"Teach your children swimming, archery, and horse riding," the Prophet ﷺ commanded, recognizing these skills as essential for both physical fitness and practical utility. He didn't merely encourage these activities - he actively participated in them himself. The Prophet ﷺ was a skilled archer and would hold archery competitions among the companions. Once, he passed by a group of Banu Aslam practicing archery and said: "Shoot, and I am with the son of so-and-so." One group stopped shooting out of respect, not wanting to compete against the team the Prophet supported. When he asked why they stopped, they explained they couldn't shoot while he supported the other team. The Prophet responded wisely: "Shoot, and I am with all of you." This showed his encouragement of friendly competition while maintaining unity. He emphasized the spiritual dimension of archery, saying: "Everything with which a man amuses himself is vain except three (things): a man's shooting with his bow and arrow, his training of his horse, and playing with his wife. These are truth." He also said that "Strength is in archery" when asked about the Quranic verse "Prepare against them what force you can." Horse riding was another skill the Prophet ﷺ practiced regularly. He owned several horses and would race them, sometimes participating in the races himself. In one famous incident, he raced Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) on foot when they were traveling. The first time, she outran him. Later, after she had gained some weight, he beat her in a rematch, saying: "This makes up for that time!" This playful interaction shows the Prophet's human side and his encouragement of physical activity even for women. Swimming was also explicitly encouraged, though specific narrations about the Prophet swimming are limited. The comprehensive command to teach children these three skills shows their importance in Islamic education. These activities combined multiple benefits: physical fitness, practical skills for defense and travel, mental discipline, and social bonding through healthy competition. The Prophet also participated in wrestling. There's a famous narration about Rukanah, a strong man who wrestled with the Prophet ﷺ and lost. This physical strength was combined with gentleness - the Prophet's physical power never manifested as aggression but as capability tempered with mercy.