Morning Discipline – Bringing Focus to Physical Activity

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man working out

Good morning!

It is a new week and a new day and I’m so glad you could join me as we continue our journey toward renewing our minds and improving our self-discipline. If you’re just joining me, you can read my article, “Morning and Evening: A New Self Discipline Journey” to learn more about why I am doing this, and how this may benefit you as well.

This week we are going to focus each day on better physical health. Each day this week I will provide affirmations, scriptures, and daily challenges regarding this topic. Next week will be a new one!

With that said, let’s start our morning together!

BREATHING EXERCISE

Before we begin let us take some deep breaths to calm our mind and prepare us for this mornings discipline.

MUSIC FOR A NEW DAY

I personally like to have some soft music in the background, so if that’s something you like as well below you will find a song you can play for the duration of our time together.

PRAYER For Better Health

Now that we’re calm, let us transition to a time of prayer. Over the next few minutes you can pray on your own or feel free to use the following prayer:

Lord,

I recognize my physical body as the temple of God. I commit to taking better care of my body by getting more rest, eating healthier foods, and getting more exercise. I will make better choices about how to spend my time in order to make health a higher priority in my daily life. I praise You for the gift of health and celebrate the gift of life each day holds. I trust You with my health as an act of obedience and worship.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen

Gift of Health (Mary Southerland) | 12 Prayers for Good Health

AFFIRMATIONS for Better Health

Here are a few affirmations for this morning that you can put in your pocket and carry with you throughout your day.

As you read through them, repeat each one out loud at least three times before moving to the next. Take your time. Close your eyes and say them to yourself as well. Let these words sink into your heart and mind this morning:

  1. I will worship God by the way I treat my body.
  2. I will be purposeful in giving my body exercise.
  3. I will treat my body like the temple of God that it is.
  4. I will work hard and grow stronger every day.

SCRIPTURES For Better Health

As Christians, our affirmations should be rooted in the strength and power of God who empowers us and strengthens us to face every trial and every day (both good and bad).

Here are some scriptures that further support the affirmations we just spoke to ourselves. Again, repeat each one three times out loud before moving to the next one. Take your time. Maybe try to commit these to memory as well:

  1. Romans 12:1, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice–the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.”
  2. 1 Corinthians 9:26-27a, “So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.”
  3. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”
  4. Proverbs 31:17, “She is energetic and strong, a hard worker.”

TODAYS CHALLENGE

Our challenge today is this: get 15 minutes of exercise every day.

Our diet and physical activity go hand-in-hand. Our diet nourishes our body and gives it energy. Our physical activity works our muscles and makes us stronger.

If you aren’t doing anything, then take some baby steps to start giving your body the physical attention it needs. This could include:

  1. Going for a 15 minute quick paced walk.
  2. Finding a 15 minute workout on YouTube and follow along.
  3. Doing several sets of pushups and crunches.
  4. Buying some resistance bands and starting a 15 minute workout on your lunch break.

However you choose to do it, get active.

NOTE: This is just a starting place. Ideally it is best to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity in every day. But again, start with small achievable goals and work your way up!

Most of us (self included) want to argue we just don’t have the time for a workout. I was making this excuse because I have a gym I belong to but it’s almost 30 minutes from my house which meant a 1 hour workout took 2 hours of my day to complete. So I started to think about how I could take that excuse away, and that’s when I bought the resistance bands and a pushup board. They are affordable, portable, and most of all easy to use anytime and anywhere.

For example, I’m currently sitting in Williamsburg Virginia and brought them with me. I was able to get a workout in yesterday after we arrived to our AirBnB. I did it while watching cartoons with my kids.

So stop making excuses and get active!

Quote of the Day

If you don’t make time for exercise, you’ll probably have to make time for illness.

Robin Sharma

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