Knees

Today’s topic is the knees. Investigating “knees” in the New Testament of the Bible, I was impressed by the number of people who bowed down on their knees before Jesus. First we have the Wise Men who came to worship Jesus as the new king. (Matthew 2:11) Early in Jesus’ ministry we see Simon Peter falling on his knees after seeing how Jesus brought an astounding catch of fish to his net. Peter felt unworthy to even be in the Lord’s presence, declaring “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man.” (Luke 5:8)

People from every walk of life came to Jesus and bowed down to ask for help: a leper said “if you are willing, you can make me clean.” (Mark 1:40); a Gerasene man possessed by demons bowed before Jesus and begged Him not to torment them (Mark 5:6); a father whose son was possessed by a demon fell at Jesus’ feet, asking for mercy and a cure (Matthew 17:14-18); and another parent, a Syrophoenician mother, knelt at Jesus’ feet and repeatedly asked Him to cast a demon out of her daughter (Mark 7:25-30). Jesus was merciful and used his power to respond to these requests. (However, in the case of the Gerasene man the demons ended up in pigs who ran into the lake and drowned. Mark 5:13)

Others, recognizing His authority, bowed before Jesus desiring to learn from Him. The rich young ruler wanted to know what he must do to inherit eternal life. (Mark 10:17) Mary sat at Jesus’ feet (bending her knees to do so) taking in the “one thing that is needful” while her sister, Martha, busied herself in the kitchen. (Luke 10:39-42) Mary certainly did a lot of bending her knees before Jesus. She anointed His feet with expensive perfume and dried them with her hair (John 12:3), and again was on the ground before Jesus when He arrived after Lazarus died. (John 11:32) The latter two incidents were a form of worship, as it was for the women outside the tomb who knelt down and grabbed the feet of the resurrected Jesus on Easter morning. (Matthew 28:9)

Some people knelt before Jesus for less-than-noble reasons, as in the case of the mother of the sons of Zebedee. She wanted James and John to sit on either side of Jesus in his kingdom. (Matthew 20:20-21). (Perhaps she was miffed that her sons abruptly left their fishing trade to follow this crazy Jesus, and she felt they and she deserved something in return?) The Roman soldiers knelt before Jesus in mockery before His crucifixion. (Mark 15:19)

Lastly, we have Saul, who fell to his knees on the road to Damascus. A blinding flash of light and Jesus’ voice convicted Saul (later called Paul) of his wrongdoing in persecuting Christians (He was actually persecuting Jesus.) and gave him a new start in life and a new purpose. (Acts 26:14-16)

Yes, seeing all these different people falling on their knees before Jesus is interesting. But what is absolutely awesome to me is that some day, every knee will bow at the name of Jesus. (Philippians 2:10) This includes those “in heaven, on earth and under the earth.” Jesus’ humility in leaving heaven to become a man on earth and His obedience to the point of death on a cross (to pay for our sins) caused God to exalt Him and give Him the name which is above every name. Every knee shall bow and “every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)

Are your knees ready? Let’s strengthen them.

So that at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth. Philippians 2:10

The way to get your knees in better condition is to strengthen the muscles that cross over the knee. Today we’re going to do the Knee Extension, which focuses on the quadriceps (or “quads” because there are four muscles), located on the front of your thigh. This exercise can be done sitting down. Before we get started, I want to point out that balance between pairs of muscles (i.e., those in the front and in the back) is very important for healthy joints. If one muscle is stronger than the other, this can lead to joint pain, and this is particularly true for the knees. So while this week we are training the muscles on the front of the thigh, stay tuned to future posts when we will work on the back of the thigh!

Now for the exercise. Find a sturdy chair with a back and sit with your feet on the floor and your knees bent to form a 90 degree angle. (Your thighs are parallel to the floor.) First, let’s take a couple precautions to help support your back: Press your back against the back of the chair. (Remember the Back Extension Exercise from August 1st?) Also, pull your navel inwards toward the chair back and keep it pulled in this way during the entire exercise. (You can do this and still breathe!)

Now, starting with both feet on the floor, slowly straighten one leg out in front of you, taking three counts to straighten. Hold for three counts and then take three counts to bend your knee to the starting position. If you place your hand on top of you thigh you will feel the muscle contract as you straighten your leg. Repeat with the other leg. If you have any pain, stop the exercise. Be sure to consult your physician before beginning any exercise program.

Here is an option you may try if you have concerns about bending your knees: Sit, with shoes on, in the sturdy chair facing a wall so your toes are touching the wall. Now pretend you are going to straighten one leg. You are pushing your foot against the wall but of course the wall is preventing it from moving. Count to five as you continue to push and then release. Put your hand on your thigh and you will feel that you are still working the muscle. So your quads will grow stronger without moving your knee joint.

