Since 2009

THE PRAYFIT DEVOTION

Prayfit Daily Loretta Peña Prayfit Daily Loretta Peña

Perspective: Salvation

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose trust is the Lord." --Jeremiah 17:7

Read: Jeremiah 17

It seems like the latest and greatest kids movies these days are all in 3D. Well, if you are an older child that might be great news, but for the younger ones, it can be a tricky thing to understand the concept that you must wear the proper glasses in order to fully experience the intended effects of the 3D movie. Well, my youngest son is not a big fan of the movie glasses and insists on watching without them. We show up on time, perfect seats, bag of popcorn and ready to go. We are all set except without the glasses, the screen is pretty much a colorful blur.

As a mother, this just kills me because I want the best for him, I want him to experience every amazing effect of the movie and not miss a single detail. Yet, as the third child (and a lot like his mom), he is stubborn and he thinks he knows best. So while my other two children are sitting still, 3D glasses on and fully engaged in the movie, my youngest is distracted and restless.

I often wonder if this is how Jesus feels about us. He wants the absolute best for our lives and he offers us the only tool we need: salvation. Some of us are just too stubborn to accept the offer because we think we know best. Until we give up ourselves and fully commit our hearts and lives to Jesus, we will continue seeing and living a flat, one-dimensional life that will never satisfy. We might have our perfect seats and our popcorn ready but until we get the proper perspective -- seeing life through the lens of salvation, living our lives with Jesus, through Jesus -- we aren't really seeing anything at all.

--Allison Earnst

PrayFit's contributing writer, Allison Earnst, is a fitness expert, motivator, competitor and mother of three. She's been featured in numerous magazines including FitParent, Natural Muscle and Oxygen magazine. She has shared her fitness story on Good Morning America, Extra TV and Lifetime's "The Balancing Act." You can visit her blog by clicking here.

FITSTAT: PILATES

Do you do pilates? If so, you are doing your midsection a considerable favor. Pilates, which many dismiss as “for women only” can pay big dividends, particularly when it comes to your abs. Research in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that 36 weeks of pilates training improved the volume of muscle fiber in the rectus abdominis by 21%. And a stronger, thicker abdominal wall means better back support, greater core stability and a midsection worth showing off.

SHOP: Looking to gear up with some PrayFit apparel or wristbands? Click here.

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Two Tributes

"Then he said to them all: 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.'" --Luke 9:23

Read: Luke 9

Undeniably effective for building strength and changing the way your body looks, feels and performs, the squat also happens to be remarkably humbling. As I was looking at today's scheduled workout, I started to look for excuses to avoid my date with the barbell, but then it hit me: I should be thankful I can squat at all.

You see, while I was here racking my head for reasons to avoid this workout, a close friend of mine was struggling with a physical ailment, longing for the day when he could once again test his mettle in the squat or any kind of physical fitness for that matter. He would do anything to get under that bar, to feel the weight pressing him into the floor, to tremble through that uncertain descent skilled squatters so willingly endure -- and to rise again.

This friend of mine who would give anything to trade places with me on my toughest training day of the week reminds me of another Who traded places with me for all my days to come -- of One who willingly carried the crushing weight of the cross and a certain descent into the tomb, only to rise again.

So today, tossing aside my fears and hesitations, I paid physical tribute to two friends. For one, I squatted. And for the other, I knelt.

--Eric Velazquez

Questions: Do you take your ability to exercise for granted? Do you think training can be a God-pleasing act? Do you have people in your life that are physically unable to workout? Does that change your perspective on utilizing your physical gifts or striving for better health?

EXERCISE IN FOCUS: BODYWEIGHT SQUAT You don't have to settle yourself under an Olympic barbell to reap the benefits of this exercise

Bodyweight Squat | Focus: Legs, glutes, hamstrings, lower back | (VIDEO)

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.

50 - Percent greater calorie burn when performing the squat, as compared to the leg press.

4 - Percent greater strength when performing squats in a Smith machine apparatus, as opposed to a free standing squat.

1000 - Total, in pounds, of Robert Wilkerson's (UK) record-setting raw squat in 2011.

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TO THE PRAYFIT 3,000

June 30, 2011 Yesterday, Prayfit reached a milestone. What started as a daily blog being sent to a handful of friends, now reaches over 3,000 like-minded people every morning. And we can say with the utmost certainty, it's an honor we take seriously. Steeped in prayer, and surrounded by walls of perspective, our fitness devotions are meant solely to help all of us heighten our regard for health as a means of praise. Many of you participate in various kinds of fitness activities, share meal plans and philosophies, all while giving Jesus the glory. By doing so, you energize the Prayfit philosophy: healthy in body, strong in spirit.

It's our sincere hope that you continue to read and share our site with loved ones. But most importantly, continue to pray for PrayFit. When we write our entries, you're on our minds and in our prayers. Thank you in advance for doing the same for us.

You know, when C.S. Lewis said, "You don't have souls, you are souls. You have bodies," little did he know he was weaving the very fabric of our purpose. Today, let that be our mantra. In how we work, move, eat and play, let's take care of the body that carries the soul.

In Jesus' name , we train.

Team PrayFit

>> MEET THE FOUNDER: Get a welcome message from PrayFit founder Jimmy Pena and learn five ways you can get started on a healthier lifestyle today!

>> SHARE: Help us get others on board with this whole “faith and fitness” thing. Use the “Recommend,” “Tweet,” “E-Mail” and “Share” buttons at the top of each day’s entry to get your social network in the know about PrayFit. Also, you can “like” us, “follow” us or “watch” us by clicking the FacebookTwitterand YouTube icons at the bottom of each page.

>> EXERCISE CENTRAL: Learn how to correctly perform many of the core exercises we use in our weekly workouts by clicking here.

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