Physical exercise strengthens your immune system so that you can fight off heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, thyroid malfunction, impaired memory, and a host of maladies. The best kind of exercise is the one you like and is the most convenient. Here are the two biggest reasons we’re inconsistent in following an exercise programme. First, we lose interest in it because we don’t get much satisfaction out of it. Second, it demands too much time or effort. Whether you go for a fast-moving walk or attend a high-energy fitness class, almost any physical activity will relax and reenergise your body. Try to exercise at least thirty minutes a day, a minimum of five days a week (if you’re unsure what’s right for you, ask your doctor for advice). And the apostle Paul gives us the key to success in one word: discipline. ‘I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should’ (v. 27 NLT). Additionally, physical activity can help you to reduce stress, lose weight and keep it off, and feel better about yourself. If you can’t find time for an official workout, try gradually growing the activity into your lifestyle. Park further away from the supermarket so you have to take more steps to enter it. Walk up the stairs instead of using the lift. If you have limited mobility, there are all kinds of ‘armchair workouts’ to try. As a redeemed child of God, here is an all-important reason for staying physically fit: ‘Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you…therefore glorify God in your body’ (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NKJV). Prayer: ‘Father, help me to do some sort of physical activity regularly.’

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.