…Are you helping others?

Hello! I hope you are doing GREAT today! I posted this last year and thought it would be good to repost it – with a few minor changes.

Today, Monday, January 16, we celebrate the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.   If we can embrace what Martin Luther King stood for, and spoke about, this holiday can also be a day that is considered a day of service.  Although we are familiar with Dr. Kings infamous speech “I Have a Dream“, Dr. King also has made many quotes which are considered to be some of the most famous quotations of all time.  One quotation from Dr. King that brought one of my goals into perspective is this one:  “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’ 

What are you doing for others….. and…what am I doing for others?

Training and helping others with exercise and diet to get healthy is my passion; my God-given gift.  That is what I purpose to do to help others; and do more of it.

You’ve may read on my website or one of my other publications where I say that we are in the season of wellness; and I want to make this year the  best year for fitness ever!

I say the season of wellness because:

• more and more individuals have recognized the benefits of exercise and sensible eating
• more and more individuals have taken a self-analysis of themselves and have come to the conclusion that they, too, need to do better as it relates to their health and wellness.
• more and more individuals have visited their doctor, and at the end of the appointment, the doctor recommended exercise and a change of diet
• more and more individuals have been diagnosed with sickness and diseases (HBP, CVD, diabetes, high cholesterol, etc)  later in life; which may have been prevented if they had taken precautions in the early years
• more and more individuals are experiencing aches and pains in their joints due to limited or no physical activity (atrophy) and now wish to start improving the quality of life with physical activity
• obesity is an epidemic not only in adults, but children, too
• our children are now getting adult diseases!

 

 

We all know of someone who falls into one or all of the categories – friends, family or co-workers – we all know someone.

I know that my gift is not for me, but to share, and sharing the gift is my ultimate goal.  I had help to get me to where I am today. So being a certified fitness professional is my way of paying it  forward and being of service.   My assignment is “HOPE” = Helping Other People Exercise.

This is my way of helping others – and I really love what I do!

You can be of service to someone else, too, and help them or inform them about the benefits of being healthy!  You can do this by contacting your churches, schools, corporations, friends and family members and start helping each other lead a healthier life! These are the  people we love and care about so  let’s start changing the statistics of poor health.

 

Oh the joy of feeling good!

Even if it isn’t today,  what will your day of service be (helping others)?

I’d like to know what you think.  Please leave me a comment!

www.bodybysid.com

2012 Fitness trends…check this out…

http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/27/health/new-year-fitness-trends/index.html?hpt=hp_bn10

The Scar…..

Recently while on vacation in October of this year, I was on the beach.

Out of the blue a man, a total stranger, said to me “great scar, dude”.  Seriously?  I was shocked. He was referring to the scar going diagonally across my stomach. Was he giving me a compliment on a scar?  I didn’t know whether to be offended or to say thank you. I guess the reason for my surprise is that I have never been asked about my scar. After he saw the surprised and puzzled look on my face, he added “scars tell a story”. I certainly hope he didn’t think I got the scar from being in a gang (stabbing) or some other thug-related activity!

But the man was right.  Scars do tell a story.  There are physical and emotional scars. My scar is the physical scar as a result from a surgery. That is where the story of the scar began.

Part of my colon was removed, which left a long ugly scar. The scar actually looks like a line graph. It starts from my lower right side just above my hip and travels at an upward angle, past the middle of my stomach.  Not pretty.

Why did this man say this to me???  Ironically, I go to the gym everyday and no one at the gym has ever inquired about my scar.  Odd.

But again, the man was right.  My scar does tell a story and because of that scar:

• I now eat better
• I exercise more
• I encourage people, like you reading this blog, to exercise and eat healthy
• I am reminded of how great life is; and where I could have possibly ended up had I not had the surgery
• I am a fitness coach, trainer (and I think I’m pretty good at it, too)
• I have become a diabetes lifestyle coach
• I continually learn about the body and how it functions
• I thank God everyday

I look at my scar every single day.  Granted, it is an ugly scar, but it is but it is a beautiful reminder of life.  I also realize that all surgery causes some scar tissue; it’s part of the healing process. That’s where the story of the scar ends. Healed.

