Building Healthy Habits in 2010

I am very excited to share with you this next video! My fitness instructor Clare is starting an accountability group over on the Message Board - today!!! Come check out her tips and challenges and join us as we build healthy habits in the New Year!

Walk with the King!

Fit Friday: Equipping Ourselves Physically and Spiritually

Today's guest post is written by Clare - a Certified Fitness Instructor. For more articles by Clare click here.


I was cutting coupons yesterday and saw a cold and flu ad with pictures of nasty looking worm-shaped germs resting on a phone. Needless to say, it reminded me of how I need to be mindful of where these little fellas are! (Nice marketing work on behalf of the cold and flu company!) As if the seasonal flu wasn't enough to think about, we now have H1N1 2009 to worry with--we can't avoid disease!


It's hard for me to "remember" where all those nasty germs lurk! We've got them on door handles, shopping carts, toys...you name it..they live there. And unfortunately the dangers of the germs aren't only encased outside of our homes, but they make their way into our beautiful little houses!!


Thanks to modern technology, we are able to protect ourselves from the infiltration of the flu germs. Thank goodness for hand sanitizers, antibacterial wipes, and soaps!! We can't forget the ever-present (and controversial!) flu vaccine either. So not only can you take care of these germs externally and momentarily, but you can get injected with something that will work internally ..at least until next year.


I can't help but think of how Satan is similar to these hidden, nasty germs. How many times do I...a believer of almost 20 years...forget how dirty and powerful Satan and his evil forces are!! They lurk everywhere in my day...my attitude towards my husband, my unthankfulness towards my possessions, my lack of zeal for serving the Lord...the list goes on and on. You see, Satan comes in quietly and tries to eat away at our lives.

John 10:10 says that "The thief, comes only to steal and kill and destroy..." much like those pesky flu germs!


But just as modern technology has equipped us to fight the flu germs, our all-knowing Lord has equipped us with ways to fight Satan and his forces!! He has given us HIS armor!!

Ephesians 6 says : 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. "

So, today, when you are cleansing and avoiding the lurking flu germs, be mindful of the one lurking to steal, kill and destroy our spiritual lives! Remember that we have been injected with THE Living, Breathing, Powerful PROTECTOR! The best part is we don't have to get Him injected year after year--we've got Him on our side eternally!

- Clare

Thank you Clare - yes ladies, we MUST equip ourselves physically and spiritually! Physically we must stay strong so we can serve our husbands, children, and others in need. And spiritually we must stay strong so we can serve our husbands, children and others in need!

Walk With the King!

Fit Friday: Running Miles for Melana

This past Saturday many of my friends ran in the Akron, Ohio Marathon for a remarkable cause. On the Women Living Well home page you will find the story of sweet 9 year old Melana who is battling cancer. Diana (a friend of Melana and a friend of mine - pictured above after the race with Melana) began to dream - and her dream grew big. She started a blog and recruited everyone she knew to come and join her for this marathon. On race day 42 men and women showed up to do a 4 person relay, 16 ran the 1/2 marathon and 11 ran the entire 26 miles!!! And there were approximately 150 people who made pledges towards Melana's fund. Praise the Lord!

Here is Diana's story in her own words:

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Early this summer Mike and I had an idea to form a team of runners who would take part in the Akron Road Runner in order to support my friend's 9 year old daughter Melana who was diagnosed with a very serious brain cancer in Jan. of this year. We quickly came up with the name MILES FOR MELANA, and wanted to reach 500 committed miles by the end of August. To our surprise we reached well over 700 in no time!
Our goals were to show love and encouragement by raising funds to help her family with mounting medical expenses, to get as many people involved and praying for Melana and her family, and to motivate others to get fit and give running a try!

At first we planned to run the 1/2 Marathon but when the race was about a month off we decided to run the full 26.2! It was a great experience in so many ways!

I'll never forget standing down town in the dark before the gun went off looking up at "Old Glory" and hearing our National Anthem! Then the prayer that was said asking for the Lord's blessing over the run and giving our Creator God due credit for being "in charge" of the weather we would experience! It was very moving! Then we were off!

