it will have no choice but to attack with all its might, fighting to the end. Similarly, if the threatening entity is certain it cannot defeat the other party and will suffer serious harm, and sees at least one escape route, it will most likely choose to flee. This situation applies not only to individual cases but also to armies, communities, and even animals.

In survival situations, the brain usually removes all limits smaller than the fear factor in front of you. This makes you do things outside the limits you normally live within. But remember, fear can only remove limits equal to or smaller than itself. For example, under normal conditions, nobody drinks muddy water. This disgust limit exists in most people. However, when forced to drink to avoid dying of thirst, the fear factor created outweighs this disgust limit, so this limit suddenly disappears. Similarly, someone afraid of flying can board a plane for an important task. Because the goal they want to achieve is more valuable, it surpasses the limits of their fear, and they suppress the fear with their willpower. Likewise, throughout history and today, many Muslims, even if threatened with death or subjected to torture, do not transgress the limits set by Allah. Because the love, respect, and fear they feel for Allah (c.c.) eliminates the fear of death. This proves that fear can only remove limits equal to or smaller than itself, cannot remove larger values and limits, and that fear can be managed by willpower. Even if the danger is real, fear is a product of our mind. For instance, going up 20 meters and going up 200 meters have almost the same danger level, but the fear they produce is different.

The human body is actually a very durable and sturdy structure. Additionally, it has magnificent abilities for harmony, adaptation, and development. It can lift more weight than you think, jump farther, run faster, respond with much quicker reflexes, take much more impact, and tolerate much more heat and cold. Similarly, human psychology can overcome much greater pains, devastations, losses, and depressions than you might think. The real limit here is in our minds. But generally, just as these limits did not form in a day, they do not break down in a day either. But step by step, gradually, it is possible to get rid of these limits and fears. Actually, many things are less about talent and more about the limits in the mind. Because Almighty Allah has created us in such a way that almost everyone who works can achieve almost anything, with Allah's permission. This is actually a great blessing from our Lord. Nothing is impossible, just a little difficult. The path to development is through challenging. In many cases, what limits us is not just our body, but the fears, habits, and limits we set for ourselves created by our mind.

How Should We Exercise?

So far, we have examined various topics about sports. Now we will examine how we should exercise, insha'Allah.

1-No Sports Without Warm-Up, Stretching, and Flexibility Exercises

Warm-up and stretching exercises are among the indispensable must-dos of sports and when starting the day. Especially warm-up exercises are a very important group of exercises that people of all ages should do when starting the day; they activate various parts of the body, prepare them for the day, reduce the risk of injury, and facilitate movement. Additionally, with stretching and flexibility exercises, general body mobility and flexibility can be increased, supporting joint, muscle, and nerve structure in the long term and significantly increasing the range of motion and comfort of movement. If warm-up and stretching exercises are not done, difficulty in movement, limited range of motion, and serious injuries even from small movements are possible.

2-Always Maintain Correct Form

To benefit from sports, it is necessary to focus on the form of the movements, not the amount. Benefit from a movement can only be obtained if performed with the correct form and technique. Similarly, if a movement is applied with incorrect form and technique, it will not benefit but rather cause harm. Therefore, maintaining correct form should always be prioritized over the number of repetitions.

3-Few Movements, Maximum Gain

The Pareto Principle applies to many areas of life. Essentially, it states that 80% of the results come from 20% of the effort. For example, when learning a language, a skill, or a subject, the core 20% of the material provides about 80% of the knowledge you need. In other words, mastering the fundamentals is the foundation of progress. Likewise, the remaining 80% of the work—the details—contributes only about 20% to the final outcome. Therefore, without a solid foundation, even if the details are executed well, the overall result will not be efficient. This concept can also be viewed from the perspective of simplicity. For instance, when creating a workout program, you should first choose a small number of fundamental exercises that will provide 80% of the results, and then add the remaining details according to your specific needs. There are many different paths that can be taken to achieve the desired result when exercising. At the same time, since the human body has many different muscle groups and is equipped with a very wide range of motion, the number of exercises that can be done is abundant. However, this does not mean that all these movements must be done. On the contrary, doing a wide variety of movements with few repetitions does not train the muscles; it leads to confusion. Instead, exercising with a small number of fundamental and comprehensive movements increases applicability and ensures real efficiency is obtained from the workout.