The man, I’m sure, didn’t mean any harm by asking me about my scar. At the time I was not sure how to respond or react. But I guess I answered my own question. So no, I am not offended since it made me think about the circumstances and the outcome.

The objective of this blog is to help you avoid the physical scar if you can.  Whether it be complications from diabetes, other disease or surgery, avoid the scar. Sometimes we can’t avoid the scar, but please don’t get to the point where you have to enter into the hospital because of something that could have been prevented.  Eat right. Exercise. Follow your doctor’s advice.   

Do you have a scar story?  Let me know what you think..leave me a comment!

Committed to Your Fitness Success!

Yikes! There is a WRONG way to exercise!

That’s right – there’s a wrong way to exercise. And I notice this “wrong” way time and time again when I am in the gym training a client or just looking around; which prompted me to write this post! But don’t worry! Once you know how to exercise the right way, you’ll be ready for some great tips that will help you maintain good form and make the most of your work out.  I underlined form because those who know me know I’m a stickler for form and one’s safety is top priority.

Ok, onto the good stuff.  If you’re like most people, you don’t have a lot of time to exercise, so why do exercises that won’t help you be healthier and happier? So I’ve listed a few exercises of what I’ve seen or you might be doing wrong and how you can enhance your form (there’s that word again) and reap the intended benefits of exercise.

No-No #1

This is a cringer. The lateral or lat pull down behind the head.  I know you’ve seen people do it. This exercise is less effective and is done by pulling a weighted bar down behind your head and neck. Unless you have very mobile shoulder joints, you could be damaging the alignment of your spine when you pull the bar down or you could be putting undue strain on your shoulders, which can easily lead to injury.  

Safe Alternative: Instead of pulling the bar down behind your head, try leaning back a few degrees and pulling the bar down to your breastbone by pulling your shoulder blades down and together. Contract your abdominal muscles to control your movements.

No-No #2

Raising a weight to your chin with your arm using a very close grip can be dangerous, as this movement can quite easily compress the nerves in your shoulder.

Safe Alternative: Perform this same type of exercise, but lift the weights to the side or front of the body. Better yet, try this exercise while bending forward at the hips and holding the weight below your shoulder and then lifting it to the side of your body. This movement still targets all the muscles of your upper back, while getting the biceps involved as well.

No-No #3

When using a weighted machine to perform leg presses while lying down, it’s easy to bend your knees too deeply as you move the weight. This exercise is designed to work your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. But if you bend too much with your knees, your pelvis can tilt and force the lower back to bear some of the weight, which can lead to serious back troubles if the exercise is repeated regularly.

Safe Alternative: Try doing a seated leg press or, instead of using a machine, try using the resistance of your own body. Squats and lunges can work the same muscle groups with far greater safety.

No-No 4

This was a discussion in one of my diabetes prevention classes. Even if you are doing everything else correctly, did you know that wearing the wrong shoes can counteract everything. Improper footwear can increase the pounding on your joints and lead to conditions like plantar fasciitis or tendinitis.

Safe Alternative: The key is to choose a shoe that fits the exercise you are doing. Shop at a reputable athletic shoe stores so you can talk to knowledgeable salespeople who can help you find the right type of shoe for your activities and foot.

No-No #5

I think too many people these days are using weight belts. Unless you have a medical reason to wear one, you can probably ditch the belt down. Using a weight belt reduces your core muscles’ ability to recruit stabilizer muscles to work and become stronger.

Safe Alternative: Unless you are a bodybuilder, skip the weight belt and concentrate on utilizing your core muscles to build up your strength.

Ok, there are my five no-no’s of exercise.  There are more, but this is good start to get you thinking about how you will execute the movement the next time you work out.

The Trainer

If you’ve worked with a personal trainer before, you can probably skip this section, but if your an exercise novice, a personal trainer may help your exercise program get off on the right start. Since I am one J,  personal trainers are great at keeping you pumped up about exercise and they are also there to ensure that you maintain the proper form and a good variety of activities while working out. And we keep you accountable.

