Physical fitness is vital to avoid discomfort and injury during prayer, doctors say.
Complaints from patients suffering knee and back pain during prayer are common and experts say most cases are related to poor fitness.
"This has nothing to do with prayer itself, but the lifestyle patients have outside prayer," said Dr Salman Hameed, a specialist orthopaedic surgeon at Medcare Orthopaedics and Spine Hospital.
"The problem is patients are not fit; they're overweight and don't exercise," he said. "Then when they're praying, much of their weight is placed on their knees and back. Like other physical activities, the body must be prepared."
This is especially true for individuals who choose to pray for long durations, Dr Hameed said. Patients who already suffer from orthopaedic problems, such as arthritis, could make their symptoms worse if they do not take the necessary precautions.
"Pressure is placed on joints where patients are already experiencing weakness. Without proper strengthening, they could injure themselves," Dr Hameed said.
Those who are planning to engage in long periods of prayer should prepare their bodies by performing age-appropriate exercises. For example those in their 20s and 30s can participate in sports like football and basketball. Those over 40 can engage in slightly less intensive sports, such as tennis or golf. And for those over 60, walking and cycling could be sufficient.
Those who are fit will reap the many benefits of prayer, Dr Hameed said.
"Prayer is a moderate workout that is not only spiritual but involves teamwork and engages the person emotionally," he said. "It's also a fantastic exercise because it involves every part of your body."
Precautions can also be taken during prayer to prevent injury, said Eman Al Janahi, a physiotherapist at Al Baraha Hospital in Dubai.
This includes choosing an appropriate surface to pray on that is not too hard, as well as maintaining a straight back while in the prayer position. The transition between positions is also important, Ms Al Janahi said.
"People are doing very swift, jerky movements because they are always in a rush, so they just drop themselves down to Sujood [prostration] on their knees, which will just create more pressure," she said.
"The right way to do this is to slowly and smoothly move from one position to the next and not to drop themselves abruptly."
If approached correctly, prayer can actually prevent joint problems.
"We've found that people who are praying have more range of motion when it comes to bending their knees than those who don't perform these positions," she said. "Even the hip joints remain well intact."
Safe and simple stretching exercises that take only a few minutes a day can ensure that people get the most from their praying experience. These include flexing the back and leg stretches.
"In this part of the world, there are a growing number of people who believe there's a connection between prayer and wellbeing. If you look at the prayer positions, many of them are similar to yoga, which promotes fitness and flexibility," Ms Al Janahi said. "But people need to be very calm in their movements. This way not only will they make the most of their prayer spiritually, but also physically."
