Confessions of a Peace Lover...

Here we are, three weeks in to the new year, I trust you've gotten the year off to a good start - taking care of yourself physically, emotionally, and spiritually - exercising, eating right, taking time to be in God's word, talking with Him, learning from Him, and meeting in accountability with your accountability partner(s) so that life won't get in the way of healthy growth! Unhealthy "growth" often happens when we don't exercise, when we fail to eat right, and when we can't find time to be in God's word or in relationship with Him and His people!

Part of living life to the full is conscientiously taking care of the big three health issues in our lives, (think of a 3 legged stool, if one leg breaks you end up on the floor!) that of physical, emotional, and spiritual health. In the book "Meet Me at the Well" author Virelle Kidder puts it this way, ".body, mind, and spirit are one complete package. When one part suffers, the whole person suffers."

With that in mind I've decided to take a closer look at each component of "The Big 3", beginning with physical health. Since I've previously written about my determination to exercise, as well as my lack of passion in doing it, I've decided to invite my friend Kim Mast-Wagler from Impulse Training in North Canton, Ohio, to offer her wisdom, insight and passion on the subject.

Kim writes:

One of the things I tell my clients is that you don't have to have ANY equipment at all to get a good workout in. The biggest key for a beginner is just getting started. (5-10 minutes for a week and keep raising that 5 minutes until you are where you want to be; 45-60 minutes 5 days per week is optimal) Also, pushups and squats are the BEST total body exercises that you can possibly do! During your favorite one hour show try to alternate 10 pushups (for upper body and core), 10 squats (for lower body), and 10-30 jumping jacks (for cardio), and grab water and rest during the commercials. You can raise these reps if they are too easy.

Walking/jogging has always been my go to method of exercising. It is a great way to clear your mind, give yourself the attention you need and help organize your thoughts for the day. Try starting slow with 10 minutes and increase it 1-2 minutes per day until you have reached 30-60 minutes. Also, grab an accountability buddy! Someone who you know will be there for you and will be happy for you as you reach your goals. (Just a little hint, spouses are generally terrible at this as are friends who are also trying to reach the same goals you are. This is not always the case but if you are trying to lose weight and your accountability buddy is also it can be frustrating to one if the other is successful and the other is not.) My friend often encourages me to continue to be faithful with my devotions while I encourage her in her weight loss. It works great because we never get jealous of each other and are genuinely thrilled when one reaches a hard earned goal!

My perfect morning would be to get up around 5:30 am, grab a handful of trail mix, take a light jog (30 min-45 min.), shower and sit down with a delicious egg sandwich and a coffee and read my devos and spend some time with The Man who understands me and loves me more than anyone! (Also, give my husband a kiss as he runs off to work ;) Then have my son run out and say, "Mommy, I waked up!" and get to spend an hour or so getting him ready for the day. We are so blessed and yet so many of us don't realize it because we don't take care of ourselves and we get overwhelmed to the point that life looks bleak instead of us being able to recognize the goodness the God has placed all around us.

I would encourage everyone to take those 10-15 minutes each day to spend exercising - and do it for yourself! Your renewed spirit and confident attitude will shine through and make everything feel less stressful.

So there you have it, a beginner's guide to starting on the road to being physically healthy. If you have more questions for Kim you can email her at impulsetrainers@yahoo.com. She is a great encourager and knows first hand the benefit of physical, emotional, and spiritual healthiness.

Thanks Kim for sharing your passion with us!

Honestly, at least for me, the renewed spirit and confident attitude is as much of the gain as being physically fit. When we don't feel good about ourselves it shows in our attitude and in our lack of determination to take care of ourselves! It always amazes me how when I am exhausted, even fighting a headache, a 20 minute walk (a walk that I am certain I am too tired to take) will leave me feeling better than I felt before. It makes no sense to me; I consider it to be one of those mysterious ways that God likes to work!

Next week we will look at the second leg of "The Big 3", emotional health - keeping our minds healthy and strong, even in the midst of a busy life!

Until then.

Beth