Remember King Julian in the movie Madagascar? I like to move it move it. I like to… MOVE it!

In a previous post on sleep, I asked what is your most important asset? The conclusion was, your most valuable asset is you, and I encouraged you to “protect the asset” which is your body. There are two other components when it comes to protecting your most important asset – exercise and nutrition. In this post we’ll look at exercise.  

Did you hear about the guy who said, “I didn’t make it to the gym this morning for my work out? … Bummer, that makes five years in a row!” We may chuckle, but the truth is, our society is struggling with a growing problem with obesity, type2 diabetes, heart disease, and a host of other physical issues and diseases. Today, many live a sedentary lifestyle that is adversely affecting our wellbeing, and we need to move it move it!

I’m not a doctor so please understand I am not giving medical advice.  Any recommendations I share are based on research and reading I’ve done and my own personal experience. It is always wise to check with your primary physician when beginning any exercise regimen.

When I began my journey toward rest and life-balance my health and physical wellbeing became a priority. To “protect the asset” I gave focused attention to sleep, exercise, and nutrition. Over a period of years, I had developed very poor eating habits, and gained a lot of weight. But I soon discovered when it comes to exercise, weight loss isn’t the goal.

If your purpose or reason for exercising is weight loss, you need to change your thinking. The weight loss did come. I’ve lost over 70 pounds and have kept it off for four years. If I can plant only one thought in your head it is this: “Don’t exercise to lose weight, exercise to achieve health and wellbeing.”  You can’t train yourself out of a bad diet. Exercise is only one side of the “protect the asset triangle.” Also from a spiritual standpoint, the purpose of our bodies are not ornaments to look at but instead, instruments to be used for His glory. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and we need to be good stewards of them.

According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderately intense exercise each week. Sounds like a lot, but if you can work up to five 30-minute sessions a week, you’re well on your way toward a healthier you. An effective exercise program includes both an aerobic and resistance training component.

I personally enjoy running and do so 5 to 6 days a week along with a variety of body weight exercises. My friend Gabe loves to cycle. Others prefer basketball, tennis, elliptical or rowing machines, weight training, or other sporting activities to build endurance, muscle, and maintain muscle tone. Quite frankly, one of the most enjoyable and effective ways to exercise is simply walking. It’s a great way to enjoy the outdoors, get some fresh air and sunshine, and enjoy nature. You can vary walking routines from a leisurely stroll to a brisk walk and the benefits are many.

Body-weight exercises are an easy, no expense, and convenient way to incorporate resistance training into your routine. Most body-weight exercises work multiple muscle groups at once including push-ups, chin-ups, planks, squats and lunges.

Research shows the benefits of exercise go well beyond just physical well-being. Physical activity helps support emotional and mental health. Reduces feelings of depression and stress, enhances your mood and overall emotional wellbeing, increases energy level and alertness, improves sleep, and cognitive function. It also prevents cognitive decline and memory loss by strengthening the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory and learning.

A word of caution. If it’s been a long time since you’ve exercised, and you’re thinking about the glory days when you threw that pass during homecoming to win the game or made the winning basket on your JV team. Be careful and start slow. Don’t want you to pull a hammy. 🙂

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