Personal trainers also provide other benefits that you may find motivational, including:

• Fitness evaluations, which can measure where you are when you first start exercising and continue measuring your progress as you become more fit.
• Personalized exercise programs are a great benefit of having a personal trainer. Because your trainer knows you, he or she can develop a plan that is tailored to your needs so you can reap the greatest benefit from your exercise.
• Supervised exercise sessions are also a big plus when you have a personal trainer. It can be hard to know if you’re doing something right – or wrong – unless someone tells you.

I hope this blog post will prove helpful to you! Let me know ether way! I love feedback so please leave me a comment!

[blog] what make us overeat?

Hello, everyone! I hope you are doing awesome today….

What make us overeat?

It’s pretty much the downfall of every diet you try. You’re eating the right foods, you’re exercising, but…you’re overeating. Each time you reach for a serving of apple pie, that second piece of chicken breast, or another slice of pizza, you’re probably not thinking about how it might wreak havoc with your diet plans. But afterwards, you’ll regret it and it will leave you wondering just how much is too much.

It is common for many dieters to fall into the trap of binge eating while on a diet. They’re not really hungry, but they can’t stop themselves from reaching for more food.

 

How many times have you heard a person look at someone who has some weight to lose and say they have no willpower? That must surely be the reason they are overweight, right? If they’d only stop putting food in their mouth, they’d lose weight. Others may say that the person has developed habits that they need to change in order to be successful at losing weight.  There may be more behind the story that we do not know.

A person is overeating when they continue to eat (large portions), even when they are not hungry. Most people in America overeat, which is why obesity has grown steadily over the past few decades.

What makes a person overeat if they aren’t hungry? Is it lack of willpower, as some people assume? Or is it something that has become a habit that can be changed?  hmmmmm…..

Definition of Willpower

The definition of willpower is having control over ones actions, and being able to control impulses.  In other words, you set the course. Willpower is not a constant thing. It can change with your emotions. For real. For instance, when you are feeling good about yourself, your willpower may be strong. When something has happened in your life that gets your down or causes stress, you may feel that you have to struggle to maintain your willpower.

Definition of Habit

We are all creatures of habit. The definition of habit is an acquired behavior pattern that, when repeated often enough, becomes involuntary. A lot of people reach for food without even thinking. In fact, at the end of the day most people couldn’t accurately tell you what they ate during the day because they weren’t paying attention.

So which is it that really keeps you overeating? To some degree, both willpower and habit contribute to overeating. Here is where psychology kicks in: you need to have willpower in order to break the pattern of overeating and change the habit. But there is more at play than just these two things.

When a person is unable to stay on a diet, for whatever reason, he or she becomes depressed. This works against their willpower and changes the psyche of the mind to believe there is no reason to try any longer, making it easier for the person to fall back on old habits. But, developing new habits can help give you the fortitude to sustain your willpower.

Ways to Stop Overeating

• Learn what a healthy portion size is and stick to it. Americans have gotten used to “super” sizes, but we don’t really need to eat that much. In fact, a healthy portion is much smaller.
• Divide your plate into sections. Don’t deprive yourself from sampling your favorite foods. Instead of taking a big portion of lasagna to fill your plate, take a small portion and fill the rest of the plate with healthy vegetables or salad to help fill you.
• Drink water during a meal or when you are tempted to eat outside of a meal to create a feeling of being. You may be mistaking hunger for being dehydrated.
• Eat fiber rich foods. Fiber absorbs water and expands in the stomach, creating a feeling of being full.
• Don’t “taste-test” your food while cooking. There are calories in those little spoonfuls you’re taking during meal preparation. You may be testing so much that you’ve had half a meal before you even sit down at the dinner table.
• Eat healthy fruit desserts. Instead of chocolate cake, try a bowl of fruit salad. It’ll satisfy your sweet-tooth, while give you a feeling of indulgence.
• Keep a journal. I highly recommend this.  Write down every single bit of food and beverage you put in your mouth. It will be eye opening at first. After a while, your habits will change and you won’t need the journal anymore.

Ok, there you have it! I firmly believe by changing just a few habits, you will find your willpower increases, you’ll lose weight and feel healthier!

Please let me know what you think about this blog!  Please leave me a comment!

[blog] hey, how fit are u?

Exactly how fit are you?

It’s an intriguing question, huh? I’ve come to learn that many people either over or under estimate their own fitness, or, level of fitness if you will.

