Hamstring Flexibility and Dynamic Balance in Regular Versus Irregular Male Salah Performers: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Daily Islamic prayer (Salah) comprises a structured sequence of whole-body postural transitions that systematically engage the musculoskeletal and neuromuscular systems. Despite near-universal observance among practising Muslims worldwide, the extent to which habitual prayer performance influences objective measures of posterior chain flexibility and dynamic postural stability have not been rigorously established through standardised field assessment.

Objectives: To measure and compare hamstring flexibility and dynamic balance between adult male participants categorised as regular or irregular Salah performers, using clinically validated assessment instruments.

Methods: Thirty males (18-40 years) were enrolled in a comparative cross-sectional study and allocated to Group A (regular performers, n=15; ≥5 daily prayers for ≥1 year) or Group B (irregular performers, n=15; <3 prayers daily). Hamstring flexibility was quantified using the V-Sit and Reach Test (cm). Dynamic balance was assessed via the Y-Balance Test (YBT), with reach distances normalised to lower limb length and aggregated as a composite percentage. Between-group differences were evaluated by independent-samples t-test (α=0.05), with effect magnitude expressed as Cohen’s d.

Results: Regular Salah performers achieved substantially higher V-Sit and Reach scores (32.4±3.1 cm vs. 24.7±3.8 cm; p<0.001; d=2.23) and YBT composite scores (89.6±4.2% vs. 79.3±5.1%; p<0.001; d=2.24) than their irregular counterparts. All three directional YBT reach distances were likewise significantly greater in Group A (p<0.001), with large effect sizes across each comparison.

Conclusion: Habitual Salah practice is independently associated with superior hamstring flexibility and dynamic balance in adult males. The observed differences are large in magnitude and clinically meaningful, supporting consideration of Salah-based movement as a culturally congruent, cost-free physical activity with demonstrable musculoskeletal health implications for Muslim populations.

Keywords: Salah; Islamic Prayer; Hamstring Flexibility; Dynamic Balance; V-Sit and Reach Test; Y-Balance Test; Neuromuscular Adaptation; Musculoskeletal Health

Citation

Raffiq Ali S, Muthukrishnan P. Hamstring Flexibility and Dynamic Balance in Regular Versus Irregular Male Salah Performers: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study. WebLog J Phys Ther Rehabil. wjptr.2026.h1005. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21987714