There's something a bit funny about a sea of bobbing heads all around you for blocks and blocks! Despite the dreadful forecast, the weather was perfect! The entire time I only felt a nice sprinkle for a few moments here and there! The crowds are awesome for the Road Runner too! Bands, choir groups, crazy outfits to make you laugh along the way! It definitely is a rough course though!

(Pictured above in the red shirt - Pastor Steve Marshall on the home stretch) Mike and I ran "Heart Rate Hill" by Stan Hewett twice in training, but there's something so different about that hill when it comes at mile 22! Each of our 69 runners finished their race! Then after leaping across the finish line and hearing Joyce (Melana's Grandma) yelling my name and giving her a high five through the netting and with tears in my eyes, the rain came! We are so proud of all our runners! Kevin Somerville ran the 1/2 and came in 3rd overall with a time of 1 hour and 14 minutes! Many others met their personal goals set for that day, and many more have said they are "hooked" and are already running other races this weekend! It was such a blessing to be part of a team (those who ran and those who gave) of so many people who for the most part have never even met Melana! This was a true representation of love in action! If anyone would like to make a donation to MILES FOR MELANA, there's still time! There's an account set up at US Bank and it will be open until October 10, 2009. You can make a deposit at any local branch!

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Thank you Diana for sharing your story. And to all the runners - thank you for your sacrifice and hard work in training - you are truly an inspiration! I pray that if any of my readers are a runner, you would consider running for a cause and spread the love of Jesus. They will know we are Christians by our love.

Walk with the King!

Fit Friday: The Comparison Trap

Psalm 139:13,14 "For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made."

I linger in front of the mirror for a moment...what do I see? A grey hair popping out, that big sun spot on my cheek, those bags under my eyes - those are new since having children. And then there's my beloved muffin top - possibly the thing that makes me most insecure. For me - all it takes is a mirror to get me discontent. The only thing worse than a mirror is the comparison trap.

We all do it - we compare ourselves to...

1. Ourselves - and our pre-baby days. I have a picture of myself with friends in college by my computer - sometimes I marvel at how thin I was!

2. Our siblings - Both of my sister's are size 0! I blogged about this struggle here.

3. Our friends - I have some tall friends who make me feel so short! You know who you are!!! lol! Those who know me well know I ALWAYS have a heel on unless I am exercising.

4. Our foes - if comparison for you turns into jealousy then you are way off track from where God wants you and you have gone from being a friend to a foe. Jealousy is ugly and deadly - it'd be better to pluck your eye out than to covet your neighbors beauty.

5. Strangers - I'll admit it - I've walked through the mall at times and have seen those skinny, tan, tiny bottomed teenage girls with perky chests - it's a tough pill to swallow.

6. Celebrities - Comparing yourself to celebrities is a lose/lose situation - they have trainers, cooks, nannies, hair stylists, fashion designers, and airbrushing!! We can't possibly keep up!

So what can we do? It's really a matter of mindset. I dare you right there at your computer - praise God for how well he made you. Go ahead do it.....

Did something you don't really like about yourself pop into your head? What is it? Now praise God for it... - does it feel strange?

Here's my prayer: "What a blessed life I have led! Thank you Lord for my muffin top - it means I've had bountiful amounts of food. Thank you for my grey hairs it means I've been blessed with years, thank you for my bags under my eyes - it means I have been blessed with many people in my home to love and care for, thank you for my sun spot - it reminds me of all those fun days on the beach or at the pool."

That's a strange prayer isn't it. The world says - suck the muffin top out with lipo suction, color the greys (I do that by the way!), conceal the bags, have the sun spot removed and on and on it goes.

Now try again to thank God for that thing in the mirror that drives you nuts! It's hard I know - that's because you've been focusing on it and thinking so negatively for so long that your mind can barely bare the idea of actually praising God for how wonderfully you are made. You have been beating yourself up with the comparison trap!!!

