Walking long distances requires a significant amount of physical, health-related, psychological, and even skill-based effort, which necessitates completing this task fully and achieving the intended goal. This demands special preparation and functional body systems capable of enduring the burdens and stresses of the physical exertion involved.

It was observed that no previous study has followed up on the variables affected by such intense physical effort, which also involve functional parameters influenced by people of different ages and both genders undertaking these extremely long distances—distances that these individuals are not accustomed to—while accomplishing their task and achieving their goal despite all physical, nervous, and psychological difficulties encountered along the way.

The aim of the research is to identify the effect of walking during the Arbaeen pilgrimage on certain circulatory and respiratory system variables, including high and low blood pressure, blood sugar, lung capacity, blood lactate levels, heart rate, oxygen saturation, as well as body surface area, body mass, and metabolic rate, according to age groups for males and females and for distances less than and greater than 200 km. The study also aims to compare the effect of walking on these circulatory and respiratory system variables between genders and age groups across the two distance categories.

Research procedures: The researcher used the descriptive-analytical method with a survey approach.

Sample: The sample was randomly selected across different ages and both genders and divided into three age groups: adolescents, adults, and the elderly. The total number of individuals on whom the tests were conducted was 412, as detailed in the table.