I believe the easiest and best way to get the exercise you need is simply to put one foot in front of the other—and start walking!
All it takes is clearance from your doctor and a good pair of shoes. If you can only walk for a few minutes and then you need to rest, that’s OK. Start where you are and slowly increase the speed and duration of your walks.
A good rule of thumb is to increase the time spent exercising no more than 10 percent per week. Don’t expect to go from ground zero to perfection. But by gradually increasing the amount of exercise you do, you can expect to improve your overall fitness level in as little as six to eight weeks.
Walking is an excellent exercise routine that can be adapted to fit any lifestyle or schedule. You can walk just about anywhere, any time—in a park, along the beach, in your neighborhood, at the mall, on a treadmill, up and down the stairs at work.
And it’s fun! Especially when you walk with a friend. It’s good for your soul! Having a walking partner—being accountable to someone—can also help you stay consistent in exercising.
Hiking or walking with your family is a great way to strengthen your relationships while teaching your children to embrace exercise as a lifestyle and enjoy it.
The Bible admonishes us to “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6).
With childhood obesity dramatically on the rise—from 4 percent in 1982, to a staggering 25 percent of all Caucasian children and 33 percent of all African-American and Hispanic children in 2001—parents need to be proactive in training their children to eat right and exercise consistently.
Walking by yourself can also be very beneficial in a number of ways. It’s a perfect time to unwind, quiet your mind, and talk to the Lord after a hectic day.
It’s also a wonderful opportunity to listen to a teaching tape or pray in the spirit and build up your faith (Jude 20). You can strengthen your spirit as well as your body while you walk.
Marty Copeland is a wife, mother of 3, a Master Personal Trainer and Nutritional Guidance Counselor. Most importantly, she is here, doing this, because she has experienced first hand that God not only desires to help us reach our health and fitness goals, but He has the perfect plan that will lead us to a lifestyle of freedom and self-control. She has come to know that true health is more than just having a strong and healthy body-though that is something we should all enjoy. True health also includes a strong spirit and soul. It is when our spirits are full and our minds are strong that living a healthy lifestyle becomes easy.
God's desire for all of us is life, peace and joy in every area . No matter who you are, where you are in life, or what fitness level you are at, there is always room for improvement-you can always go higher. We simply can not exhaust God's ability to make us better. Marty believes with all of her heart that God has called her team and herself to equip you and your family with what you need to go higher, spirit soul and body.