4-Rest Is Essential For Development

The human body is not a machine; it needs rest and repair. Therefore, constantly tiring and wearing down the body with sports without allocating time for rest can lead to serious injuries, muscle loss, and joint problems. It is necessary to rest proportionally to the difficulty and intensity of the exercise so that the damage in the body can be repaired and the body can learn these movements and adapt itself.

5-Consistency Is Key

Doing something intensely once a week is not as efficient or disciplined as doing it at a low intensity every day. Everyone starts sports with enthusiasm, but most people cannot maintain the same consistency. Therefore, instead of getting overly excited and wrecking the body in one day, a person should observe their own situation, make a plan according to their goals, and strictly adhere to this plan. In this way, the body is not worn down by sudden fatigue, and the desired goal can be achieved as a result of consistent and disciplined movements. In Islam, the continuous deed, even if small, is encouraged over the intense but sporadic ones.

6-Pyramid Method

Something that is not challenged to its limit cannot show development. However, challenging too far beyond the limit can also cause damage. Therefore, as in everything, moderation is important here. In sports movements, it is important to repeat a movement until you can no longer perform it, but constantly pushing in this way can lead to fatigue, cause incorrect form, and consequently result in injury. Therefore, two methods are generally recommended. The first is not to push to the absolute limit in every set, but only in the last set. For example, if you can do a maximum of 5 push-ups at once and will do a total of 15 push-ups, doing 3 sets of 5 push-ups might push you too hard, causing you to use incorrect form and naturally not show adequate development, and even lead to injury. Instead, doing 4 sets of 4 reps each would be much more efficient. The second method is the one called the "Pyramid Method." In this method, you perform a movement first at maximum repetitions, then decrease the number of repetitions each set. For instance, if you can do a maximum of 5 push-ups at once, working with pyramid-style sets like 5 push-ups, 4 push-ups, 3 push-ups, 2 push-ups, and 1 push-up will yield very efficient results, especially in terms of strength gain, by exerting maximum effort without overly straining the muscles, by Allah's leave.

7-Step-by-Step Development

Most of us want to reach our dreams and goals instantly, but in the real world, it doesn't exactly work that way. To achieve our goals, we need to break the process down into small steps and progress steadily, step by step. Similarly, in sports, we need to progress towards our desired goal step by step. For example, if you can do 5 push-ups very comfortably, struggle with 10, and your goal is 50 push-ups at once, what you need to do is set small goals for yourself and progress as you develop. In this case, you should first aim to do 10 push-ups at once until it becomes easy; after this becomes easy, you should do 15 push-ups each set until you can comfortably do 15 push-ups at once, and continue progressing in this way, basing your development on your main goal until you reach it.

8-Breathing and Posture Exercises

In modern society, most people live much more sedentary and sitting lives compared to old societies. This can lead to posture and breathing disorders and may cause more serious problems later on. Therefore, it is very important to learn to breathe correctly using the diaphragm and to have correct posture, and if necessary, to do various exercises for this.

9-Versatile Training

When starting sports, people usually focus on a single goal, such as getting fit, burning fat, gaining muscle, gaining strength, or developing conditioning. However, one-sided training, just like one-sided nutrition, is not sufficient. Because humans live a very dynamic life and need many different physical skills. There are many requirements, such as maximum strength to lift something heavy, conditioning to do physical work for long periods, a flexible, fit body with an appropriate fat ratio for general health. Therefore, when exercising, focusing not just on conditioning or just fat burning, but applying a general-purpose sports program tailored to the individual's needs—covering various aspects like conditioning, strength, speed, flexibility, endurance, explosive power, and reflexes—will be much more beneficial in terms of health, daily life, and personal goals.

