You, He Knitted

"You knit me together in my mother’s womb." --Psalm 139:13

Read: Psalm 139

God spoke, and there was light. He breathed the stars in space and put the moon in place. But you? You, He knitted. Imagine, the God who filled the oceans with water made your eyes to blink. After spraying the cosmos with trillions of galaxies, He gave you goosebumps. (And then you did the same to Him.)

--Jimmy Peña

WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: Build, Burn

Try the following workout to jump-start your week. Build muscle, burn calories...all at your own pace. Everyone has a "best." What's yours? That's what your effort should be everyday. Walk in place with high knees - 1 min. Jog in place - 1 min. Jumping jacks - 1 min. Jog with high knees - 1 min. Rest 30 sec. Push-ups - 30 sec. Straight-arm plank - 30 sec. Standard plank - 30 sec. Push-ups - 30 sec. Rest 30 sec.

Repeat the entire sequence 2-3 times. Perform this workout up to three times per week, allowing 24-48 hours between sessions. For your push-ups, regardless of what type you are doing, count your reps and strive to increase that number from workout to workout.

DVD: Looking for a new program to speed your gains along in 2012? Try the PrayFit 33-Day Total Body Challenge DVD by Lionsgate.

Cut to the Chase

"Come. Follow me." —Matthew 4:19

The phrase "cut to the chase" originated in scripts during the silent film era. After dramatic story lines, these mute motion pictures would routinely end in chase sequences on dusty roads. Today, the phrase has come to mean "get to the point." Fittingly, with our first entry of 2012, that's exactly what we intend to do.

At PrayFit, we believe that a pursuit of health is all about enabling us to follow Christ with reckless abandon. Frankly, everything we have should help us chase Him; our money, our time, and yes, our bodies. The more fit we are, the better we serve Him—not for health's sake, but for heaven's. So let's get to the point.

This year, our health should do nothing less than assist us in our pursuit of Him. Like it's been said, let's follow so close that we're "covered in His dust." He's calling for us. And our story lines of life will become motion pictures of grace the sooner we cut to the chase.

—Jimmy Peña

PRAYFIT WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: Home-Based Start-Up Get your body moving this week with this 10-minute routine

Jumping jacks - 1 minute Jog in place - 1 minute Push-up - 33 seconds Plank - 33 seconds --Repeat sequence for 10 minutes

While we note the importance of pursuing health with reckless abandon in 2012, it should be noted that we are referring to the big picture. Think of it more of a year-long pursuit than a blind charge out of the gate. If you've been to your gym already in 2012, you've likely seen throngs of gym newbies and returners attacking their fitness goals with a Rocky movie montage-like determination. But you can't undo all of 2011 in the first month of 2012. Getting fit and staying fit is a matter of building consistency and a rocket start could see you fizzle fast.

This workout is measured, both in its aim and its intensity. The goal? Get moving. That's it. This head-to-toe lineup of exercises allows you to use all your major muscle groups, without going to the gym, in a way that won't overtrain you too soon. Try this routine 2-3 times this week, or beyond, to start increasing your baseline fitness levels for whatever routine you'd like to try next.

>> WHAT'S NEXT?: If you're ready for something more challenging, you can try the PrayFit 33-Day Total Body Challenge, by Lionsgate. This at-home program, led by PrayFit founder Jimmy Pena, helps you push your training to the limit while using only your bodyweight. Click here for more info or to order!

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

"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.

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.

>> PLAN: List your goals for the week.

>> PRAISE: Leave a note to encourage other PrayFit members on their workout journals.

>> JOIN: "Like" our new official Facebook page to interact with 0ther PrayFit members.