Often, the fitter people get, the more critical they are of their own fitness! I can relate to that.

The ways of measuring your fitness is almost as varied as the ways you can get fit.

So, Sidney, how do we find out how fit we are?

Measuring your fitness is important for a few reasons:

• Knowing your current fitness level will enable you to make clear goals for your workout program
• “Fitness” takes time. You will be able to measure your fitness after some time, and see how far you’ve progressed. This will help to maintain your motivation.
• It’s important to know your fitness level so that you can choose the most appropriate exercise and strength training for your body

Now that you have read a few of the reasons fitness is important, let me share 4 primary components of fitness that you can measure.

1. Aerobic fitness.

This is your endurance level, and it is dependent upon your age, gender, and improves with proper training. Aerobic fitness is directly related to the proportion of your body weight that is free of fat. Your level of aerobic fitness implies a level of health, and thus is a very important measurement.

Ok, I’m going back into my text book for this.  Aerobic movement requires the delivery of oxygen to the muscles. Oxygen is delivered to the muscles via your bloodstream. Therefore, each heartbeat you have is an indicator of the amount of blood traveling through your bloodstream. So one way to measure your aerobic fitness is to take your heart rate, or pulse.

To do this, record your resting pulse rate when you wake up in the morning (or when you’re at rest), and then go for a one-mile brisk walk. Take your pulse again once you’ve immediately finished the mile, and record how long it took you to walk. As you gain aerobic fitness, your heart rate should lower – and so should the time it takes you to walk the mile! The average resting heart ratefor an adult is 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm). Truly fit individuals can have a resting heart rate of 40bpm!  Who can guess what mine is? (it’s below 45).

2. Muscular fitness.

This relates to your strength, and the endurance of that strength. Your muscular fitness can show how susceptible you are to injury. It also relates to your bone mass.  And guess what? A very simple way of testing your muscular fitness is with push-ups (my favorite)! You can time yourself, and see how many you do in that timeframe. Or, you can just complete as many push-ups as possible before your arms give out.  This is also a great way for women and men to build upper body strength.

3.  Flexibility. This is your body’s ability to move joints and muscles through a full range of motion (ROM). It can also relate to your balance and coordination levels. A tight muscle can prevent normal movement. The most common way to measure your flexibility is via the dreaded sit and reach test. Yes, I hate that test. With this test, you’ll need a yard stick or  measuring tape. Place the yard stick along the floor. With your feet at zero, and the tape stretching away from you, sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you.

Try to touch your feet or stretch as far past your feet as possible. Have a friend check how far you went on the ruler. If you can’t reach your toes, you’ll have a negative number. If you stretch past your feet, you’ll have a positive number. The more flexible your legs, hips, and lower back are, the further you will be able to reach in this test. One problem, though, is that your flexibility in each joint is independent of your other joints. Therefore, you may have very flexible shoulder joints, but terribly tight hamstrings.

4. Body composition.

This tends to relate to the amount of fat on your body, and where that fat is located. The location of fat at specific sites (in particular, the waist area) places you at higher risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. An easy way of measuring your body composition is via your body mass index (BMI). Body mass index is the measure of body fat based on height and weight. For example, if your weight is 134 lbs, and your height is 5’6” tall, then your BMI calculation would be

Here is the formula:  BMI = ( Weight in Pounds / ( Height in inches x Height in inches ) ) x 703

135/4356 * 703 = 21.8

That’s a BMI of 21.8. The chart above allows you to look up your BMI based on your height and weight.  There are many tools you can use online, so you don’t have to remember the formula.  The range for a normal BMI is 18.5 – 25. You will fall into the overweight range if your BMI is anywhere between 25 – 30. Obese is anything greater than 30. Underweight is anything under 18.5.  Note: if you are muscular, the BMI will not work for you.

Another important body composition test is to measure your waist. Anything larger than 40 inches for men, and 35 inches for women increases your health risks. This is particularly important to take notice of if your BMI is larger than 25.

So how fit are you? But the greater question is, how fit do you intend to be? Set your goals, work your program, and watch as those numbers go down, down, down.  I am here to help!

Let me know if this was information was helpful to you!  Please leave me a comment!