10-Proper Nutrition

Since the body gets tired and is damaged in a controlled manner during exercise, it needs repair. Proper nutrition is essential to provide the necessary nutrients for this repair. Just as there is no one-sided sport, there should be no one-sided nutrition. Exercising does not mean only a need for protein arises. Various minerals, vitamins, calcium, and other nutrients like carbohydrates must also be taken in a balanced way. Otherwise, protein alone will not provide the expected benefit; on the contrary, it may lead to various harms due to one-sided nutrition.

11-The Body Pyramid of Priority

Every muscle, organ, and tissue in the human body undoubtedly has its own function and wisdom. However, some are unquestionably more important than others. For example, a person can live with only one kidney, but cannot live without a brain. Likewise, muscles also have their own order of importance and training priority. In general, people focus most on training their upper body, arms, abdominal muscles, and finally their lower body. This is because the areas where muscle gains are most visibly noticeable are, naturally, the arms first, then the chest, and finally the abdominal region. However, this is not how the body actually functions. On the contrary, muscles have a pyramid-like hierarchy of importance from the bottom upward. In other words, the correct order is the lower body first, then the abdominal and lower back region (the core muscles), followed by the upper body. Even within the upper body, the priority is not the arms or chest, but the back muscles. In other words, the order of functional importance is actually the complete opposite of cosmetic importance. The reason for this hierarchy is that the legs come first because we depend on them even for our most basic needs. Every movement begins from the ground. Whether it is running, lifting weights, throwing a punch, or simply walking, all movements begin with the legs. Furthermore, since the legs constantly support our body weight, they are naturally much stronger than muscles such as the arms. For these reasons, the greatest emphasis should be placed on the lower body muscles. Next come the muscles of the lower back and abdominal region, through which virtually every movement passes after originating from the legs. It is no coincidence that these muscles are called the core muscles. As the connection point between the upper and lower body, these muscles provide stability and body control during every type of movement, making them the second most important muscle group to train after the lower body. The upper body muscles generally perform relatively lighter and less demanding tasks compared to the other two muscle groups. However, even within the upper body, priority should be given to the back muscles, because many upper-body movements rely on various back and shoulder muscles that often work without us even being aware of them.

Yes, we have now acquired the basic information we need about sports, we can move on to examining the building blocks of the ideal sports program.

What Are The Building Blocks of The Ideal Sports Program?

Our aim in presenting the ideal sports program to you was to create a program that people of all ages and conditions can easily apply, stay healthy and fit, and even gain and develop various skills and abilities. The items below are suitable for application by every person and under all conditions, and are sections that must be present in every sports program; individuals can make additions to this program according to their own situation and needs.

1-Morning Exercise

The morning time, the beginning of the day and movement, is a very suitable time for exercising. Especially the early hours of the morning are very convenient times for light exercise, running, walking, and cycling. The most suitable times for morning exercise are generally between the Fajr (Dawn) Prayer and the time of Zawal (when the sun reaches its zenith). These hours are very blessed, quiet, cool, and relaxing. Morning exercise should of course begin with warm-up and stretching movements, preparing the body for the day and activity. Additionally, regulating the breath with breathing exercises will contribute to performance during the day. Then, choosing a conditioning-focused exercise suitable for doing outdoors that accelerates heart rate, such as walking, running, jumping rope, or cycling, according to the person's situation and needs, will shake off the morning drowsiness, accelerate brain activities and clear the mind with the increased heart rate and fresh oxygen carried, calm the mind with the peaceful morning environment and refresh self-confidence, and prepare the person for the day's challenges with intense exercise. Those who wish can gain additional benefits by adding isometric exercises between the warm-up-stretching block and the running-walking block.