Now try again - focus on the wonderful things he has given you - eyes to see, ears to hear, hands to serve, feet that walk, a heart that beats, lungs that hold air, a brain that can read and understand this, and a heart to feel God's love - wow - you are amazing! Aren't you wonderful (and I don't mean this in a prideful sense)? God made you and he says you were wonderfully made - trust him that he made you the way you are for his purposes!

John Piper says "The fight for joy is a fight to see." It's a fight to see things from God's perspective rather than this world's. We must fight for it if we are going to live well!

Walk with the King!

Fit Friday: The Art of the Bubble Bath

Proverbs 17:22 "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."

If you are stressed out from all the back-to-school homework, sports, errands, cooking, cleaning, laundry, and economic troubles...then you NEED a bubble bath.

Here's why - a bubble bath is something COMPLETELY free that only you can give yourself. I remember when my children were babies and my husband was traveling a lot, I would be at my wits end by evening - with no break coming from my husband since he was gone. I found solace in my bubble baths. As soon as I knew both kids were asleep - the art of the bubble bath began.

I know there is a temptation at the end of a weary day to turn on the television and have a snack. This is a common stress reliever - but I don't believe that it really relieves stress like a good bubble bath does.

An awesome bubble bath takes planning so here's what you need:

1. Privacy - all children asleep and the husband aware that you don't want to be interrupted

2. Hot water and loads of Bubbles - preferably ones that smell yummy!

3. Some soft classical music

4. A hand towel rolled up as a pillow

5. A cold drink to set beside the tub

6. A good Christian book

Optional: a lit candle

Now sit back and RELAX - 25 minutes and VOILA - you emerge a new woman. Sometimes all a stressed out momma needs is a little TLC. A cheerful heart is good medicine as Proverbs 17:22 says - and sometimes all we need is a bubble bath to cheer us up!

And guess what - your family will thank you for doing this. Face it - when we are tense, stressed out and exhausted we are not able to be the best wife, mother or child of God we can be. We will more easily give into the enemy's temptations to be angry, inpatient, insensitive, bitter, and the list goes on and on.

The logo for this blog includes a bubble bath girl because a woman who is living well cannot live stretched to her max and stressed out! She must learn to drink from the living well - which is God's word and have joy as she lives it out. Our body affects our spiritual life - so take good care of it! Schedule in a bubble bath for yourself this weekend!

Walk with the King!

Fit Friday: Dealing With Our Emotions

I Timothy 4:8 says "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for both the present life and the life to come."

Godliness - it's our ultimate goal - to be a godly wife, mother, and homemaker. Yet emotions and exhaustion get in the way of our ultimate goal. Emotions are a good thing - they help us to enjoy life or process pain. But they can also get out of control and destroy our day!

I've been told by others that I am a "high energy" person. I tend to talk fast and walk fast. I may appear to others as high energy but can I just say for the record - I'm exhausted! My days wipe me OUT! We are all in this boat together - between our husbands, children, homes and ministries - at the end of the day we are exhausted? Right?

So the key is - energy. Why do we need energy? So we can endure - so we can avoid emotional break downs! It's when we lack sleep and energy that we feel like giving up. It's when we feel like our tank is on empty that we feel defeated, lazy, critical or even worse depressed.

My number one favorite energy booster is speed walking. It gets my heart rate up, makes my bones stronger, builds muscle and puts some sweat on my brow! And it's an emotional outlet! I have downloaded loads of worship music and as that music pumps into my head through my ipod - my heart is lifted to the heavens and I can pray, worship and get my perspective and focus straight.

Currently, I am speed walking/slow jogging 5 times a week for 2-3 miles. My exercise is not about looking good or getting a hard body - it's about being healthy - mind, body and spirit. For me there is a connection between my physical training and my strides for godliness. My workout time is an outlet for some of my emotions that I am feeling such as stress and anxiety. It is also a time of worship and even prayer.

So I want to encourage you today - to get outside and enjoy the crisp fall air. Go for a walk - or hop on your treadmill with some praise music going and enjoy the sweat that forms on your brow! Because "physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for both the present life and the life to come."

