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!