Exercise is an important part of any healthy lifestyle. The key to a successful exercise routine is finding an activity that you love and then scheduling a time that you will do it regularly. I have had gym memberships and participated in church fitness programs, but I have been the most successful with a fitness program that is close to home. Therefore, I enjoy working out to a wide range of workout DVDs or even jogging or walking around my neighborhood. By the time it takes me to get prepared and get to the gym or other destination, I could have finished my workout already and moved on to something else. Also, I have found that if I don’t get my exercise in first thing in the morning, there is a 95% chance that I’m not going to do it at all.
According to fitness professionals, incorporating 30-minutes of daily exercise promotes optimum health. Whether you work out alone or with friends, find activities you enjoy and incorporate them into some part of your day. It’s best to create a morning or evening routine that includes some type of fitness. If you can’t work out in the morning, how about stopping by the gym or walking around the track BEFORE you go home. You could take your workout clothes to work, change into them at the end of the day, and ahead to your fitness destination. Keeping the same routine (but various activities to avoid boredom) at the same time each day can develop into a daily habit.
Consider joining a boot-camp, tennis group, or other athletic community. A great place to find activity groups is at www.meetup.com. There you will find like-minded people hosting every type of athletic and fitness activity you can think of.
Below is a list of suggested fun fitness activities you can start today.
Prayer Walking
Why not turn your prayer time into exercise? As you walk around your neighborhood, school track, or park trail, pray for your children, mate, friends, neighbors, your church, your pastor, other countries, and even the president and other political figures. In fact, you can create a mini chart and designate certain days for specific people or topics. I have used my walks to pray aloud and to pray in the spirit. Sometimes when my heart feels heavy, I will embark on a prayer walk to turn my burdens over to God. Prayer walking promotes physical and spiritual health.
Meditation Walk
A meditation walk is another way to get your body in shape while building your spiritual muscles. Christian meditation teaches you how to let go of idle thoughts and stay in the present moment or in God’s presence. You will use these same methods during your meditation walk. As you are walking observe your surroundings, the flowers, the cracks in the side walk, the birds chirping, and the trees. Anytime your mind begins to wander off in thought, bring your attention back to your surroundings. You will get the same benefits of a meditation walk as you do during a guided meditation.
Walk and Talk
I am not a phone person at all. It’s difficult for me to stop what I am doing and talk on the phone for 20-minutes or more, especially when I have a list of things I need to get done. I feel like I’m wasting so much time. In order to stay in touch with friends or even return importance calls, I sometimes do a Walk and Talk. As I walk I make calls and talk to friends. I find that I walk even longer than normal in order to finish my conversations, getting even more of a work out. What better way to nurture your relationships, stay on top of business contacts, and enhance your health than walking and talking?
Neighborhood Gym
Check your local recreation center to see if they have a neighborhood gym. They usually charge a lot less than larger gyms like 24-hour Fitness and you don’t have to sign any contract. My local recreation center charges $15.00 per month to join. It’s also a great way to meet new friends or find work out buddies.
Group Exercise Classes
I recently began a Zumba class in my neighborhood and never had so much fun exercising. Look for Zumba, jazzercise, step, or aerobic classes at your local recreation center or dance hall.
To the below and to the left are links to other fitness DVDs that might be of interest:
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