" Sun's Out? Get Out."

“Suns Out? Get Out.”

Staying Active During the Summer Break

With the summer break slowly approaching, it can be exciting to begin to plan your summer activities. While hobbies like video games, drawing, model-building, writing, watching movies, and reading are all fun, they don’t require a lot of movement. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing since they work the mind and can be relaxing, but you must remember that too much sitting can be harmful for your body and mind. You should try to stay active during the break to keep your body healthy.

Your bodies and mind are growing, so whatever habits you develop now may affect your life in the future. People who are always sitting and slouching can develop bad posture. Sitting is bad for your lower back and your hips because it causes them to tighten up and that makes them easily injured by seemingly simple activities.

Another effect of being a ‘couch potato’ is that your internal organs don’t get any sort of cleansing either. Staying active works your heart and your lungs, keeping them strong and ensuring they continue to do their jobs. Sweating also helps release some of the bad chemicals that have begun to pile up from all the summer snacks, like popsicles. In a hadith narrated by Ar-Rafi’i, “The Messenger of God (PBUH) said, ‘Stay clean as best you can, for God established Islam upon cleanliness.” While this hadith technically talks about outer purity, it can’t hurt to clean out your insides by staying active for the sake of God, either!

Staying active also works your body and makes you tired. There are two effects of sitting around all day. One, you can feel tired all the time because your body thinks it doesn’t need to use as much energy anymore. Two, you may feel restless because your body has energy that needs to be used. Physical activity helps maintain a balance by demanding energy from your body and using up any extra. That way, you’ll be able to focus better on more mindful tasks, and the activity tires your body out enough so that you’re able to get a full night's rest. In a hadith narrated by Ad-Daylami, “The Messenger of God (PBUH) said, ‘God loves to see His servant exhausted after an honest day’s work.’” In this case, an honest day’s play.

The Prophet (PBUH) also encouraged a healthy lifestyle. He was a very active man. He could swim, ride horses, shoot arrows, and wrestle men almost twice his size! If you stay active for the sake of Allah, or to follow the sunnah, then any of your outdoor play can be considered worship!

Now, how best to stay active? Well, it can be anything really. Intense sports like basketball, volleyball, and hockey are great because they help improve your hand-eye coordination and your stamina. They are also team sports, so by participating in them, you can meet new people. Less intense activities like yoga, hiking, or walking are good for the mind as you get to experience nature, help limber your joints, and similarly improve your stamina. Make sure that whatever activity you choose is safe and, most importantly, fun! There’s no point spending your free time doing things that aren’t fun to you.

So, this summer, no matter what you choose to do, be sure to get outside, soak in some sun rays, stay active, and have fun! For some last words of encouragement, let me share my family’s saying that got my siblings and I out the door: “if the sun’s out, get out.”