A Physical education teacher and personal trainer reminds us to appreciate and use one of God’s greatest gifts.

It's Time to Move!

By Will Thornton

Growing up in the 80s and 90s, Arnold Schwarzenneger was my favorite action hero. I wanted to look like him (or at least have muscles like him). He inspired me to lift weights and increase my strength. More than two decades later, while I still don’t have muscles like Arnold, I have made big strides in building my strength, endurance, and cardiovascular health.

My mom gave me my first weight bench for Christmas in eighth grade, but I really didn’t use it until the start of my sophomore year of high school when I began “lifting weights” in the basement. Occasionally, a good friend would come over for a “workout.” We still laugh about the Friday nights we lifted weights right before football games, so we had more muscles to impress the girls.

Perhaps you noticed the quote marks around “workout” and “lifting weights.” This is because our idea of weightlifting included a single exercise: bench pressing. It was all we knew how to do. We didn’t even warm up—just loaded up the bar and started pushing. This routine lasted all the way to Christmas break, when I thought, “I’ve been doing great; I think I’ll take a week off.” That week off lasted until college! In some ways I’m thankful, because doing nothing but bench pressing for four to five years would have wrecked my shoulders, my posture, and perhaps done more harm than good.

One afternoon during my first semester at Austin Peay University, I decided to work out in the fitness center. After looking around in amazement at all the high-end equipment, I decided I was ready to warm up. I hit the treadmill for a jog…and lasted about two minutes. I felt like a complete loser and quickly headed home to hide my workout in the basement where so many eyes weren’t watching. I should have had a plan.

I did not return to the fitness center until sometime during my second semester. This time, after putting in some hard work in the basement at home, I returned with a new attitude. I was as strong as most of the other people using the facility. And who really cared if I looked silly, anyway?
That experience taught me starting an exercise routine can be daunting, even frightening. For some people, you might as well ask them to get up in front of a room and give a speech. Because they are afraid to start, they don’t. They end up with poor health and exercise habits and never learn how much they can do. Is that where you are? Do you need to make some physical changes to better your health, live longer, and serve Christ more effectively? If so, where do you start? This depends on your answers to four important questions:

What kind of experience do you have? If you have athletic experience already, and have just let things slide, what are you waiting for? Start today. If you have never been involved in athletic activities, hiring a personal trainer or consulting with staff trainers at the local gym may be best. This is especially true if you have pre-existing injuries or health conditions. Find a trainer who is knowledgeable but also who doesn’t have all the answers. I know that sounds contradictory, but if someone is too proud to say, “I don’t know” he or she is probably not the right person for you.

What type of learner are you? A personal trainer is great if you need hands-on learning and lots of demonstration. However, if you are disciplined to watch video training or read books to get started (or if you can’t afford a trainer), you can get by without hiring someone. While I am a personal trainer myself, they are not always necessary. I educated myself about exercise and weightlifting.

One important word of caution: not all online training videos are created equal. While many are useful, others teach dangerous or unproven techniques, or simply try to sell something. Research the credentials, reviews, and accomplishments of every so-called professional before following their advice. Personally, I think it best to consult many resources and find consensus regarding a training regimen or specific activity.

What’s your plan? Sit down with pen or paper at your kitchen table or work with your trainer to define goals and how you will accomplish them. Cardiovascular health? Weight loss? Increased muscle? Better eating habits? Determine goals for a month, six months, a year, five years, and for life. Your goals—your destination—will determine the route you take to reach those goals. And expect your plans to change. As you make better choices in diet and exercise, you will develop greater capacity, greater strength, and greater endurance. Adjust your plan accordingly.

How much are you invested? Are you serious about making the necessary changes? I often tell my clients, “Know your why!” Don’t be afraid to push yourself and try new things. Stop worrying about what others in the gym think. Truthfully, no one else in the gym really cares what you are doing. They are too busy doing their own workout (or maybe just trying to breathe).

Be realistic. Progress takes time, effort, determination, and much hard work (Proverbs 14:23). Our bodies are resistant to change, even changes for the better. You must be consistent and invest time and effort into your goals to see real progress. Like the famous line from The Princess Bride: “Anyone who tells you differently is selling something!” Start with a clear goal and give it all you have for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

I understand long-term (and often difficult) changes toward physical health might not sound appealing. Consider this: God never said “Thou shalt squat 500 pounds,” but He gave us an incredible world and a lifetime to enjoy it and to serve Him. We can’t do either effectively while stuck on the couch. To be blunt, it’s much harder to go and tell the world about the amazing gift of salvation when our bodies are too broken down or out of shape to move.

So, get out and get moving! Go for a walk. Pick up a new sport. Go hiking. Or just go play. When is the last time you played? I do it all the time as a physical education teacher. It is different than when I was a child, but it is still fun.