Walk with the King!

http://www.womenlivingwell.org/

Fit Friday: Which Food Network Star Am I?

Do you watch the Food Network? Then maybe you can relate to this article below! Women Living Well's Certified Fitness Trainer - Clare - is back with us today and here's what she has to say:************************************

The thought occurred to me one day while on the elliptical machine and watching the Food Network, that our eating habits could be categorized by one if not many of the fabulous chefs on the Food Network. I'm not necessarily thinking about how we cook either. There are a lot of factors which figure into our physical make-up, but we can't negate the importance and weight (no pun intended) that eating has. Sometimes we have to analyze our eating and workout habits in order to really find our true issues with weight loss. Sit down this week and think about how the foods you put into your mouth are contributing to your overall health!


Paula Deen: Is butter, sour cream, fried foods, and more butter your mantra?! If so, chances are you may end up being a little, shall we say, "softer" around the middle. Unless you are looking to gain some weight, veer away from the fatty and fried foods. Always allow yourself a treat though because butter is OH so good ya'll!!


Rachael Ray: Do you cook with boxed items, some fresh ingredients and lots of pasta? Rachael provides a good way for many of us to cook with items already in the pantry (and relatively inexpensive) but with being able to add some fresh ingredients. Rachael by no means is over-weight, but to some, may not be as "thin" as they themselves would like to look. She probably represents where many of us fall in regards to fixing meals and eating.

Giada DeLaurentis: If you are like me, Giada's physique is one to be admired! You'll notice that she cooks great, flavorful food and eats desserts, breads, and appetizers alike. However you'll find that she mainly uses food in their "original" form...herbs, vegetables, fruits, fish, healthy oils...If you want a lean physique like hers while enjoying the variety of foods out there, then try to mimic that kind of cooking.


Where do you fall? I'm somewhere between Rachael and Giada with a sprinkling of Paula. Grab recipes from the cooks whose waistline you admire and maybe you'll see some changes in yours!!

-Clare
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I appreciate Clare's advice and that's some great food for thought!

Walk with the King!

http://www.womenlivingwell.org/

Fit Friday: Power Naps!

What time did you go to bed last night? What time did you wake up? How many hours of sleep did you get exactly? 6 1/2 hours? That's not enough! Studies show that 7 hours of sleep is the minimum hours of sleep an adult can get to perform at peak performance. Some of us even need 8-9 hours of sleep.

What is stealing sleep from you? Can I honestly say that this blog causes me to lose sleep! I usually write my blogs late at night or early early in the morning. In order to get enough sleep I have to be extremely disciplined to turn off the television at night and get to bed. I have to put the book down that I am devouring and turn out the light. In pre-blog days that was no trouble and I was very disciplined. But now I find my creative juices flowing at odd hours of the night when I should be in bed - this never happened before!

But before the blog came along - it was my sweet babies who kept me awake at all hours of the night! We mommies can't avoid those night wakings - so what are we to do? We can't take 2 hour afternoon naps. And if we did, then we would not be able to fall asleep at night. So what's my solution?

POWER NAPS!!! I have discovered that setting my alarm for just a 5-20 minute power nap can help me find the energy I need to make it through the late afternoon and evening. I take a power nap about once to twice a week. It is commonly on the days that I get under 7 hours of sleep. Rather than eating a snack to give me energy - which rarely works - I try to take a power nap to give me energy.

Can I add that I think that power naps are necessary to our spiritual well being! That's a big claim isn't it! But we all know that a tired mommy/wife is a mean mommy/wife! When we are exhausted words slip out of our mouths that we should not say. We are less apt to be patient, kind, caring, considerate, compassionate, or even reasonable.

Mothers - guard your sleep very carefully! Don't trade your sleep for late nights on facebook, watching movies or reading books. Our bodies were created to require rest. We must discipline ourselves to give our bodies what it needs.

My prayer for you is I Thessalonians 5:23 - "May your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Walk with the King!

http://www.womenlivingwell.org/

Fit Friday: Live Strong!

