There are 101 ways to exercise. Playing with your kids, running up and down the stairs, cleaning house, and chasing the school bus, they all count! The same goes for your spiritual exercise; listening to worship music, singing praises, reading a Bible verse, quoting Scriptures, etc. It all counts as spiritual exercise. However, if you want to see, and feel the benefits of exercise it is going to take some work. Have you ever met a woman who "appears" fit (because she's thin) only to find out that she has no muscle tone or endurance? If she had to run several blocks she wouldn't make it because her body hasn't been conditioned. She may "look" in shape but it is surface appearance only.
Several days ago I talked about the diet best suited for your blood type. There are also exercises suited to your blood type. Have you ever felt pressured to take an aerobics class but just didn’t “connect” with it? Maybe you get anxious if you are just walking around the block, like you should be doing more. Well, there is a connection between your blood and the type of exercise you should be doing.
Blood Type A: walking, slow jog, Pilates, strength training, swimming, or any other relaxing exercises (at least 45 min. 3x a week).
Blood Type B: Tennis, martial arts, hiking, cycling, golf (exercises that involve mental and physical activity).
Blood Type AB: Split your time between aerobic and calming exercises (i.e. 3 days aerobic, 2 days calming).
Blood Type O: Intense aerobic exercise, running, jogging, cross-training
If you would like to read more go here.
Exercise is a key need for “whole” health. The benefits of disciplining yourself to exercise beyond the typical “kid-chasing-laundry-changing” exercises are: increased immune support, better digestion, sweeter sleep, stress control and maintaining a healthy weight, to name a few.
Spiritual exercise also goes beyond the “listen-to-praise-music-read-a-Bible-verse”. If you want to see real benefits and blessings in your spiritual life, it’s going to take extra effort.
“Study to show yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the WORD of truth.” II Timothy 2:15
If you want to grow spiritually and increase in the knowledge of who GOD is, Bible study is a must. I cannot go more than a day without diving in to the WORD and studying. It hasn’t always been that way. Years past I would start a Bible study and maybe finish half of it. I would pick up my Bible, read a Proverb, and be done. My spiritual muscles were weak and flabby. If compared to a physical endurance test, I wouldn’t have lasted a mile! Like our thin woman who "looks" fit, I had the appearance of spirituality. I was a missionary, married to a great man of God. My surface looked to be in shape. It wasn't. I begin to pray and ask God for a hunger to read and study His Word. He will gave me the desire but I had to learn to fulfill that desire. The more I studied and read, the hungrier I got to know His will and ways.
The benefits of spiritual exercise are: peace, joy, self- control, patience, longsuffering, kindness, gentleness and faithfulness (Gal. 5:22). I’m not talking about the peace, joy, or self-control we post about on Facebook or demonstrate to our co-workers and fellow believers. I’m talking about:
Self-control when the stress of the day has you heading for the ice cream and cookies.
A Patience that keeps your tone gentle while reminding your child, for the 100th time, to put the shower curtain inside the tub before showering.
Kindness toward your husband who wants your attention even though you’ve worked more hours in the day than he has, and you're exhausted.
Peace during the doctor’s visit where you are waiting for the results of your blood test.
Joy when your bank account isn’t balancing out.
What type of physical exercise do you do?
Is it the “kid-chasing-laundry-changing” exercise? Maybe it’s time to do more.
What type of spiritual exercise do you do?
Is it the “listen-to-praise-music-read-a-Bible-verse” exercise? Are you able to demonstrate the strength that comes as a result of spiritual/physical exercise?
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