Since 2009
THE PRAYFIT DEVOTION
Worn-Out Tools
"So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart." --Nehemiah 4:6
Like it was yesterday, I remember walking out of my English professor's office angry, upset and embarrassed. Gritting my teeth and holding back tears I marched, but I didn't get very far. "Excuse me, Mr. Peña!" And Coach Jim Loweree proceeded to alter my life. See, I had poured my heart into a project. Gave it everything I had. I stayed up late, studied early, went the extra mile. That's just what you did at the prestigious Cathedral High School in El Paso, Texas. It was the home of The Fighting Irish -- a place of faith, unparalleled scholastics, sport, and most of all, tradition. But alas, I bombed it. To make matters worse, Coach Loweree was a man I idolized. I wanted nothing more than to maintain a perfect GPA and impress him along the way. And in a matter of seconds, both goals were gone.
Speaking of goals, earlier that year, I successfully recited the famous poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling to Coach Loweree. I never missed a beat when it came to recitations. I loved that part of class. Speeches by President Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr. and others, all by heart, not one word missed. But a line from "If" has been rolling around my brain lately:
"Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, and stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools."
Worn-out tools. Midway through my three-month spinal fusion process, I'm walking steadily and doing my prescribed bends. Yes, to Rocky music, no doubt. We're just praying that the new hardware fuses perfectly with the bones, and that the same success we saw with my neck replacement occurs in my lower back. God's will we pray.
I wonder, have you ever had to rebuild anything? A business or a home? Perhaps another aspect of your life and maybe even your health. Well, rebuilding is a faith issue. Not in our ability to make things as they once were but for Whom we build. Because when things fall apart, when we watch the things we gave our life to break, He's why we stoop.
And remember how I mentioned that Coach changed my life? Well, he did. In the schoolyard that day, he told me that I was going to have to start all over. Yep, he stole a line from Kipling himself. But Coach also told me not to take grades so seriously, to keep working hard, keep honoring my parents and to stand up straight after a test if I did my best, regardless of the grade. Funny, I took his advice. I never made straight A's again. But after six book projects, 15 years of newsstand articles and my highest honor -- this website -- I hope Coach knows his freshman English class and that afternoon talk in the yard changed a kid. So thanks, Coach. I'm still stooping. Still rebuilding. My life's work is my faith and health. Perfect for worn-out tools like mine.
--Jimmy Peña
GYM TIP: There's more than one way to use a treadmill. A recent study found that those who pedaled backward on treadmills and elliptical machines gained greater quadriceps and hamstring strength and had greater aerobic capacity than those who went forward. Click here for more.
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We Are The Crowd
"Jesus stopped and said, 'Call him.' So they called to the blind man, 'Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you!' Throwing his cloak aside, he leaped to his feet and came to Jesus."--Mark 10:49-50
Read: Mark 10
No need to adjust your computer screen, that’s indeed the same verse as yesterday's entry. But I just had to go back to it. Ever since we posted last night, I haven’t been able to get a particular thought out of my head: The crowd knew something. Read the verse again.
Typically, we focus on either the blind man, Bartimaeus or, of course, Jesus. But the crowd's response has bugged me for nearly 24 hours. The crowd is…us. Why? Because they knew something. They knew what Jesus had the power to do in the blind man's life. Otherwise, they wouldn't have reacted as if the beggar had just won the lottery!
Read it again. Of all the thousand voices that were clamoring for Jesus to hear, that of a blind beggar behind all the others sitting on the side of the road found the ear of Jesus, and the crowd knew what that meant. Can't you just see them pause, their wide eyes, open mouths, and then their whiplash reactions as they run to the one who's number had just been called?
You and I stand among those who need to heed the call. Read the verse again (last time, I promise). Isn't Jesus calling everyone? Didn't He die for all the world? And if we've been saved and healed…aren't we the crowd who knows?
–Jimmy Peña
Question: Who in your life needs to know what you know?
GYM TIP: There's more than one way to use a treadmill. A recent study found that those who pedaled backward on treadmills and elliptical machines gained greater quadriceps and hamstring strength and had greater aerobic capacity than those who went forward. Click here for more.