Repeat this exercise five times for each leg (doing five in a row with the right, five with the left, or alternate legs) when you are starting and build up to 10 times for each. If you like, do it a couple of times per day, but at least three times per week. This is one that is easy to fit into your schedule - as a break from working at a desk, while watching tv (in a sturdy chair, remember!) or even while travelling as a passenger in a car. Before long you should notice that your legs and knees are stronger!

Restore

All of us can look back with regret over some of our words, actions or actions not taken. It may have been some harsh words that hurt someone, an over-reaction, or a door opened by God you declined to enter. When my son was two years old, he accidentally cracked the cover of my sewing machine and I over-reacted. (Fortunately my husband was there and stepped in to help. I probably did more damage to my son’s ego than he did to my sewing machine cover.) While I am thankful to enjoy a good relationship with my son now, I do regret how I acted and wish I could go back and re-do the scene and react in a calmer manner.

Unfortunately, we can’t take back our words or re-play an event, but if someone is truly sorry, he or she can tell God about it and ask to be forgiven. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.“ (1 John 1:9) Then you can tell the offended party that you feel sorry and ask him or her to forgive you. Ephesians 4:32 says “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” It may no longer be possible to ask the other person to forgive you, but it is never too late to ask God.

Once God has forgiven you, guilt and regret over the damage done have no case against you. When I feel regret, God’s promise in Joel 2:25 is especially comforting: “ I will restore to you the years which the locust has eaten.” God had judged the land of Judah for turning their backs on Him and sent locusts as a punishment, described in Joel 1. Several verses of hope and healing in the Old Testament are previews of the redemption and restoration brought about by Jesus Christ in the New Testament.

We are limited in what we can do to repair damage caused by our miss-steps, but God is unlimited. He is in the business of healing and restoring lives and relationships and can work in ways we cannot imagine. (Ephesians 3:20) I can pray and ask God to “restore the years,” and heal the damage wrought by my words or actions. “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32) Guilt or regret are reminders to turn to God for forgiveness. Allow Him to heal and “restore the years the locust has eaten.”

Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:18-19

Restore. That’s the word I want you to keep in mind when you think about strength training (also known as resistance training). Here’s why: as you age, you lose one-half to one pound of muscle mass per year! Doing exercises for each of your main muscle groups will restore the muscle tissue and make you stronger. (Studies have been done with 80 year olds that show this.) Resistance training can help prevent or restore lost bone mass as well. These are good reasons to include strength training in your schedule.

Just think of all the parts of your body you use in your daily life: chest, shoulders, back, abdomen, hips, legs and arms. Each of these areas has exercises designed to strengthen the muscles there. In this blog you will learn basic, safe exercises which almost all can be done anywhere without equipment. You already learned about strengthening your back (August 1, 2011) and your shoulders (September 12, 2011). Some of these – such as the back extension – can be done every day because you are not using heavy loads. But if you are lifting heavier weights, such as barbells or exercise machines, two to three times per week is the recommended frequency. (But not two days in a row.) Do each exercise eight to 12 times (8 to 12 “repetitions”). If you can easily do more than twelve, then increase to the next higher weight. The key is to progress gradually and work at an effort level that feels moderately hard.

A few guidelines to follow are: Warm up before doing the exercises. Walk around and move each joint. Bend and straighten your arms and legs and do some shoulder rolls. Make sure to breathe while doing any of the moves. Do not hold your breath! Stretch each area when you are finished. Always seek your doctor’s permission before starting resistance training.

Let’s clear up a misconception some people believe: strengthening exercises will not “spot reduce” fat from a particular area (your thighs, for example). You can build up the muscles there so you have more muscle definition, but to make fat disappear you must burn more calories than you consume.

There are other important advantages to restoring your muscle strength. Strong muscles enable you to continue your normal activities as you get older (walking, going up and down stairs, lifting and reaching for objects, getting up out of a chair or off of the floor, etc.). Each pound of muscle mass burns three to five times more calories than the same amount of fat does, even at rest. So this helps prevent weight gain. Resistance training will make your muscles more defined, so you will be able to stand taller and look younger!