This past weekend I completed my second race. I am a beginner at running but now that I have completed two races, I have learned that the race is not just a physical race but there is a lot going on mentally that interferes with the race process. Just getting the number on my shirt is a mental hurdle. Having a peace of mind while I wait for the gun shot is the next hurdle. Then there's the hurdle of people passing you on the right and left - and the fear of finishing last.

In both races, I ran with friends - some are beginners like me and some are more seasoned runners. I have chosen to let my more experienced friends be my "pace setters". But in both races, my pace setters were moving faster than I could keep up with and I had to battle whether to "give up" and let them run on ahead of me or whether I would take the challenge and push through the pain and stay with them.

In this race, I took the water cup at the one mile marker and it went up my nose! Lovely - see I told you I am a beginner!!! Drowning yourself during a race is not highly recommended!! At that point, mentally I checked out and I had to let my pace setter go. As I watched her run away from me in her hot pink shorts - the label that went around her waist read in large letters "LIVE STRONG". Oh it was a dagger - I'm just not strong enough to stick with her - physically, I did not have it in me. Mentally, I did not have it in me.

BUT I could not give up and just walk. I was in a race and I was going to finish - so after walking about 10 steps and catching my breath - those words "LIVE STRONG" continued to go through my mind. I lifted my feet - (that now felt like they had lead in them) - and I began to run again. I wasn't sure I had it in me as I came around the final corner and headed up a steep hill to the finish line - but then I saw the face of my dear friend Clare - (that's her cheering in the photo) - her face and her words of encouragement - made me feel stronger for the finish when I felt weak.

Live strong! Do not give up! In this race of life - there will be mental battles - thoughts about not measuring up, not being good enough, feeling like we are a failure as a wife, mother or homemaker. We may feel like people are "passing us" or like we are drowning! When you feel weary do not give up - lean hard on God to give you the strength you don't have. Live strong!

Galatians 6:9 is my life verse and it says "Do not grow weary in doing good, for in due season you will reap a harvest IF YOU DO NOT GIVE UP."

If you feel weary today - fall on your knees and cry out to God for strength and then get up and lift your weary legs and do the right thing. If you are not struggling... BE the pace setter and the cheerleader for someone else today! Help a weary soul along their journey - be a source of strength and encouragement as we run the race of life together and live strong!

Walk with the King!

http://www.womenlivingwell.org/

Fit Friday: Body and Spirit Connection

Few women are satisfied with their bodies - even the most beautiful movie stars such as Julia Roberts have had stand-ins for certain scenes. Our culture bombards us with the message that we need to buy something to make ourselves more attractive. There's ads for losing 10 pounds in 10 days, how to look younger, have glowing skin, prettier eyes, plumper lips, glossier hair - you name - they sell it! The message of the world YOU MUST NOT AGE! But guess what - we ARE aging!

Have you ever thought about your body and your spirit and how they are connected - take it one step further and separate them...

When you die - your body goes into the grave - but your spirit will go to heaven to be with God. Now you ask - then what will my body be like in heaven? I answered this question here...but here's the short answer:

Just as you sow a tiny sunflower seed in the ground and reap a huge beautiful flower - our bodies will be planted in the grave and our new heavenly bodies will be vastly different than the seed that was planted - this is explained in I Corinthians 15.

"When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. (37,38)...There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another(40)...So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.(42-44)"

When you place your faith in Christ and are born again - the Holy Spirit comes to reside inside of you according to I Corinthians 6:19-20 "Do you not know that your body is a temple 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 body."

So inside of your body resides your spirit AND the Holy Spirit. Your body is just a container to hold them both. Should you take care of this container? Absolutely - it is not your own - it was bought with a price - the price of Jesus' blood on the cross. God uses your eyes - to bring his word to your spirit, he uses your hands to serve others, he uses your feet and mouth to bring the good news of Jesus to others, he uses your mouth to worship him, encourage others, and train your children. He uses your body to minister to your husband's spirit - if you know what I mean wink wink!!!

