Exercise and Spiritual Well – being

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV) – “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

Did you know that when you engage in aerobic exercise, you promote neurogenesis, which is the growth of new brain cells in the hippocampus? Exercise is not only important physically but also mentally. It reduces stress hormones in your body, improves your mood, lowers your blood pressure, gives you energy, helps you loose weight and helps you sleep better. With so many benefits of exercise, why do we often avoid it? It requires effort on our part.

Even the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 that your body is the temple of God, and you must take care of it. This includes what you put into your body and how you maintain it. Just because you get older doesn’t mean you have to become stiff and barely get by, getting out of breath easily. That is not God’s best for you.

If Jesus didn’t think exercise was important, He wouldn’t have walked everywhere He went. He was physically fit to do the tasks that God called Him to do. Exercise with gratitude, offering it up as thanksgiving to the Lord. 1 Timothy 4:8 says, “physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” When you exercise, you are better able to run the race with endurance that God has called you to. You are better equipped to fulfill your purpose in many ways.

So, my challenge for you is to start doing some kind of physical exercise. This will help you run your race with endurance and do all that God has called you to do without getting tired or feeling weak. Take care of your body, both inside and out, as an act of worship and gratitude to God.