Physical activity associated with prayer regimes improves standing dynamic balance of healthy people. Author: Alabdulwahab SS, Kachanathu SJ, Oluseye K. Affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Health Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Conference/Journal: J Phys Ther Sci. Date published: 2013 Dec Other: Volume ID: 25 , Issue ID: 12 , Pages: 1565-8 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1589/jpts.25.1565 , Word Count: 158 Abstract [Purpose] Preparing for prayers, practicing religious meditation and performing prayers are believed to stimulate the visual, vestibular and somatosensory systems, which provide the sensory information that influences human balance. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the Islamic prayer regime on balance. [Subjects and Methods] Sixty healthy male subjects with a mean age of 31 ± 5 years and a mean body mass index of 27 ± 2 kg/cm(2) voluntarily participated in this study. The subjects were divided into two equal groups: one group of subjects who regularly practiced Islamic prayer, and another group of non-practicing subjects. The dynamic balance of individuals in both groups was measured using a Balance Master. [Results] Adult healthy subjects practicing Islamic prayer regimes exhibited statistically significantly better dynamic balance than the non-practicing healthy subjects. [Conclusions] The results of this study support the hypothesis that religious meditation and prayers benefit human physiological function, especially balance. KEYWORDS: Dynamic balance, Limits of stability, Meditation PMID: 24409021