You need to feed your body, exercise your body - take care of your body!!!! Psalm 139:14 says you are wonderfully and fearfully made - stop tearing your body down in the mirror - and start praising the Lord for the way your body has helped you experience and enjoy the blessings God has given you. If you are reading this - your heart is beating - thank you Jesus, your lungs are working - thank you Jesus, your eyes can see - thank you Jesus, your hands can type - thank you Jesus. Your body has served your spirit well thus far! Thank you Jesus!

Stop believing Satan's lie in every magazine that this container you live in is not good enough - you are good enough for Jesus - he DIED for you - he LOVES you! Be satisfied with your aging body - it's a part of God's plan that we cannot change.

I am with you in this struggle for satisfaction. I have been training for my second race that I will run on Sunday with a group of friends - it's been a painful process - I HATE running - but I know that I am being a good steward of my container. Let's take care of our container so we can serve God with full energy and zip till he calls our spirit home! Take care of your body today - feed it good things, stretch those muscles and use them - "if you don't use it you lose it!"

And MOST importantly do not neglect your spirit! Life is but a vapor - Walk with the King!

http://www.womenlivingwell.org/

Fit Friday: Meet My Trainer Clare!

Some of you have already met my friend who is a trainer - Clare - over on http://www.womenlivingwell.org/. She has generously given of her time and talent so we can build some lean muscles for all that cleaning we need to do hehe!

Here's a recent message from Clare to you!

"Hi everyone! It's been a while since you've seen me on the website with any fit tips or exercises, but it comes with good reason.... I had a baby! Lila Irene was born on June 3rd at 10:07am. My labor went very well and recovery has been much better than with my first born. I'm sure you expect to hear this from me, but I truly think that working out during the pregnancy helped me immensely not only during the pregnancy but also during labor (increased endurance, strength and body awareness) and in recovery (return to pre-baby shape).
You'll be hearing a lot more about pregnancy and fitness over the next few months.


In the meantime, I want to gear you up for some upcoming articles and exercises that you can expect to see over the next few months!

Exercise Ideas (with pictures!)
- Stretches with the Resistance Band
- Upper and Lower Body with the resistance band
- Cardio Moves with the Aerobics Ball
- Pregnancy Workout


Articles regarding:
- Portion control
- Working out during pregnancy
- Getting your body back after pregnancy
- Food Labels 101
- Recommended DVD's

Please write to me at clare@womenlivingwell.org with any questions or ideas you'd like more information on!"

But for today - if you are looking for some new exercises to try check out these workout plan tutorials she's already created for you:

Work Out Plan - Abs

Work Out Plan - Upper Body

Work Out Plan - Lower Body

Work Out Plan - Pilates

Workout Plan - Upper Body with Aerobics Ball

Workout Plan - Lower Body with Aerobics Ball

My favorite! Workout Plan - Abs with Medicine and Aerobics Ball

"Do you not know that your body is a temple 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 body." I Corinthians 6:19,20

Walk with the King!

http://www.womenlivingwell.org/

Fit Friday: Get Fit Cleaning Your House!

This week the theme of Women Living Well has been on the Proverbs 31 woman and homemaking. So the fit tip of the week correlates with the theme.

The Proverbs 31 woman is described in verse 17 as having "arms strong for her tasks". One way that we can grow stronger is simply by cleaning. We can burn about 200 calories walking for an hour or burn 100-500 calories by doing some deep cleaning for an hour AND have the max benefit of getting a task done!

Imagine how much harder tasks were physically 100 years ago. Women had to scrub their laundry, wring it out and then hang it on a line. They had to pluck the feathers off of chickens, knead dough, wash all their dishes by hand and beat their rugs.

Last Friday I showed how to make a fitness notebook. One way to grow physically stronger is to work out - but another way simply comes through out the course of the day as you manage your home. If you don't have time to bike, run, swim or exercise or have the money to invest in a treadmill or gym membership - you can squeeze these other activities in during the day to gain some muscle and flexibility.