[blog] Is it an age thing?

What does age have to do with exercise?

Well, it has a lot to do with it. Some of it is logical of course, meaning it is somewhat unlikely for a 96 year run a mile at the same pace as someone in their 20’s.  Yes, that is logically thinking, but the flip side of that, is that it is a mindset as well.

Afterboot camp a few weeks ago, some of the campers stayed around and talked and one question came up about the “age” of someone who exercises and when they should stop.

The question was: “should I be doing some of these exercises at my age”?

This was an excellent question and my response was “you’re never too old to exercise”.  As I proceeded to explain the benefits and reasons of the importance of exercise in our later years, I also stated to the person that since you can do the exercises at your age should mean a lot!  The camper laughed and agreed.

We went on to discuss how some of the younger folks can not keep up with the “older” ones in the camp at times.  One camper suggested it was the mindset of those over 40 who tend to push thru things. Whereas, the younger ones seem to take a break, look around or say it’s too hard…..is this because this is a day and time of instant gratification without working for it?

 

I started to think about the other classes that I teach and the range of ages in the class. And it seems there was some credibility to that statement about mindset of those over 40.  Hmmm..do the ones over 40 really push a little harder to get thru it? And if so,why, and what is the motivation?  The challenges are there; and they meet and overcome them.

And it is true that you have to have a mindset change in order to live a healthy lifestyle.

As we continued to talk it seemed that the consensus was that if you are over 40, you seem to push thru it; no matter how difficult the challenge.

In no way  am I saying that the under 40 crowd who exercise are slackers or are not giving 100%, because I do know some under 40 who are go-getters and giver their all-n-all! What I’m saying is that there seems to be a difference when it comes to working out- younger vs. older.  And I guess this discussion could really go both ways.

   

So, what’s age got to do with it? 

I’d like to hear your take on this – both under and over 40.  is there some truth about what I’ve blogged about?  Let me hear from you!   Let me get about 15 comments and the next blog will have a workout for you.

I Want to Gain Muscles!

Hello, All!

I hope you are doing awesome today!

Well, I didn’t quite get 60 comments from the last blog, but no worries!  I hope you find this blog to be informative.

Within the last week I have been asked this question three times, each by a different person: “I want to gain more weight and put on muscle, how do I do it?”  As a trainer I am usually asked the opposite of how does someone lose weight.

So, today I would like to share with how to gain weight/muscle.  This blog may cater more towards men because men are primarily the ones who want to put on muscle mass!

Ok, let’s get started.

There are three (3) body types:  ectomorph (thin, tall, also known as a “hardgainer”), endomorph (athletic, muscular build) and mesomorph (soft, flabby, round shaped).

The ectomorph is what I’m going to focus on.  A few of the characteristics of an ectomorph is thin, flat chest, very little muscle and has trouble gaining weight.

If you are thin and having trouble gaining muscle mass and or weight please consider the following:

Nutrition – this, to me, is going to be one of the biggest factors for putting on muscle mass and weight.  You have to eat!

How do you know the amount of calories you need?  There are several formulas that are used to determine how many calories that you should consume in order to gain muscle.  I use two. One of the formulas takes into account your height, but to keep the blog short, I will use the simplest formula. This formula uses your body weight only and your level of activity.  BW=body weight.

• If you are active male, calculate your body weight by 17  (ex.  bw of 175 x 17 = 2,975).  So 2,975 is the amount of calories you need to consume.
• If you are a moderately active male,  bw x 16
• If you are a sedentary male,  bw x 15

Please use your current body weight; don’t use 275 lbs if you only weigh 140!  Otherwise you will put on fat!

Eat more often throughout the day; every 2-3 hours –quality food not junk food!  Your diet should consist of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

   

What are the ratios of the Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fat?

Carbohydrates should be 55% of your diet; which will provide energy for your workouts (please try to avoid or keep to a minimum, the refined carbs).

Protein should be 30% of your diet and will provide the essential building blocks for muscle.

Fats should be 15% of your diet.  You need fat to help with the strength levels. If you are interested in building muscle, you will lose strength if your fat percentage is reduced too low. An example of good, healthy fats are from nuts, olive/canola oils and fish (monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, and omega-3s).