2-Basic Calisthenics

Since the human body moves as a whole, it is best to train the muscles to work as a whole. The simplest, most accessible, and applicable way for everyone is, of course, basic calisthenics movements. A full-body workout can approximately be done with 4 simple movements: working the legs with the squat movement, the lower back and abdominal muscles (core muscles) with the sit-up movement, the chest and arms with the push-up movement, and the back muscles with the pull-up movement. However, not everyone may have the time to do these movements in sufficient quantities. Therefore, dividing the movements throughout the day will facilitate doing them, energize the day, and increase efficiency. For example, even if someone who wants to do 50 squats, 50 sit-ups, 50 push-ups, and 25 pull-ups a day cannot find the time or strength to do them all at once, they can apply these movements at each prayer time as 10 squats, 10 sit-ups, 10 push-ups, 5 pull-ups. Thus, they can easily perform the amount of exercise they normally couldn't find the time and energy to do at once by spreading it throughout the day.

3-Martial Arts

Practicing martial arts is very important and beneficial for a person to acquire new skills and learn self-defense. For example, a person with limited time and means can even practice the basics of a sport like Boxing, which can be learned and practiced alone, for 1 hour at least on weekends after the Asr (Afternoon) Prayer. This way, they diversify their sports program with different types of exercise.

BONUS: Heavy Exercise and Weights

Individuals determined to push their physical limits and finding the above program too simple can work on basic weight training and more varied exercise movements after the Asr Prayer, according to their needs and conditions. For instance, they can do bench press, squat, deadlift, barbell row, and kettlebell exercises as weight training. As varied exercises, they can apply dips, burpees, and reflex drills.

As we come to the end of our post, we apologize for it being quite a long post. However, because it is a very important topic, there is a lot of misinformation about it, and many points needed to be discussed, it unintentionally became a long post. You now know in detail why one should exercise, the misinformation about sports, the most beneficial types of exercise, various martial arts, and how to exercise. Let's conclude by summarizing the topic one last time as quick facts, insha'Allah.

Summary

Properly done sports have many physical and mental benefits. For good exercise, there are many points to consider, such as correct movements, proper form, a versatile program, and adequate nutrition. Below are the conclusions reached as a result of religious and scientific research for the questions: What are the most beneficial sports and most effective martial arts, how should one exercise, and what are the essential components of an ideal sports program:

The Most Beneficial Types of Sports:

• -Breathing Exercises
• -Fitness
• -Cardio
• -Pilates:
• -Crossfit
• -Calisthenics
• -Martial Arts:
• -Warm-up, Stretching
• -Running/Walking/Jumping Rope
• -Swimming
• -Marksmanship/Archery
• -Horse Riding
• -Powerlifting

The Most Functional Martial Arts:

• -Wrestling
• -Boxing
• -BJJ
• -Muay Thai
• -Judo
• -Taekwondo

How To Exercise:

• -Warm-up, Stretching and Flexibility exercises must be done
• -Always apply correct form and technique
• -Use few and broad-impact movements
• -Rest adequately
• -Exercise consistently
• -Perform movements in a pyramid fashion
• -Observe development and increase difficulty step by step
• -If needed, do breathing and posture exercises
• -Apply a versatile sports program
• -Eat a balanced and versatile diet

Essential Components of The Ideal Sports Program:

• -After Fajr (Dawn) Prayer:
  • -Warm-up, Stretching
  • -Breathing Exercises
  • -Walking/Running/Jumping Rope/Cycling
• -After Every Prayer
  • -10 Push-ups
  • -10 Sit-ups
  • -10 Squats
  • -5 Pull-ups
• -After Asr (Afternoon) Prayer:
  • -45 minutes of Boxing

If we have been correct, it is only from Allah. If we have erred, it is only from ourselves. Insha'Allah, it has been beneficial.
May it be a means for good. Awaiting your prayers for goodness.
As-salamu alaykum.