The Bible makes it clear that we are to take care of our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Ephesians 5:29 also tells us, “After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it…” Are you taking care of your body? Do you see it as the temple that it truly is?
If you’re not performing regular physical activity, then you are not taking care of your body. You may not have understood it from this perspective, but lack of physical activity is as dangerous to our health as smoking!
Absence of any kind of fitness training is one of the risk factors for many lifestyle diseases.
Most of us know that we should exercise, but where do we find the time? Or more to the point, how do we make the time? For many of us, the thought of carving more time out of our already hectic schedules to exercise is a bit too much to ask-especially since we’re already too sleep-deprived to wake up earlier and too exhausted to think about “fitness” at the end of the day.
If you can’t seem to find time to exercise, try some of these tips:
* While talking on the phone, stand up instead of sitting, balance on one leg, go for a walk (perfect with a cell phone), do lunges, squats or stretches.
* Spice up your bathroom routine — while brushing your teeth, balance on one leg, do isometric abdominal exercises by sucking your abs in towards your spine, stretch or do wall squats.
* Hate waiting in line? Make it into time well-spent as you do an invisible butt squeeze to tighten the largest muscle group in your body – your glutes. Repeat squeezing your cheeks together, hold for two seconds and then release – and do this 15-20 times per day. Also use this time to practice holding your stomach in and holding your shoulders back to improve your posture.
* Not a fan of housework? Look at it as an opportunity to improve your health. Turn vacuuming into lunges, window cleaning into an arm workout, and imagine the possibilities you can create with a broom!
* Instead of trying to carry all of your groceries, files, or garbage in one trip, take some extra time and make a few trips.
It’s the small things you do each day that will add up. See how many physical activities you can add into your daily routine, and you’ll find that “finding time” is easier than you thought.