Pondering in Your Heart

Imagine that I gave you a smooth, rounded stone, the size that fits perfectly in your hand. As you curl your fingers around it and feel its cold smoothness, you note that it’s heavy. You unhurriedly rock your forearm up and down, quietly and carefully trying to gauge its weight. You would be pondering the weight of the stone. Pondering is what Mary did after the shepherds departed. “But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart." (Luke 2:19) The shepherds, after hearing the angels’ starling announcement of Jesus’ birth, had hurried to Bethlehem to find the Christ child and shared with Mary and Joseph their experience. Everyone else “wondered” (implying astonishment and curiosity) about the news (Luke 2:18), but Mary treasured the news and pondered it in her heart.

We do not think of the heart as the location where thought and reason occur. But to the Hebrews, the heart was the source of all emotions and desires as well as the center of thought and reason. Mary was not making a casual, “off the top of her head” assessment of the events, but stored the news deep down in her heart. She could return to it for further reflection, compare it to the earlier message from the angel Gabriel (Luke 1:30-33) and treasure all that she knew about Jesus.(See also Luke 2:51.)

The Bible is loaded with information about Jesus that you and I can read, treasure and ponder in our hearts. The Old Testament contains prophecy about Jesus (starting at Genesis 3:15), and the New Testament has: descriptions of Jesus’ miracles and revolutionary teaching (Take a look at Matthew 6.), His promises you can count on (John 14-16, for example) and accounts of His death on the cross and miraculous resurrection (Mark 14-16) and the subsequent world-wide impact (described in the book of Acts.)

Start by reading the Bible in small doses, little, but weighty portions you can ”hold” in your heart. Treasure these nuggets of eternal life in your heart and return to them often. Jesus said, “the words I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” (John 6:63)

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. Mark 12:30

And speaking of the heart….

Your heart is a muscle with the very important job of pumping blood to every part of your body. Cardiovascular health has to do with how efficiently your heart can move oxygen-rich blood to your muscles when they are working. Continuous, rhythmic motion of your large muscles for a sustained time period (aerobic activity) elevates your heart rate and benefits your heart, lungs and circulatory system. Examples are jogging, brisk walking, running, swimming, bicycling, cross country skiing, land or water aerobics, rowing and stair climbing, to name a few. Strenuous yard work and household chores may also do the job. The idea is to raise your heart rate for a continuous time period.

How high does your heart rate have to be? There are a few formulas that can be used to calculate your “target” heart rate and some people like to use a monitor to make sure they work in this target range. But you can gauge whether you are in your target range by how hard you feel you are exerting yourself. On a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being no activity at all and 10 being extremely hard, you want to work at an effort level of 4 to 6. This would feel moderately hard to hard. You would be breathing, but not so quickly that you were unable to carry on a conversation. (If you are breathless, cut back a little.) If you are walking, pretend you are in a hurry, moving at a 15 to 20 minute-per-mile pace. (Remember I said “continuous” motion, so if you are walking at the mall, no window shopping!) Outdoors, rake leaves at a brisk pace. On a bicycle, if you are cycling at a leisurely pace that feels easy, go a little faster so you feel you are exerting yourself. Work at a rate that you can sustain for several minutes.

How long must you stay in motion? The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Guidelines state that you should aim for 30 to 60 minutes of moderate cardiovascular exercise five times per week, or vigorous exercise for 20 to 60 minutes three times per week. (They say it is OK to break these up into shorter sessions of ten minutes.) The National Weight Control Board found that people who lost a substantial amount of weight and kept it off were doing an average of 60 minutes per day of moderate physical activity. Of course, if you are just starting, you might go for five to ten minutes and build up from there. Always begin with a 5 to 10 minute warm-up so your heart rate increases gradually and a 5 to 10 minute cool down to allow it to ramp down to normal. (This is in addition to the above time periods.) The key is to listen to your body and stop if you have any pain. Start any new fitness program slowly and always get prior approval from your healthcare provider, especially if you have a family history of heart disease, have any symptoms of heart disease, smoke, are pregnant, have had recent surgery or have orthopedic concerns.

To help you stay consistent with your exercise, choose an activity you enjoy. If you are very busy with a stressful job or are around people most of the day, go with a solitary, simple form of exercise that doesn’t require a lot of concentration. Walking, jogging, swimming or cycling would be good options because they allow you to turn inward to reflect or pray. Walking or doing water aerobics with a friend serves the dual purpose of exercise and fellowship time. If you are competitive and enjoy a challenge, consider a team sport or group exercise class. Simpler activities such as walking and cycling are low-stress, easier to master and help build your self-confidence. Which type of exercise suits your needs and schedule?

Other aspects of exercise, such as strength training, flexibility and balance will be covered in future posts. For now, go outdoors to enjoy the autumn weather and start moving. Your heart and circulatory system will be stronger, you will feel and sleep better and your body will be healthier. This is fitness from the inside out!