Faithful Fitness
Dynamos for charity
No discussion of faith, fitness, and virtue would be complete without mention of those three special Christian and God-infused virtues that reign above them all. “So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor 13:13). Love of God, neighbor, and self—the fulfillment of Christ’s great commandment—is expressed through the virtue of loving charity, and it is ultimately charity that gives form and life to all the virtues of fitness.
In treating our bodies as temples and tending them with care, we show our love and gratitude to God. Muscles are the body’s engine. By making our muscles strong, our bones firm, and our heart and lungs enduring, we put ourselves in the best position to have what it takes to help our neighbors with a laborious project, to have the energy to play with our children, and to share with all the example of the joy and exhilaration that can come with making the most of the bodies God has given us.
Please be aware that before starting an exercise regimen, anyone who is not now exercising stands well advised to seek the counsel of their personal physician, lest known or unknown illness could prove such training dangerous. Still, even those of us with physical debilities that prevent robust exercise can serve as examples of the virtues of fitness to others by learning about sensible exercise and nutrition and by gently encouraging loved ones to treat their bodies as temples. Regardless of our age or physical condition, in one way or another we can all exercise faith and fitness, building ourselves up as temples for God’s glory and dynamos for charity.
Think Outside the Gym!
We need to find reasonable means of training and feeding our bodies that fit our lifestyle and energize us for all of our responsibilities as children of God, parents, spouses, employers, employees, parishioners, citizens, and our many other roles. For most of us, this means simple, effective methods that won’t strain our budgets or rob precious time from our families. There are as many options as there are lifestyles.
Since the 1960s, a safe and efficient (though perhaps dauntingly named) strength-training method called High Intensity Training (HIT) has been developed. This system uses freehand exercises, weights, or machines to effectively strengthen muscles and bones in as little as one 20-minute session per week.
Another way to build fitness and burn calories is through what I call “house aerobics.” By actually timing and picking up the pace on regular chores like laundry or lawn-mowing, you can work out a bit while doing chores you’d have to do anyway.
Further, you can work body and soul very nicely at once if you incorporate prayer or listening to Catholic music or radio rather than just whistling while you work. Here I refer readers to Peggy Bowes’s excellent book The Rosary Workout. Bowes shows how to interweave your cardio workout with prayerful recitation of the rosary—a masterful integration of beads of prayer and beads of sweat.
Aerobic exercise sessions (like walking, biking, running, or swimming) can be done with profit in as little as three weekly 20-minute sessions. Can you spare one hour per week to tend your holy temple?
Dr. Kevin Vost, PsyD, is the author of Fit for Eternal Life: A Christian Approach to Working Out, Eating Right, and Building the Virtues of Fitness in Your Soul (Sophia Institute Press). He welcomes your questions and comments at www.drvost.com.