Since 2009

THE PRAYFIT DEVOTION

jimmy pena 8/6/13 jimmy pena 8/6/13

Live, Eat and Sleep

There he is. He's been up all night. If you've been with us the last couple of days, you know what he's writing and to whom. He's almost to the end of one of his letters. The rhythmic regularity of the occasional drop of water echoes off the cold walls of the prison, and the light of the lamp is now competing with the small ray coming from a window near the ceiling. Staring at the new patch of light on the floor, he finishes this sentence. "...training it to do what it should."

Paul knew that athletes live, eat and sleep their sport. He understood the rigors, the devotion, the sacrifices, and the quest to be the one to win. If you're a competitive runner, he could've easily been describing you. That up-at-dawn discipline inside you? The dedication toward winning your next race? Paul got it.

But unlike the runner who trains for a race, we train during one. We train daily and compete daily, don't we? So with that in mind, notice carefully his choice of words. Training (a process) it (the body) to do (to act, proceed) what it should (the right thing). Paul wants us to train our eyes to notice the lonely, our ears to hear the helpless, and to deny the flesh. We're to run to Christ, run away from sin, run to those in need, and to do it all the time.

And he knew that in order for us to do that, we have to live, eat and sleep the Word of God. You know, like athletes. The kind that -- like Paul -- train to win.

--Jimmy Peña

For Discussion: Tomorrow we'll finish our study, but as you may have realized, Paul isn't talking about a concern for how the body looks, but he's claiming the kind of spiritual discipline in his life that athletes have in their sport. Imagine how equipped spiritually we would be if we studied God's word as much as we trained physically. That's what Paul is talking about. Are we training to win?

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EXERCISE IN FOCUS: Bodyweight Squat

Many of our workouts here at PrayFit.com revolve around bodyweight training. Why? The reasons are numerous but this form of resistance training can be done by practically anyone, anywhere and at anytime -- no equipment or expensive gym membership necessary. But to get the most out of these exercises, it's important to become a student -- then a master -- of the fundamentals. Today, we take a look at the best lower-body exercise around: the squat.

TARGET MUSCLES: Quads, glutes, hamstrings

EXECUTION: Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, a light bend in your knees and your toes turned out slightly. Keeping your head neutral, abs tight and torso erect, bend at the knees and hips to slowly lower your body as if you were going to sit down in a chair. Pause when your legs reach a 90-degree angle, then forcefully drive through your heels, extending at your hips and knees until you arrive at the standing position.

>> For more exercise descriptions and videos, click here.

>> Looking for a workout to develop your squat proficiency? Try one of the many options available at our Fitness page.

jimmy pena 5/10/11 jimmy pena 5/10/11

SIDE SHOW

May 11, 2011Read: Psalm 148

"Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name is exalted..." --Psalm 148:13

"The kid's got skills," I said to myself as I sat at a traffic light. Waiting my turn, I looked to my right to see this kid on the corner. He was dancing with one of those big cardboard ads, flipping and turning it with ease. Effortlessly, he'd toss it up and catch without even looking. He had all the drivers mesmerized. He probably flipped it a dozen times while I sat there and never once did he drop it.

Well, the light changed, and I went on my way. "The kid's got skills", I said again with a half smile as I drove off, but then it hit me. I have no idea what he was advertising. Talented? Absolutely. Dedicated? Unquestionable. But for the life of me, I couldn't tell you what he stood (there) for. All I know is that whatever he was asked to promote took a back seat to his show.

I couldn't help but think that we're sometimes like that kid on the corner. We've been called to share the truth of Jesus, but we often do our own song and dance, amusing or confusing those around us. Lord, help us remember that you're the star of the show, and we'd be wise to drop the act.

--J.P.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Roasted Tofu In need of a small departure from the norm? Try this delicious, low-fat vegetarian dish

Serves 4

Ingredients: 1 package extra firm tofu 2 tablespoons canola oil 2 teaspoons rice vinegar 2 teaspoons honey 2 teaspoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1 teaspoon chili sauce (such as sriracha)

Directions: Slice tofu into pieces approximately ½ inch thick and 2 inches long (domino sized pieces). Place pieces in a bowl lined with paper towels and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes to remove excess water.

Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large bowl whisk canola oil, vinegar, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil and chili sauce. Add tofu and gently toss to coat. Transfer to a sheet pan and bake for 20-25 minutes (turning once), until golden brown.

Nutrition Info Per Serving: Calories: 105 Total Fat: 5 grams Saturated Fat: 1 gram Carbohydrate: 4 grams Protein: 10 grams Cholesterol: 0 milligrams Sodium: 172 milligrams Fiber: 1 gram

Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ATC, is a registered dietitian, certified athletic trainer and owner of Dana White Nutrition, Inc., which specializes in culinary and sports nutrition.

>> FIT READING: Find out what all the buzz is about by picking up your own copy of “PrayFit: Your Guide to a Healthy Body and a Stronger Faith in 28 Days.”

jimmy pena 7/29/10 jimmy pena 7/29/10

SIDE SHOW

July 30, 2010Read: Psalm 148

"Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name is exalted. His splendor is above the earth and the heavens." --Psalm 148:13

--J.P.

ON YOUR MARK

Leave it to a couple of weights guys to encourage you to go for a jog, but that's exactly what we're encouraging you to do. Few exercises will burn as many calories as an all-out run. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, running at 6 mph for 30 minutes will burn approximately 389 calories in a 160-pound individual.

But if you're currently not running, we're not saying you should take to the streets with Usain Bolt-like enthusiasm tomorrow, but rather, ease into the routine. In fact, be sure you have some good and supportive shoes that can withstand the pounding long before you head out for your run.

And for those of you who either used to run or have just been itching to see what a good, solid jog can do to your mood as well as your physical health, try this for the next four days:

Find a safe, unimpeded area like a stretch of road or a football field and do a five-minute "up and back." Start the clock and jog to a point on the street (roughly 100 yards) and jog back. Do that as many times as you can in five minutes. Over the next four days, do more laps in five minutes each day than you did the day before. Then at the beginning of the next week, bump up your time to seven minutes and each day beat your previous day's laps again.

If you're not quite ready for a jog, try a jog/walk. Jog to the point, walk back, so on and so forth.

POP QUIZ: What is your VO2 max? a. the newest teenage dance craze b. the latest hair volumizer c. the dog's name on The Jetson's d. your body's rate of oxygen consumption

(Hint: For the answer to the quiz, rule out the three insanely ridiculous answers!)

>> PRAY: Pray for fellow PrayFit members.

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