A Love/Hate Relationship with “Exercise”

I will build you up again, and you, Virgin Israel, will be rebuilt. Again, you will take up your timbrels and go out to dance with the joyful. (Jeremiah 31:4)

​ A LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH “EXERCISE”

I spend lots of time online. I see ads, videos, and articles about the latest exercise trends everywhere I click. As a former fitness instructor and personal trainer, I usually ignore reading these articles for alternating reasons.

The first reason is pride in my experience and knowledge. I already know the importance of exercise; I don’t need anyone else to tell me. Pride, of course, is always a problem.

The second reason is pain. Most days, everything hurts too much to attempt the programs I see.

Then, there is the overriding feeling of guilt. I know (from training and doctor’s advice) that exercise is good and helpful, but instead of that knowledge encouraging me, it leaves me feeling sad and unfit. So, I reject the whole idea.

RUNNING AWAY FROM EXERCISE – RUNNING INTO MOVEMENT

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. (1 Corinthians 9:25)

I might dislike exercise, but I still like to move. When I hear music (sometimes only in my head) – even in the middle of a flare and settled in my recliner – the parts of me that are not too painful dance. It might be feet, hands, or shoulders tapping, turning, and swaying. My husband calls it “chair dancing.” Sometimes, I find my arms doing eight-count moves I recall from aerobic dance classes. Wait a minute, isn’t that exercise?

Some movements are big, bold, almost noisy. And there are the tiny and quiet movements we forget about—tapping a finger, blinking our eyes, swallowing. Then, our bodies make movements with no conscious thought at all: our hearts beat, and our innermost parts transfer fluids and eliminate what is not needed. These, too, are gifts from the God who creates life.

For in him we live and move and have our being. (Acts 17:28a)

This dance God choreographs for every one of us, each of us as unique as a snowflake, is beyond comprehension.

I may not pedal my bike today or even get out of my recliner, but I am alive. God is on the move in me, and my lips can praise His name.

PRAYER

Father God, keep us filled with awe at the wonder of Your creation. Teach us to rejoice in the biggest and the smallest movements our bodies are capable of at this very moment. It is truly in You that we have our very being. My desire is that all we do (and do not do) brings honor and glory to You. In Jesus name, I pray

QUESTIONS TO PONDER

• Do you follow a structured exercise plan?
• Have you ever felt enslaved to your fitness goals?
• If you cannot exercise, can you take joy in small movements?