Faith & Fit: Week 1, Lesson 1
We are so glad you have joined us for our seven-week journey to greater spiritual and physical health! Listed below is your Faith & Fit work for the first half of this week. You will receive Lesson 2 work on Friday morning. Please click on the links or the play buttons to access each resource. Remember to leave a comment about your experience in the Speak Your Mind section at the bottom of the page. In Christ, we can grow stronger. Let’s do it!
(Please don’t feel you have to do everything listed in our lessons. We have included lots of information and activities for you. Pick what resonates with you the most and add in other things as you have time. It would be helpful if you set a few goals for yourself during this challenge. If you would like to, you can share them on our Facebook page.)
Everyday Faith Teaching Video:
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Everyday Faith Bible Study:
Please click the link below to access the Week 1, Lesson 1 Bible study!
Week 1, Lesson 1 Bible Study
Everyday Fit Physical Challenge:
Week 1, Lesson 1
This week we are going to focus on a simple exercise that almost everyone can do: walking. You can choose to walk indoors or outdoors. Weather permitting, my preference is to be outdoors enjoying the fresh air and sunshine (get that Vitamin D!). We will also give you options to supplement with some other types of exercise in Extra Fit for those who would like to.
If you prefer to walk indoors, you can use a treadmill, or I would recommend Leslie Sansone’s Walking DVDs. Her DVDs are available for purchase in stores like Target and Walmart, on her website,on YouTube, for live streaming on Walk TV , and some for free on her site when you sign up (free) for her Walk Social Club.
One fun way to track your walking is to use a pedometer and aim for a certain number of steps per day. The American Heart Association recommends 10,000 steps each day. We will work up to that. Ten thousand steps is approximately 5 miles, but that is based on an average stride being 2.5 feet. Your total may differ from that based on the length of your stride.
Pedometers can be found in just about any sports or discount store and range in price from about $10 to $125 for more elaborate ones with additional features. I use a Fitbit to track my steps each day. It also tracks flights of stairs climbed, calories burned, miles walked, hours slept, and the time. In addition, it allows me to set a silent, vibrating alarm. It syncs with the Fitbit website, which includes many more features.
Basic Walking Guidelines
Begin your walk with a warm-up. This means to start walking slowly for a few minutes, giving your body time to warm up. Save any stretching for the end of your walk, as you should not stretch cold muscles. If you have body parts that are very tense and need to be stretched before your main walk, do your warm-up first and then stretch them. You should also still follow your walk with a stretch at the end.
The Walking Site has some wonderful stretches for walkers, and here is a link to their stretching page.
As you are walking, walk tall, pull in your stomach, and tighten your bottom.
When you have finished your exercise for the day, be sure to let the Faith and Fit group know by posting on our Facebook page. Great job!
Beginner Level Exercise:
For Lesson 1, we are going to set the goal of walking 1/2 mile or the rough equivalent of 1000 steps. If you wear a pedometer all day long, this is in addition to the total that is already showing on your pedometer. So, when it is time to log your walk, check your pedometer and note how many steps/miles you have already walked that day. Add 1000 steps or 1/2 mile to that total and begin walking. When you get to that total you may stop. If you are fairly fit and would rather choose the goal of one mile, then aim for 2000 steps on your pedometer or another 1 mile on the total. As always, check with your doctor before beginning any physical workout to be sure you are up for the challenge!
Experienced Level:
This week make it your goal to walk for 45 minutes or jog for 30 minutes. Walk/jog at a pace you are comfortable with and that you’re able to carry on a conversation. By the end of your walk/jog you should be sweaty and tired but not exhausted. As always, check with your doctor before beginning any physical workout to be sure you are up for the challenge!
Rainy day?–Don’t sweat it! Click on the link for a great indoor work out with Leslie Sansone!
Everyday Fit Food Challenge:
Simple Sustenance
For this week’s challenge, we would like to focus on keeping our food choices with as few ingredients as possible. Consequently, we would like you to avoid boxed mixes and fast foods that are usually laden with ingredients whose names we don’t recognize and can’t pronounce. What would make for good meals today? Here are a few suggestions.
Breakfast: Oatmeal (not instant) that we cook on the stove or in the slow cooker. Click on this Pinterest Link for several slow cooker oatmeal recipes. Or how about some scrambled eggs? If you have any fresh chives from your herb garden, sprinkle on top. They are so easy to grow and add a wonderful oniony flavor.
Lunch: One option would be a lovely salad made with your favorite lettuce and vegetables. Mine would include tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, sunflower seeds, red pepper, and sprouts. Add a bit of chicken for some protein.
Dinner: A simple dinner could be grilled chicken or fish. If grilling isn’t your thing, lightly saute it in about 2 tsps. of olive oil and add your favorite herbs. I like thyme, rosemary, and garlic for chicken and dill, garlic, and a drizzle of fresh lemon juice for the fish. Add a vegetable such as steamed or lightly sauteed green beans and a red potato.
Recommended Reading
Periodically we will *recommend books that have been helpful in our lives. These are extra resources not a have-to in the program, but feel free to share what you’re learning in the comment section or on the Faith & Fit Facebook page. We’d also love to hear what you’re reading too. Today we’re recommending the book called The Seven Pillars of Health by Don Colbert, M.D.
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The Seven Pillars of Health: The Natural Way to Better Health for LifeBy Don Colbert, M.D. / SiloamDr. Don Colbert believes in combining alternative and traditional medical practices for achieving optimal health. His 50-day plan provides information that will not only change your life but also challenge your thinking and motivate you. Learn how to incorporate his “pillars” into your daily life in a way that will energize you and help you feel better and live longer. Try it! |
Extra Faith:
For Simple Sustenance, it makes perfect sense to focus on the spiritual discipline of simplicity. Here is a link from a post we did a few years ago that will help us to think about looking at simplicity as a whole life adventure. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below or on our Facebook page.
Need a little extra spiritual challenge added to your day? Take advantage of the following resources!
Pray Specifically: Walking With Jesus
Extra Fit:
Need an extra challenge? Get your abs in shape with Team Beachbody Coach and Founder of Team Let’s Go Fitness at Dan Vukmirovich. Dan’s videos are short, effective and productive! Let’s go!
As a bonus once a week we are adding Dan’s Body Mind Spirit Challenge! Let’s build physical and spiritual muscle!
Don’t forget to post on our Facebook page any questions, workout information, recipes, prayer requests, and encouragement to others. Please introduce yourself.
Blessings and congratulations on Lesson 1!
*In the spirit of full disclosure, Only By Prayer is an affiliate for CBD, so if you purchase a resource from them through the link on our site, we will receive compensation for them. Rest assured, we only recommend resources we love and actually use ourselves.