Ok, let’s use our example from above for the “man” consuming 2,975 calories:

Carbs:  55% of 2,975     = 1,636 calories from carbs

Proteins: 30% of 2,975  = 893 calories from protein

Fat: 15% of 2,975          = 446 calories from fat

Note: since every body is different (metabolic differences) the ratios may need to be adjusted.

Your workout – for the ectomorph, or hard gainer, your workout will be different than most. Here’s what you should do to get pumped!

• Do not workout more than 1 hour, at a slow pace and have longer rest periods in between sets (at least 3 minutes)
• Keep aerobic activity to a minimum until you are satisfied with your weight.
• Lift weights that are fairly heavy, but that you can lift safely!

 

Ok, remember that this blog is for gaining muscle, not for fat loss.  Another thing you have to have when gaining muscle is to do it carefully be consistent and have patience – especially if you are a hard gainer – because muscle will not come on quickly.

When you want to gain muscle, it is equally important that you raise your blood sugar levels soon after the workout with by feeding your muscle protein and replenishing your glucose with carbohydrates. (you can do this by eating a protein bar, or a protein/carbohydrate shake).  Your window of opportunity to get the nutrients into your muscles is in within one hour after the workout.

So there you have it! Putting on muscle is a combination of nutrition and your workout!  I hope this helps.

I’d like to get at least 20 comments so if you found this information to be helpful to you (or someone you know), please leave a comment!   Oh! and click “like” .

Committed to Your Fitness Success

Sidney L West

“It May Be Your Body, But It’s Still God’s Temple” Part I

Hello, All!

I hope you are doing great today!

I am not sure if you know or not, but I like to look at things from many different perspectives and today, we will look at a different perspective on exercise and our body.  Some may like it, and some may not!

As a certified fitness professional, I had many books to help me study, and there are many books out there to choose from. I learned muscle groups, how the body functions and moves, how to properly execute a movement/exercise and the benefits of exercise, just to name a few.  But from a plethora of books to choose from, there was one book that was not included as part of my course work; and it has the blueprint of what we can do for our bodies to live a prosperous and healthy life – the Bible. The Bible even outlines how we should eat. (Have you seen the Ezekiel brand foods in the grocery store)?

As I mentioned in the blog last week, today is a guest blog post written by Pastor Wanda L. Sawyer-Flipping of the Emmanuel Baptist Church, Rankin, Pennsylvania (about 8 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh); and some excerpts by me.  Not only is she my aunt, but she also knows and understands the importance of exercise and healthy living.  Here, Pastor Sawyer-Flipping tells us that our bodies are indeed, temples and gives us ways on how we should treat them as the scriptures dictate.

I will say that I have visited many churches, and this is the only church that I am aware of that starts its service with fitness tips and words of wisdom that is health related!   As a fitness professional, the sight and sound of what I was witnessing was phenomenal!  I know that our bodies are temples.  And as you read this blog post, think about your body as the “temple”.

Ok, enough from me! Let’s get to the guest blog post.  Here you are; Pastor Wanda Sawyer-Flipping…..

“It May Be Your Body, But It’s Still God’s Temple”

by Pastor Wanda L. Sawyer-Flipping

When we speak of the church, we are often referring to a building where we meet throughout the week and gather for worship. However, this building is not the church! It is a place where the church gathers. The church is that universal, mystical body made up of every person who has trusted Jesus Christ by faith and has been born into the family of God.

What we don’t understand is that you are the sanctuary of God.  The word “temple” in 1 Corinthians verse 19 refers not to the whole place of the temple, but just to the Holy of Holies, the place where God dwelled. What Paul is trying to tell us is that we are the dwelling place of Almighty God.

Somehow, some people have the opinion that what we do to our body has no effect on us spiritually. The truth, however, is vastly different.  If you are in tune with God, everywhere you go, everything you do, everything you touches you, in effect, touches God.  That is why Paul tells the Corinthians that they (we) are Gods temples.  It appears that many people in the time of Paul at Corinth were using their bodies for immoral purposes and were defiling their temple.

When God gave His plans for the Tabernacle, and later on the Temple, He set forth in no uncertain terms the plain fact that He demanded purity in the materials and construction; otherwise, He would never fill it with His glory.

