Effectiveness of Pre-Hajj Physical Prehabilitation in Improving Functional Capacity and Health Outcomes Among Pilgrims: A Systematic Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59890/ijnhs.v4i4.10Keywords:
Hajj, Prehabilitation, Physical Exercise, Functional Capacity, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Health Outcomes, PilgrimsAbstract
This systematic review evaluated the effectiveness of pre-Hajj physical prehabilitation in improving functional capacity and health outcomes among adult pilgrims. The review followed PRISMA 2020 and included studies published between 2020 and 2026 identified through Scopus, PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase, and supplementary searches. Eligible interventions included structured aerobic, walking, resistance, strengthening, flexibility, balance, circuit, endurance, and multimodal exercise programmes. Functional outcomes included the six-minute walk test, cardiorespiratory fitness, gait speed, strength, endurance, flexibility, balance, and mobility, while clinical outcomes included musculoskeletal complaints, fatigue, heat-related illness, healthcare utilization, hospitalization, and Hajj-related morbidity. The findings indicate that pre-Hajj physical prehabilitation provides more consistent benefits for proximal functional outcomes than for downstream clinical outcomes. Aerobic walking, lower-extremity strengthening, isotonic exercise, and multimodal conditioning improved cardiorespiratory fitness, flexibility, walking capacity, and selected lower-extremity functions. However, these improvements did not consistently reduce morbidity, post-Hajj illness, or healthcare utilization. Functional capacity therefore appears useful as a marker of physical readiness and clinical vulnerability, but not as a direct surrogate for broader health protection. The novelty of this review lies in distinguishing functional efficacy from clinical effectiveness and reframing pre-Hajj exercise as a risk-stratified prehabilitation strategy
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