Today we’re going to be talking about our bodies. Physical balance is the final strategy in our Achieving Complete Life Balance series. 

I’ve traveled the road of changing everything regarding health and fitness. I understand how hard it can be and how much effort it takes. But I believe that the effort it takes to make positive changes in this area is well worth it. I’ve experienced the hard work and the reward. 

So, let’s talk about fitness and nutrition.

Our bodies

We are physical beings. We require movement, rest, and nutrition to survive. Yet, people are less active in today’s world. We give up rest for more screen time. And often our food choices could undoubtedly be better. 

As a nutrition coach and personal trainer, I’ve heard many motives for making physical changes—wanting to wear a smaller size, a particular social function, a health scare. These reasons aren’t wrong; however, none of them should be the most important reason. 

One goal should be to respect our bodies and make them as healthy as possible. Healthy bodies are more capable of fighting preventable diseases and illnesses, allowing us to enjoy our lives more.

The fact that our bodies are heavenly gifts should be the ultimate reason, before any other, that we make a solid effort to care for them. We honor our Creator when we care for our bodies.

19 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; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Physical Balance

As I mentioned above, to achieve physical balance, we must focus on movement, rest, and nutrition. Let me break this down.

Movement

I know some people cringe at the mention of exercise. If you are one of those people, I have something exciting to tell you. 

Exercise is simply movement. That’s right! You don’t have to go nuts in your workout. Walking, swimming, gardening, hiking (and playing for kids) are all forms of exercise. Anything that moves your body will improve your health. 

I will warn you, though. Once you start moving, you’ll likely want to move more. That’s how bodies work. They crave what they’re used to receiving—sitting leads to more sitting and moving leads to more moving. 

Let me share how I know this to be true. 

When I was young, I was very active. I was on the track team for a few years and was a cheerleader through high school. Then life changed, and I began working behind a desk at the age of twenty. As you know, desk jobs lead to sedentary lives if you aren’t intentional in making movement a priority outside of work. 

I was in my mid-forties when I decided to start moving again. I started with walking. Then I began to add short bursts of jogging during my walks. Eventually, my walks turned into running. However, it wasn’t long before I remembered why I didn’t run. I don’t like it! I researched home workouts and ultimately found my groove in 30-minute HIIT (high-intensity interval training) videos. 

All of this led to my career as a personal trainer and nutrition coach. Now, I find joy in helping others find their exercise groove and learn how to improve their diets. 

Fun Fact: It's estimated that Jesus walked 3,125 miles during his three-year ministry. Over his lifetime, a conservative estimate of the number of miles he walked was likely around 21,525 miles, almost the equivalent of walking around the entire world.

Nutrition

Before we jump into this one, I’ll start this section by telling you I was a junk food addict until that day in my mid-forties when I decided it was time to get healthy. 

My diet consisted mainly of fast-food bacon cheeseburgers (hold the lettuce and tomatoes), fries, and diet cokes or sweet tea. Unless it was a potato, vegetables were off-limits! Drinking water rarely happened. I took probiotics and digestive enzymes nearly every day. When those didn’t help, I added antacids. 

My gut health was a mess, and I was miserable and had no idea why. 

I slowly but surely converted my diet and all the “yuck” I had felt for years and years went away. And as a bonus, I lost 25 pounds. 

Because changing my diet changed my life, I’m passionate about nutrition and have some significant concerns regarding the food industry, particularly in the United States. 

Junk food has become mainstream, and many of us eat it daily. We can swing through any fast-food drive-through at basically any time during the day to grab an over-processed, sodium-rich meal. We’re inundated by advertisements and social media posts that glorify a good ol’ plate of “unhealthy” alongside drinks made up of chemicals.  

These types of foods and beverages make us sluggish, bloated, unfocused, and wreak havoc on our guts. Who honestly wants to feel like that? 

Quite frankly, eating poorly is malnutrition. 

Have you ever thought of it that way? 

Fueling our bodies should be done by eating many different minimally processed, nutrient-rich foods. Monitoring consumption of those foods, and drinking plenty of water are also important. Our bodies must have the correct balance of carbohydrates, proteins, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals to function correctly. (To learn more about fueling your body well, please reach out. I’m happy to dive deeper with you.)

In addition to feeling better, eating a balanced diet is crucial to good health. Proper nutrition can reduce the risk of a myriad of health-related problems, including heart disease and cancer. Balanced nutrition can also lower cholesterol and blood pressure and help with weight control.

Rest

Getting the proper rest is just as important as exercise and nutrition. 

A lack of sleep can make us cranky. But over time, skimping on sleep can mess up more than just your mood. Studies show getting regular quality sleep can help improve all sorts of issues, such as: 

• Focus
• Heart health
• Blood sugar
• Immune system
• Weight control
• Athletic performance

While pushing ourselves with little sleep almost seems like a badge of honor, it will only lead to problems. Especially during the storms of life, it’s critical to allow yourself rest. 

Even Jesus set boundaries on his time, giving himself permission to retreat and refresh.

35 That day, when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

If rest was a priority to Jesus, shouldn’t it be one to us, as well?

Your Body Deserves It

When you treat your body with the love and attention it deserves, it will return the favor. You will feel better, move better, and be able to enjoy life more. 

I know this because I have experienced it. 

In May of 2020, I lost my lungs to a rare autoimmune disease. I’m alive today because I took care of my body before I became sick. Without the effort I put into exercising, eating well, and resting as much as possible, I wouldn’t be here sharing this with you today. There is no doubt about that.

Treat your body well. It deserves it! 

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