Peña to be Honored by UT Tyler Alumni Association: Next Friday (March 22), the University of Texas at Tyler Alumni Association will recognize five graduates at its Alumni Gala. Among those being honored will be PrayFit founder Jimmy Peña, who earned a master of science in clinical exercise physiology from UT Tyler in 1998. "It’s easy to think of Heaven on days like this," he said. "We’ve accepted an invitation we don’t deserve, to celebrate a reward we didn’t earn." Click here to read more.
AVENUE OF AFFLICTION
"In the day of prosperity be happy, but in the day of adversity consider God has made the one as well as the other."— Ecclesiastes 7:13-14
On the treadmill to my right, walked a man maybe 80 years old; on the one to my left, a teenager with a disability. The three of us huffed and puffed, each with a window overlooking a busy intersection -- sort of a fitness fishbowl, if you will. Each stoplight ushered in a new array of commuters and though every once in a while we'd capture the attention of a driver or two, one vehicle in particular caught mine.
But first, isn't it interesting that you really don't know what motivates someone? Some things you just can't see. You can only see the result. Oh sure, while the dashboard on my treadmill might give me distance, it doesn't know what it took to get me that far. Pastor Chuck Swindoll wrote, "Although this journey along the avenue of affliction is unpleasant and unappealing, it is inevitable. Working through the hurt is essential if we hope to become effective for God."
To be effective for God. Isn't that the goal both physically and spiritually? And since we know that nothing hits us without Him allowing it, it's a compliment that He believes we can work through the hurt. Or better yet, we're never in pain alone. So as I stepped in between the two bookends of life on my left and right, it was a comfort to know the steps God took to see me through mine. (Lord only knows what was inside their hearts-the history, the pain, the drive,- but whatever it was, they walked).
And oh yes, I almost forgot. The car that got my attention? An Official Vehicle of the Department of Aging. Somehow, the three of us "vehicles" could easily relate. Wow. Can't you just hear the applause of Heaven? Listen closely, take courage and keep going. Because thankfully, the road we're on as believers? It's an incline.
--Jimmy Peña
CARBS: CHOOSE WISELY
While PrayFit isn't completely against low-carb dieting, we stress the importance of choosing the proper types of carbohydrates to fuel your training and other daily activities. Carbs are, after all, the body's preferred fuel source, so extended or extreme deprivation can backfire for dieters as well as the companies that stake their futures on no-carb schemes. Case in point...
"The low-carb diet craze reached its peak in 2004, with far fewer people following diets like Atkins and South Beach in subsequent years," according to John Robbins, author of Healthy at 100: The Scientifically Proven Secrets of the World's Healthiest and Longest-Lived Peoples. "On August 1, 2005, Atkins Nutritionals, Inc., filed for bancruptcy court protection."
Remember, the key is to control refined sugar, not to overly restrict healthy complex carbohydrates. Refined sugars, such as those found in sugary drinks, white bread and candy, digest quickly and spike insulin levels, which can cause the body to store fat. Complex carbs, such as those found in whole grain foods, fruits and vegetables, digest more slowly and provide slower, steady streams of fuel to cells.
Source: Healthy at 100 by John Robbins
A FIGHTING SPIRIT
November 21, 2011Read: Matthew 26
"The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." --Matthew 26:41
In my second favorite movie of all-time (Rocky II), Rocky walks to his trainer's apartment in the middle of the night to ask for his locker back; he wants to fight again. Dismissive, Mickey delivers one of the most painful and sad lines I've ever heard: "You got the heart, but you ain't got the tools no more." In other words, the spirit is willing, but the body is weak. As an athlete, that phrase carries serious meaning. I know what it's like to be physically limited from doing what my heart is dying to do. But as a Christian, that line is more than a body blow.
As believers, our souls have work to do. In our passage, when Jesus said to His disciples to stay awake, He literally meant "physically." How many reading this page would agree that you'd would be so much more productive at work, alive with your spouse, able to keep up with the kids or even active in church, if you enjoyed better health? If so, maybe you need your locker back.
You may not want to admit it, but it's time to wake up; there's a fighter in you. If the spirit is willing, your body has no right to hold it back. And if you're reading this page, Mickey was wrong. If you've got the heart, you still got the tools. Your soul just needs a fighting chance.
