Give Your Body to God

May 29, 2023June 5, 2023 R.L. Witter

Kahlil Carmichael MAPCC, MDIV, CPT is the pastor of Live Well Church, in Somerset, New Jersey. He is a fitness specialist at The Fitness Doctor, a fitness and wellness consulting company; and the author of 50 Tips for a Better You. He is a contributor to Guideposts magazine. His first publication, Living Longer Living Better, is available now. Go to www.livewellchurch.org for more information.

I’ve been leading my fitness students in ways to transform their lives. On our own, the struggle to maintain our fitness can be overwhelming and tiring. Do you look at your current condition with regret or compare this year’s body with the you from five years ago, or even the you from high school? We can develop a cycle of regret and comparison that paralyzes us from moving forward. Stop the merry-go-round and give your body to God. Our creator has your best interests at heart and knows your true self. When something feels too big for you, admit it and ask for help from the One who knows you inside and out.

Giving our bodies to God also means giving the best body we can, and that means caring for our health. What are some small steps we can start to implement to care better for our overall health?

Get more rest! Most people are chronically sleep-deprived. Sleep deprivation is linked to many chronic health problems, including heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, obesity, and depression. Sleep deficiency is also linked to a higher chance of injury in adults, teens, and children.
See your doctor! To present your best body, you have to know your numbers and what is happening inside of it. See your dentist, OB/GYN and primary care physician for your annual screenings. Your doctor can alert you to developing conditions such as high blood pressure and heart disease before they become chronic.
Move your body! To strengthen an object or skill, you must use it regularly, and that includes your body. Don’t get caught up in fad exercises or purchasing a lot of equipment. You can make a big impact on your fitness with consistency. If you are mostly sedentary, start your exercise journey with a ten-minute walk, and increase until you are walking daily. Add ten to fifteen minutes weekly, and work to increase the distance you cover during your walk.
Start weight-lifting! Muscles support your frame, pump blood, and support movement. Abdominal muscles don’t just give you a flat stomach, they support your back and help you stand up straight. Strengthen your muscles with movement and light weight-lifting. Follow along with my work-out: https://youtu.be/ E625Kq64XmQ, add your weights and increase them as needed to challenge yourself. Stretching afterwards will feel good and help to increase your range of motion, making you more flexible.
Eat healthy! Eat more whole, unprocessed foods. Eliminating the junk will help you feel so much better. As you eliminate the toxins, your aches will lessen, you will sleep better, your abdominal health will improve, and you may lose a few pounds.

I believe we serve a God who wants us to live well and prosper! Let’s challenge ourselves and do our best to improve our health.

Live well and prosper!