Photo, free public domain
This evening, Vern and I exercised to an aerobics video. It’s a good thing we were the only ones in the room. We looked like a couple of clowns doing a comedy routine. But we got our heart rates up, and that was the goal. Before I write further about this, I’ll share what has inspired us to begin the New Year with an exercise program.
(Originally posted Monday, 1/05/2015)
I’m on a quest to understand cholesterol and to find a natural way to bring my LDL number into a healthy range. Since my doctor wants me to go on a statin (cholesterol lowing medication), and I’m uncomfortable with the idea, I researched options. I asked the Lord what I should do and I was led to exercise 30 minutes a day, six days a week.
Moderate exercise is something that we all should add to our daily routines. Movement makes us feel better, and when we feel better, our perspectives on life improve. There’s a lot of science behind what the benefits are to getting your heart rate up. This leads to the honest question, Why wouldn’t you want to exercise? It’s free. It’s probably one of the best ways to feel better. Studies indicate that it adds days and weeks and even years to lifespans.
Yesterday, I walked and jogged for a little under 30 minutes. Really, I get bored pretty fast walking around the ranch. It’s the same scenery, the same routine, the same pavement, the same fence lines. I think you get the point. But while walking / jogging at home can be a bit monotonous, I’m also grateful to the Lord to live in such a beautiful and serene place, and I admire the beauty, and use the time to talk to Him.
I’ve wanted to try aerobics again, but in our rural community exercise programs are limited to Zumba, Pilates, weight training, and a small local gym. Years ago, I took a step aerobics class with a group of women and enjoyed it. So, this evening, my husband and I found an aerobics workout routine on Youtube, and for 35 minutes we clumsily followed the agile and coordinated instructor.
The music was a fast tempo with Christian lyrics. Our exercising resembled clowns jumping, kicking in all directions, and jogging in place while trying to move their arms and knees in sync with the instructor’s movements. We flailed, but we moved, and we took in great quantities of oxygen, and our heart rates increased. We also laughed, but not at each other (I say with a wink. Vern was really quite funny. I’m sure I was, too).
We decided to give this aerobics thing another try. It was far too much fun to not do it again. And, who knows, we might even figure out how to move like our instructor. It never hurts to try.
If you’d like to join us, here’s a link to the routine that we’ll work out to tomorrow. There are four levels on it, super slow, slow, medium fast, and super fast. At some point, the instructor works certain muscle groups with a long stretchy band. Vern and I used hand weights because we didn’t have giant rubber band things, like those on the video. Hope you have as much fun with this as we did. Here’s the link to Faithful Workouts Fitness Video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSwzCa6HCt4
The point of all of this is to share some ideas with you in the hopes of encouraging you to pursue a healthier lifestyle. And remember to practice gratitude and keep going after God. He loves you beyond words.
Pamela Koefoed
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