--Jimmy Peña
WATCH | "You've got the heart but..."
THANKS: PrayFit wants to extend a very special thank you to the wonderful people at Planet Infinity and Breadoflife.org for inviting us to speak and share our mission of faith and fitness this past Saturday. You blessed us beyond belief.
WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: THE GREAT INDOORS
Want a good dose of intense, indoor cardio to start the week? Here you go. Variety is not only advisable but required to keep your body changing. This workout forces you to adjust your speed, incline, duration and rest all in the same workout, keeping your lungs and limbs guessing. This interval-style scheme promotes speed, power and endurance, all while increasing your total work capacity. If you're looking for a brutal but effective way to shake up your current cardio routine (and burn a few extra calories), then this workout is for you.
SPEED INCLINE TIME REST
5mph 5% 2min 1min
6mph 6% 1min 1min
7mph 7% 1min 1min
8mph 8% 45sec 1min
9mph 9% 30sec 1min
10mph 10% 20sec 1min
9mph 9% 30sec 1min
8mph 8% 45sec 1min
7mph 7% 1min 1min
6mph 6% 1min 1min
5mph 5% 2min 1min
I WILL HOLD
February 28, 2011Read: Proverbs 24:16
Quote of the Week
"The person who wins may have been counted out several times, but never heard the bell."
--Author Unknown
Workout of the Week: A treadmill trial
In a week dedicated to the theme of commitment and perseverance, this routine will challenge your stamina while helping you burn fat.
As you know, interval training for both men and women helps save muscle tone while burning fat better than long-duration cardio bouts. The sprint time matches the low intensity period as well as the complete rest period. This particular interval routine will last about 10 minutes, but repeat it if you have the time for one twenty-minute workout. Try to keep to the interval times prescribed but feel free to mix and match the time intervals slightly based on your abilities and goals.
After a thorough warm-up, consisting of active moments such as running in place, jumping jacks and shadowboxing...
Sprint for 1 minute
Walk for 1 minute
Step off for 1 minute (during this time, set the treadmill back up to sprint speed)
Sprint for 45 seconds
Walk for 45 seconds
Step off for 45 seconds
Sprint for 30 seconds
Walk for 30 seconds
Step off for 30 seconds
After a 1 minute rest, repeat
THE CARE GIVER
August 9, 2010Read: Revelation 3 "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." --Revelation 3:20
"Who in their right mind would say no?" I said to myself as I sat in my annual CPR training last week. As it turns out, a conscious adult in a life-threatening emergency has to give consent in order to be helped. In fact, during our in-class role play, we'd practice saying, "I'm trained in emergency service. I'm here to help you. Do I have your consent?" It sounds absurd to think someone would deny being saved, right?
It was kind of easy to think about Jesus during the course. In our (life) time of need, He knocks on the door of our dying hearts saying, "Here I am!". He's the care giver who knows exactly where it hurts and the only one qualified to help.
--J.P.
PRAYFIT WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: TREADMILL TIME
It is easy -- far too easy -- to get bored of the treadmill. After a while, your seemingly ceaseless jaunt makes you question your entire motivation for exercise. If this is the best way to get fit, you rationalize, then someone pass me a towel and a donut.
Well luckily, there are ways to add some spice -- and greater productivity -- to your treadmill time. As it turns out, variety is not only advisable but required to keep your body changing. This workout forces you to adjust your speed, incline, duration and rest all in the same workout, keeping your lungs and limbs guessing. This interval-style scheme promotes speed, power and endurance, all while increasing your total work capacity.
If you're looking for a brutal but effective way to shake up your current cardio routine (and burn a few extra calories), then this workout is for you.
SPEED INCLINE TIME REST 5mph 5% 2min 1min 6mph 6% 1min 1min 7mph 7% 1min 1min 8mph 8% 45sec 1min 9mph 9% 30sec 1min 10mph 10% 20sec 1min 9mph 9% 30sec 1min 8mph 8% 45sec 1min 7mph 7% 1min 1min 6mph 6% 1min 1min 5mph 5% 2min 1min
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