Hey girl!
Welcome back to the Back to Basics series! Today, we are chatting about exercise! 🏃🏻♀️✨
I really believe that God made us to move. Study after study shows us that when we are sedentary, a significant decline happens in our health. But, on the contrary, when we exercise and move our bodies, it is one of the top ways to prevent disease and stay healthy.
No matter where you are at on your fitness journey, there are so many options for getting started! I think the major key is finding something that you love and enjoy… because that is what you will sustain.
When we move, these are just a few things that are happening:
💧 our brain function is being optimized and memory preserved
💧 our immune system is being strengthened
💧 our gut is kept regulated and moving = SUPER important
💧 our stress levels are lowered
💧 our sleep is improved and it's easier to fall asleep
💧 nutrients are being distributed throughout our bodies
Today, I want to share with you 3 tips to simplify this area and find the kind of movement that you enjoy most!
May movement no longer be about the mirror, calories, or the scale, but instead about stewardship, peace, and joy! 💗
1. Find exercise that you will look forward to and sustain.
Think about what you loved to do as a kid! Were you a dancer? Gymnast? Athlete?
Do you love taking walks and talking with a friend? Do you enjoy a quiet jog alone to process life and spend time with God? Do you like a dance party in your house or a group fitness class?
God has created us all with unique qualities and interests, and that is a beautiful thing! Ponder what kinds of exercise sound fun to you and how you could incorporate one new movement into your week! ☀️
2. Approach exercise with a mindset of stewardship and caring for the body God has given you.
Our bodies are such a gift from God. Let's think about exercise as a way to take care of our bodies and keep them healthy so that we can be able to serve and step into the callings and opportunities He gives us!
For so long, my exercise was motivated by me wanting to change and try to “perfect” what I saw in the mirror. Let's just say, that didn't get me very far. I became more unhealthy with that mentality.
God has done SO much in helping to heal and redeem my relationship with my body. He wants to do that for you too! May He help us see ourselves the way He sees us, and may our movement become an act of worship and enjoying Him that is rooted in freedom, love, and delight! 🌳
3. Listen to your body & give yourself grace.
We are all different in terms of what our capacity levels are and where our health may be currently.
It's important to think about what feels good to your body and not overdo it. Dismiss any lies like, “If it's not an hour, the workout doesn't count". Even if it's a 15 minute walk to the end of your neighborhood and back, that is exercise during your day! When you do that more frequently, it's going to add up! These are the habits that accumulate and are sustainable.
It can be great to challenge ourselves, but it's also important to listen to your body and honor what it needs in different seasons. One of my favorite ways to move that is gentle and SO good for us is walking outside! 🍃
Click below to watch the new video on exercise with more information and encouragement!
"God does not view things the way people do. People look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
— 1 Samuel 16:7 (NET)
Cheering you on!
Heather 💗
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