Since 2009
THE PRAYFIT DEVOTION
"GO"
"He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.'"— Mark 16:15
"Tell me, Jimmy, can you talk about some before and after successes?"
Of all the questions about PrayFit I fielded on the radio this week, that was probably the toughest to answer. Not because we don't have powerful testimonies of physical change, but like I told the host, "It's too early for a victory lap." Because honestly, the day health won't be a necessary battle will be the day it's no longer our responsibility.
But right now, during this "before" called life, our souls want to go places our bodies simply can't go. And because of that, sadly, our minds don't let our hearts even dream of living abundantly. Serve on the mission field? Laugh. Participate in a charity walk? Chuckle. Make it to church? Sigh. Our physical troubles have become spiritual warfare. We're soldiers of the cross who can't reach the battlefield.
Sure, someday we'll be rescued from a body that doesn't work, but until then, let's see what it can do for the cause of Christ. After all, His great commission to us -- "Go" -- hasn't changed. It's still an action verb.
–Jimmy Peña
YOUTHFUL STRENGTH
In addition to the typical monkey bar romps and lunchtime hoops, dedicated muscle strengthening is a good idea for kids. Training for strength, contrary to a commonly-held belief, does not interfere with a child’s growth or promote excessive musculature. In fact, even a minimal amount of strength training can be beneficial for a child’s bone density, muscle growth, coordination and motor learning. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends at least three days per week of activities that include strengthening moves such as gymnastics, push-ups or jumping rope.
RECALIBRATION
December 14, 2010Read: Psalm 57
"I cry out to God most high, to God who fulfills his purpose for me." --Psalm 57:2
In grad school, one of the more tedious obligations we had was recalibrating our lab equipment. VO2 max machines, CO2 analyzers -- you name it, we had to put things in check and often. It's one thing for a piece of scientific apparatus to be precise, but unless it's accurate, it doesn't do much good.
With that in mind, let’s do a little calibration of our own. We're almost to the end of 2010, and we’re knee-deep in school and work. Sounds silly, but have we been going to work without shoes on? Or to school without books? Of course not. Some things just never cross our minds.
But when we fail to spend time in God's word, praying and talking to Him, we begin our day unprepared and unprotected. And if we're not dedicated to optimum health and nutrition, we're neglecting His gift of life itself.
So as we enter the last few weeks of the year, let's recalibrate. Let's be precise with those priorities and more accurate with our appointments. As the new year approaches, let’s draw a new line in the sand as it relates to our faith and fitness and we’ll hit it with our knees...together.
--J.P.
NEWS: KIDS NOT EXERCISING ENOUGH Sunday soccer may not be sufficient to boost health, prevent obesity
Many parents get their kids active in sports in order to plant the seeds of an active lifestyle. Weekly practices and games, they figure, are sufficient to help their kids reap all the developmental benefits that exercise has to offer such as bone development, better energy levels and strong mental health. And while it's better for our kids to be involved in sports than not, the cumulative amount of activity may not be enough, according to a new study.
Researchers at San Diego State found that fewer than 25% of the children -- ages 7-14 -- got the recommended 60 minutes of exercise per day that they needed. They discovered that despite the length of some practices exceeding three hours, much of that time was devoted to stand-still strategy and discussion.
The solution is beneficial not only for Sunday soccer, but for the collective health of our children. Coaches simply need to find ways to get them to move more during the time they have with them.
"If coaches were convinced that fit players were better players, there would be more physical activity during practices," said study author James Sallis.
>> For the full article from Reuters, click here.
"IT'S A RENTAL"
August 4, 2010Read: 1 Corinthians 6
"You are not your own. You were bought at a price, so honor God with your body." --1 Corinthians 6:20
Somewhere, on some rental car lot -- with the sounds of inbound flights drowning out the hum of transit buses coming and going from the terminal -- an economy sedan sits in solitude, used, beaten and soiled. Coffee stains, cigarette ashes, Slim Jim wrappers. An inadvertent pen mark is making a home in the upholstery and the suspension on the car is aching from the accumulation of sharper-than-normal turns and a Dukes of Hazzard approach to the speed bumps on the return route to the terminal.
Why are we so hard on our rentals? Because we don't have to take it home with us, of course! Strangely, the same person who would put their Avis in door-dinging peril prefers to park their high-priced Mercedes in the remotest corner of the grocery store lot at home.
Our bodies are rentals -- they are only ours for a fleeting moment of time in eternity -- but we need to treat them more like our own credit depends on the condition in which we return them. Today, take to cleaning out your personal make and model -- better fuel, a spotless interior and a shiny, polished coat. You'll feel better and the ultimate Lessor will be appreciative of the upkeep.
--E.V.
RESISTING BONE DEPLETION Keep bone density high with resistance and high-impact training
Training is all about progression. No matter what your goal is, you should always work on beating yesterday's best. This is the only way to ensure drastic, lasting change in your physique and overall health. But just in case you needed another reason to bust your tail in the gym or elsewhere, increased intensity can also boost your bone health.
A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research reports that long-term running and resistance training helped to increase bone mineral density. They also found that high-impact activities, such as running, have a greater positive effect on bone mineral density than resistance training.
So two activities that many people still shun because of their perceived difficulty -- weight training and running -- hold myriad benefits, not just for those looking to become leaner or more athletic, but for anyone looking to fortify bone structure. By training this way, you could literally be adding years to your life clock and keeping yourself out of the urgent care in the meantime.