Your mission is to travel 40, 80, or 120 miles in the name of physical and spiritual wellness. You can take this trek on foot by running, jogging, or walking on the road, trail or, treadmill. You can do this at the gym or on the track. You can even race on a bike, outside or inside. You can even substitute your favorite exercise activity for miles (20 minutes of activity equals one mile). You get to complete your race at your own pace and time it yourself. Recruit your family and friends to encourage your efforts with prayer and possibly additional donations. What better way to keep you motivated to be active each day than knowing that you are doing good not only for your body and mental health but also for your community. Each participant gets the following items, each with the event logo: A printable race bib
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• I have not been able to teach my live Body & Soul classes, but I have been using On Demand with B&S. The first week is free! Use the code FP4H01, and First Place will receive support. • Dianna says she is doing one set of exercises as she cleans her house. As she is putting the pots and pans away in the bottom drawers of her kitchen, she does ten squats. • Leslie is doing ten lunges in the morning on her right leg as she brushes her teeth and the same for the left leg as she brushes her teeth again that night. • Debbie says she does her exercises every day at the same time. If you schedule it, it will get done! • Pam finds workouts on YouTube and actually does them instead of just watching – ha! • Joanne is breaking out her old
Read more →There are so many things about Jesus that I absolutely love! His steadfast love makes me strong, His new mercies every morning give me the chance to begin again, and His promise to be with me in all things brings me the power to conquer what I can’t defeat alone. As a fitness professional, I believe Jesus is the answer to living a healthy physical life. Strength training is a big part of that life. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults states, “Adults should do muscle-strengthening activities of moderate or greater intensity that involve all major muscle groups on two or more days a week.” If you haven’t begun strength training, then today is your day! Some easy tips to remember as you get started: Begin every exercise time with core exercises for stability. Work your bigger muscle groups first, then move onto smaller ones. Divide your routine into two days
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This workout is a total of 200 exercises that you can do in about ten minutes. 25 squats (keep the range of motion comfortable, avoid deep knee bends) 20 jumping jacks (full or half—using just arms, not jumping) 25 lunges (left leg back) 20 jumping jacks 25 lunges (right leg back) 20 jumping jacks 25 pushups (against a wall, on knees, or full) 20 jumping jacks 20 abdominal crunches This is a quick round of exercises you can fit anywhere in your day.
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As a man was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at any time, break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not. He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. “Well,” the trainer said, “when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and at that age it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.” The man was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds
Read more →How big is your purse? It seems that the fashion is to carry bigger and bigger purses. And I am guilty of following this fashion. Recently when buying a new purse for fall I had to make sure that I could fit in a water bottle (which I must have with me at all times), a reusable bag for groceries (so I can protect the environment), my energy bar for a healthy snack (so I am not lured in to any fast food restaurants) etc. etc.—and that doesn’t even include the necessities like my wallet and huge key chain. Are you laughing? Can you relate? So why am I talking about purses? Because, I am really talking about posture, strength, and avoiding injury and bad habits that will progress if we are not careful. Whether you are carrying a big purse, a small child, a suitcase, or groceries, remember the following:
Read more →In the beginning, GOD.” Before our “New Beginnings,” God is already there. A FP4H member once said, “That is the story of my life. No finishes, just beginning again and again.” I was about to get caught up in the moment of sadness when the Spirit of the Lord stopped me and allowed me to view all of the diets and exercise programs I had begun. I had so many new beginnings, I couldn’t count or remember them all. I could have viewed each “new beginning” as a failure, but realized that each one was actually a learning experience, a stepping-stone to where I am today. God has a purpose in placing us on the starting line. In each one of my new beginnings, God was already there. He has a purpose in placing us on the starting line of our beginnings. His purpose is that His children are successful in all that
Read more →Happy Valentine’s Day! This Valentine’s Day, what better gift can you give yourself than a healthy heart. You don’t need to go all out. If the thought of exercise makes you groan, there are lots of activities that will help your heart. The goal is to get your heart rate up 30 minutes a day, but you don’t have to do it all at once. Here are eight tips for becoming active and getting your heart into shape. Walk, Don’t Drive. Walk instead of jumping in the car. If you were to walk to the grocery store instead of making all of those trips for one or two items, you’d be well on your way to meeting your goal. If you live somewhere it’s not possible to drive, park as far away from the door as you can. Take the stairs. Don’t take the elevator or escalator. If you can’t
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There was a time I could not understand someone wanting to run a race and was determined not to, but the Lord had a different plan. I asked Joyce Ainsworth, author of Food, Freedom and Finish Lines, about racing. She encouraged me to start with a 5K. Thanksgiving seemed like a good day to burn off extra calories, so I entered a 5K Turkey Trot. I survived, I finished and I was thankful. The Lord sent another encourager, Sherry, who asked to arrive late to a training meeting, because she was competing in a triathlon. When she arrived at our meeting, we asked about the race. As she shared, I started thinking, “I swim. I bike. I run.” Sherry, a brand new friend, encouraged me, and something happened after I signed up for the Triathlon Sprint. I actually wanted to swim, bike and run. Not only that, but I looked forward to
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Of all God’s blessings in life, the gift of friendship, especially fitness buddies, should not be overlooked. During an eight-week study, research found that people who exercised with a partner did more exercise during the brief study. Other research has found that if you find a partner, you will stick with the exercise routine, even six months later. What if you could double your chances for fitness success, and exercise would be more enjoyable, fit into your schedule, and pull you through the fitness rut? Proverbs 18:24 states, “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Reliable friends can be the difference between your exercise habit success and failure. Over the years, I have not limited myself to one fitness partnership—walking and meetings with a colleague, running with a group, or taking a group exercise class. Here are
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