Where Fitness Meets Faith...and More!

I don’t ordinarily struggle with faith, but fitness is another story! That statement is not meant to appear arrogant, but it is flooded with sincerity. Each year requires additional effort for me to keep the pounds from creeping onto my body and clinging like a silk dress to pantyhose.

Back in my younger days, my weight was never an issue. I could eat chocolate cream pie any time I had the urge. I recall that I marched out of the hospital after delivering my son, and I was gloating about wearing the same tight jeans that I wore pre-pregnancy. Okay, I’ll admit that I was only 20 years old at the time, but it was still remarkable.

Accelerate the calendar to a few decades later, and I find that I have to incorporate exercise into my daily routine or my middle becomes…well, I can only describe it as doughy. It’s sort of like a Crescent roll that was taken out of the oven prematurely.

So my friend, Donna, told me about the Fitbit, and I’m in love with it. Although it’s just a fancy pedometer, it syncs with my computer and cell phone so I can always check to see how many steps I’ve taken for the day. On those frequent occasions when I have spent far too many hours at my desk, engaged in writing or researching tasks, I may fall far short of my intended 10,000 step daily goal. That prompts me to set up my jogging trampoline in the living room or jog in place for a while to make up for a sedentary work day.

I also try to practice the inclusion of more fruits and veggies in my diet and exercise portion control--except when I am at a movie theatre and there is a bag of yummy, warm popcorn within my grasp. Because exercising my body and faith are both extremely important to me, I was especially interested in reading Kimberley J. Payne’s book, Where Fitness Meets Faith.

Filled with her thoughts on fitness and sprinkled with Scripture verses to ponder, this book made me mindful of combining walking for fitness with using that alone time for prayer, praise, thanksgiving and just communicating with God.

Our days and evenings are often so hectic, it is easy to skip carving out daily prayer time. Talking silently to God as we appreciate nature and the great outdoors during an exercise routine is the best idea on the planet!

Kimberley is a former fitness trainer, so she knows how anatomy works. I, on the other hand, know very little beyond the basics about the human body; however, one important factor in my experience is that exercise makes me FEEL better. It not only rewards me psychologically because I know I have done something good for me, but I find the more active I am, I strongly crave nutritionally better foods. It’s a simple fact for me. Perhaps it is the idea that I’ve worked so hard during the exercise, I don’t want to waste it and turn around to grab a glazed doughnut.

If you spend long periods of time sitting at the computer, you will appreciate that Kimberley and her daughter produced an "exercise at your desk" video. Great advice for stretching and working out the neck and shoulder knots when tied to the computer! Check it out at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN5IG4tuLSM

This book is about so much more than exercise though. It is about having a goal and making progress, whether it be in our fitness lives or our spiritual walks with God.

Kimberley Payne also writes books for children, and her tag line is “raising the next generation in the faith.” Her most recent release, Adam’s Animals - Fun Facts About God’s Creation, is an activity book in Payne’s Science & Faith Matters series--geared to 6 to 9 year olds.

About the Author

Kimberley is a motivational speaker and an award-winning author and a member of The Word Guild and Inscribe Christian Writer’s Fellowship. Her writing relates raising a family, pursuing a healthy lifestyle and everyday experiences to building a relationship with God. Kimberley, who lives near Peterborough, Ontario, offers practical, guilt-free tips on improving spiritual and physical health.

 

Kimberley Payne

Visit http://www.kimberleypayne.com for more information and to sign up for Kimberley’s newsletter!

Also see http://www.scienceandfaithmatters.wordpress.com for more about her children’s book series.

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Blessings until next time,

Mary Anne Benedetto

Author of Eyelash, 7 Easy Steps to Memoir Writing: Build a Priceless Legacy One Story at a Time!, Never Say Perfect, From Italy with Love & Limoncello and Write Your Pet's Life Story in 7 Easy Steps!

Visit http://www.awriterspresence.com