1. When you are making your bed and stretching to pull the covers - add an extra stretch in to gain some flexibility.
   
2. When you are lifting your laundry basket to carry up the stairs - do a couple extra lifts - up and down to strengthen your arms.
   
3. When you are mopping the kitchen floor - really push down on the mop and scrub - this will strengthen your core and back.
   
4. If you have stairs in your home - do a couple extra trips up and down putting shoes and items away - this will get your heart rate up.
   
5. If there is raking, mulching or outdoor sweeping to be done - do it continually for 30+ minutes to get your heart rate up and strengthen your arms.
   
6. Weeding, window washing, vacuuming and dusting all strengthen your arms, legs and abs - and we ALL know that carrying those babies on our hips is NO easy task!
   

I have noticed my arms are weaker now that I don't have to carry my children anymore! Those baby carriers are a workout!!! But once those babies grow into preschoolers - our arms and backs will weaken if we do not keep our arms "strong for our tasks". We must not shy away from hard work - it's good for us!!! Working hard will help us live well with energy and vibrance and benefit our families with a clean place to take refuge.

Walk with the King!

http://www.womenlivingwell.org/

Fit Friday: How To Make A Fitness Notebook

I have a tendency to read fitness magazines or websites and pull/print out articles I want to save. But then I found that I had no place to keep them and I never ended up referring to them. So I decided to organize them by creating a "fitness notebook".

I've never seen anyone else's notebook and just sort of "made up" what I thought should be in it - so you could create yours special to your needs. I started with just a three ring binder and a package of page protectors. Then I took all those articles and sorted them by topic such as:

Workout Plans Using Weights

Information on Healthy Food

Healthy Recipes

Charts for checking off my progress

And extra notebook paper to log my runs on the treadmill (or you could log your food and calorie intake on this notebook paper).

This notebook gives me a place to keep all this information organized and I can take it with me anywhere - like the kitchen to cook, the grocery store to shop, the basement where I exercise or outside. It's quite handy. And it's amazing how a little organized notebook can be so effective and make fitness interesting and fun. It's my FREE personal trainer!

Remember I Corinthians 6:19,20 says"Do you not know that your body is a temple 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 body."

Remember to take care of your body and love God with all of your strength!

Walk with the King!

http://www.womenlivingwell.org/

Fit Friday - Squeeze It In

The theme verse of Women Living Well is Mark 12:30 which says "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with ALL YOUR STRENGTH."

It is important for women to do weight bearing activities to keep our body strong and to avoid injury as we grow older.

Are you taking care of your body? Do you own a lot of DVD's and equipment but then find it hard to squeeze in exercise every single day? I run on the treadmill a few times a week and recently I ran a 5K. I have plans to run in a second race this August. But I will admit that it is very hard to squeeze in time to train.

In May, I wrote a post titled Self Control vs. Gluttony

link: (http://womenlivingwell-courtney.blogspot.com/2009/05/weight-loss-self-control-vs-gluttony.html) and in the comment section a reader asked me to suggest a website that was a good resource for exercising. So here's one suggestion. This fun website is written specifically for women who feel like they don't have the time to work out - so it's appropriately titled...www.squeezeitin.com

You have to check it out - she gives you all sorts of exercises that you can do while doing your housework, hair or playing with your kids - for example...lunges while you vaccuum and squats while you dry your hair. I've been doing the "hot squats" daily since I discovered this site. It's fun!

Another website that I must mention is www.milesformelana.blogspot.com

Melana Matson is nine years old, and in January of this year they found out she has a very serious, life threatening cancer called a glioma affecting her brain stem. My friend Diana has formed a team called MILES FOR MELANA that is training to take part in the Akron Road Runner Marathon this September 26th.


As of 6/30 she has over 40 runners and more than 500 miles collectively! Funds are being raised to help with the family's mounting medical bills. Please check out the blog and help them show love and support to this precious little girl at http://www.milesformelana.blogspot.com/

Walk with the King!

http://www.womenlivingwell.org/