Healthy Living Exercise,
a way to care for your temple

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice-the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” - Romans 12:1 NLT

When Paul penned this verse he was talking about living a life committed to God, but I believe a lack of healthy exercise limits our opportunities to serve God. Think about what it means to truly present yourself to God as a living sacrifice. A sacrifice is defined as something offered in worship, but in order for it to be a sacrifice it has to be something of value.

Look at it this way, if I ate most of my meal and then offered you what was left over on my plate after I was full would you consider that a sacrifice? Of course not, that would be called leftovers. In order for my offering to be considered a sacrifice, I would have had to allow you to take all you wanted first or at least given up some of what I wanted.

Similarly, we must take care of our bodies that not only house God’s Spirit, but that we also offer back to Him in service. God has done (and continues to do) so many great things for us that we should want to offer Him our best sacrifice. Put some effort into taking care of your temple so that you can do more for God.

“…for I will not present burnt offerings to the LORD my God that have cost me nothing…” - 2 Samuel 24:24 NLT

Of course I am no fitness expert, but most seem to agree that the best way to take care of body is to eat right and exercise. You can review my quick and easy healthy eating tips here.

Much like healthy eating, exercise is important because it strengthens your body. The key to exercising for healthy living (in my opinion) is to becoming more active. Healthy living exercise does not have to be a drain. In fact, it can be fun. I like taking brisk walks in the park and enjoying nature. Also note, walking has been identified as one of the best forms of exercise.

I’ve found that exercising gives me energy and it is a great way to relive stress. So, in addition to walking, I also enjoy taking workout classes rather than just going to the gym. Working out to high energy music works for me. The FIRM, an effective and fun exercise, is a great at-home workout series. It includes a variety of intensity levels and resistance to help keep the workout exciting throughout.

I once took a Yeshua Aerobics class and though the high energy class took a lot out of me, the inspirational music and chants almost takes your mind off your aching muscles. Yeshua means Jesus in Greek and it is basically an aerobics class set to gospel music.

However, Christian music is not required to ensure a good workout. I absolutely loved my Taebo class and boy was it a workout! I also took a Zumba class, which is an aerobics class with Latin music. So if you’re noticing the trend, I love listening to high energy music when working out.

I recently tried a boot camp class, albeit briefly. I’m not sure if it was the early mornings or the lack of high energy music, but whatever the cause I quickly learned it was not for me. :) However, you may want to give it a try because many people seem to enjoy it (or at least my 6am class was packed).



Not long ago, I read a Newsweek article that featured a new fitness class called Gospelcize, so you may want to check out one of those classes in your area as well.  I've tried a lot of different things, like Taebo, yoga and kickboxing to name a few. But it really doesn’t matter what you do, the key is just to be active doing some type of physical activity consistently.

Also consider other fun ways to get exercise and give back to important causes such as the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Race for the Cure or the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. These run/walk events raise money to help find a cure for certain diseases and provide a pretty good workout.

When looking for healthy living exercise options, don’t overlook your job. Many employers will sponsor employees participating in local events like those mentioned above or offer gym membership discounts if a facility is not available onsite. It’s to their benefit to help their employees stay healthy in order to minimize skyrocketing health insurance costs, so there’s a good chance you will find some type of incentive at work…take advantage of it.

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As I mentioned, I am not a fitness expert, so be sure to consult your doctor before engaging in any new healthy living exercise regime.

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