Why Work Out your Body, your Joy, Freedom

Being healthy is a choice. Those friends and neighbors who have witnesses me walking early in the morning for many miles over many years will attest to our devotion to the cause. Many stop us on the road and declare, “You guys are crazy! Its raining!” Sometimes they point out that it is hot or cold or dangerous or hard. Yes, believe me, we know when it is raining, cold, hot, snowing, windy or humid. We are walking 6 miles in the Blue Ridge Mountains up and down steep inclines. We did not begin this fitness life style in the Blue Ridge.

I never considered myself an athlete. I was that kid that was picked last for dodge ball while sneezing and blowing my nose all the time. It wasn’t until I was twelve years old that my severe near sightedness was discovered. But my allergy problems continued well into my 30s. I saw a correlation between being fit and my health. During my twenties I tried many different fitness programs. At twenty-two a co-worker and I joined a gym. We had paid them in advance only to show up soon after joining to discover they gym was closed down. After that I used Jane Fonda videos and many other exercise videos over the years and it kept extreme obesity at bay. But I never really achieved feeling truly healthy.

Back then I wasn’t even sure if health should be a priority. As with many who grow up in any organized religion headed by men we were taught that women should put others before themselves. I am not disputing that this is a necessary part of being a wife, mother, neighbor and even a good employee. However somehow this care for others got translated into complete neglect for ourselves.

16 Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? 17 God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 NLT

Even though we have many priorities as modern American women, we were given this one body. This body houses the Spirit of God. Many of you take very good care of your church buildings and grounds. What if that is not even the point. We attended a church many years ago that often had fried chicken after church on Sunday. It was such a popular thing that a company started a chicken restaurant and called it Church’s Chicken. The entire congregation of that church was morbidly obese. Because the church served fried chicken on Sunday the people got the impression that their health did not matter to God. This could not be further from the truth. That same church often had healing services for those who were sick. Most of the sicknesses were cause by obesity, poor diet and little exercise. Imagine how much more we could all honor God if we all were healthy and feeling good.

How do we do this with all we have to do? The first step is to realize that your own health must be your number one priority in your life. There is a reason why they airlines insist that you put your oxygen max on before you put it on your child. With out your own oxygen you can not help anyone including your child. So, your number one priority must be your own health. Ultimately only you are responsible for your own body, not your parents, your husband, your children, your pastor, your boss or even God. He gave it to you and what ever it’s quirks and boy does my body have many it is mine to take care of.

1. Realize that your own health must be your #1 priority.
2. Take 100% responsibility for your own health.
3. Make a decision to lead a healthy life style.
4. Establish a realistic goal for fitness and nutrition.
5. Develop the habits needed to achieve your fitness goals including a nutrition plan, cardio exercise and strength training at least 5 days a week.
6. Maintain healthy life style choices once your goals have been realized in order to keep the goals.
7. Accept that your life has to change and you can never go back to the old way of living.

Yes, unforeseen things happen and only God knows the day of our death but most illnesses that Americans suffer today are all preventable through a life style adjustment. It has been proven time and time again that those who are healthy heal faster from accidents and weather all illnesses better than those who are obese, smoke, excessively drink or do drugs.

Now, don’t panic. This is not an unfun life of drudgery. It is a life of budgeting. Just like you have to budget your money. Your body works like that too. Imagine your body is a credit card. When ever you eat it is like buying something on a credit card. You eventually have to pay the card off. If you don ‘t your debt gets bigger than your paycheck can pay off. Our bodies naturally use of a certain amount of calories per day like a regular paycheck. If we want to eat more that those calories we must work overtime to pay for those additional food purchases. It is basic math.

I have heard people say that this doesn’t work. It works when you are completely honest with yourself. Don’t lie to yourself. If you lie to yourself you won’t respect yourself. If you don’t respect yourself then others won’t either. Give it an honest try and you will be pleasantly surprised. My blogs are geared toward women but the men in your life will greatly benefit as well.

What ever you do, please do not compare your progress with a man. It is horribly unfair but true that men’s bodies respond faster to changes than women’s do. Do not let this discourage you.

In this blog we are focusing on the strength training workout.

Next week I am turning 57 years old. I walk 6 miles a day 6 days a week at a brisk pace and I workout in my home gym 35 minutes a day 6 days a week power, strength, balance and flexibility training. Quarterly I change my music and my routine to keep it fun. Below I am sharing my current work out routine with you. I will go over the categories in a separate blog post.

This program is designed to be a circuit training to repeat three times. It times out well with my Beautiful Day play list in You Tube. I love this play list. I feel amazing when I am done!

Keep in mind that I am a 57 year old and not a professional trainer. This workout is geared toward being easy on the back and strengthens the back and entire body. Please have fun and if you are fit and used to working out this is a great routine. If you are just starting out. Please be careful not to injure yourself. I encourage you to find a personal trainer or join a gym where you can get training if you haven’t worked out before. Feel free to ask me questions if you can’t read my writing:)

Remember the most important thing is that you are doing this for yourself. Staying healthy for you is staying healthy for God and your family. Please put your oxygen mask on first! Have fun. Peace Joy and Freedom!