Five things to keep in mind regarding your body:

1.  God will not fill a dirty temple.    As I continue on, I would like for you to give some thought to how you are using your body to do things that aren’t  right in the sight of God, or in other words, aren’t benefiting your as God has intended.  There are a number of things, outside of sex, drugs, and alcohol that you can do with your body that displeases God.   What about lack of exercise and the types of food we put inside our bodies?

2. Our Bodies are a Place of Dedication.  The earthly Temple was a place wholly dedicated to God and His glory. Nothing that defiled was allowed on the grounds.  When something out of the ordinary occurred, God took immediate steps to take care of the problem. For instance, Nadad and Abihu, in Lev. 10:1-2, were the sons of Eleazar who offered up strange fire before the Lord and God killed them. It appears from the text in Lev. 10:8-11, that these men were guilty of drunkenness before the Lord. Be that as it may, the earthly temple was a place set apart for God and His glory.

These earthly bodies that we dwell in are also set apart for His glory! According to the bible, no one reading this has the right to use his/her body for anything other than that which glorifies the Lord. Why? Because we have been bought with a price.  Do something good for your body; that is a benefit of exercise; you are doing something good for your body.

3. We do not belong to ourselves, we belong to the Lord! So, regardless of what we are doing, and the reason we are doing it, it must  bring glory and honor to God.  Show God that we can take care of our bodies. We can make smart choices.

4. Our Bodies are a Place of Devotion.  The Temple was a place where men gathered to worship God. They came to the temple and glorified the Lord. It was a place where songs were sung, prayers were prayed, hands were raised, praises were rendered and God was magnified.  The temple was a place of worship.  Just as that temple was devoted to God as a place of worship, these bodies of ours are to be places where God is worshiped. The truth is, these bodies will render worship to one God or another!  As you can see, it was a commitment and they were consistent. We, too, must make the commitment and be consistent with exercise and sensible eating.

5. Our bodies are a place of duty.  The temple was a place where men carried out the duties they had been given by the Lord. These fleshly temples, our bodies, are also places where we are to carry out the duties we have been given by God. Treat them right.

Wow!  This is the end of Part I.

I thank you, Pastor, for sharing this with me, and willing to write this blog post.

I hope you enjoyed this perspective and/or were enlightened by reading this and it made you think of your “body” in a different way.

So with exercise, we are lining up our bodies to the word of God.  Our bodies are dedicated to Him, since they do not belong to us, and we want to present our bodies as living sacrifices; keeping our bodies as healthy as we possibly can.  We have a choice to either help with deteriorating our bodies by not being physically active,  eating a lot of the “bad” stuff, or we can chose to live healthy by eating right and exercising.  Show that you are good example to other by heeding to the word, exercising and building up your temple.

God does not want us killing ourselves. No, he wants us to retain ourselves and rein our bodies in. One thing to note is that if you do not control your body and its passions, it will control you. I’ve said this before, you also need to have a new mindset, a renewing of your mind.  Your body will do what your mind tells it.

If this blog is thought provoking, or conversational, please leave me a comment and tell me what you think! You know I like hearing from you!

I would like to get at least 60 comments within the next week or so about this post. If I get enough comments, I will go on to Part II!

Again, let’s get at least 60 comments to share with each other!  Leave a comment and rate this blog….or click “like”…

Committed to Your Fitness Success,

Sidney West

http://ebc-pgh.org  (website for Emmanuel Bapt. Church)

www.spiritualempowermentfitness.com

www.bodybysid.com

$8 Memorial Day Sale!!

$8 Memorial Day Weekend Sale! My 4-disc DVD, “Spiritual Empowerment Fitness – the workout” and my e-book, “Empowering You, Empowering Your Church”, are on sale for $8 for 48 hours only! Yes, that’s right – you get the DVD, e-book and meal plan and four other bonuses all for $8 (+shipping) – that’s more than 50% off! But you will have to act fast because the sale will be over Monday, May 30 at 1:00pm! Your discount will be applied at checkout!  Go here to order: http://www.spiritualempowermentfitness.com

Promotional offer does not apply to hard copy of book.

God bless you and thank you  for your support!

 

Sidney