On the Move

By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. Hebrews 11:8

“What? We’re moving? And you don’t even know where we’re going? But everything we know is here and our children were born here! And you expect me to leave my family and friends?” That’s how I would have responded if I were Sarai (Abraham’s wife) upon hearing the news that we were to move to an unknown land. (Or, given the culture of that time, perhaps all that could be done would be to confide to the other women in the family.) God called Abraham to leave Mesopotamia and his extended family and go to a new land which He would show him. God promised to make Abraham a “great nation,” to make his name great, and bless him. Through Abraham, God would bless all the families of the earth. (Genesis 12:1-7, Acts 7:2-3)

I am uncomfortable driving, walking or bicycling without a map to see my destination and the route to get there. So I have tremendous admiration and respect for Abraham when he obeyed God’s command to leave not only the familiar territory on which his livelihood was built, but as well the security of his family (Genesis 12:1 says “Go forth from your relatives.”), and go to a place “not knowing where he was going.” (Hebrews 11:8) To go sight-unseen, without a roadmap, that is faith! (“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the substance of things unseen,” says Hebrews 11:1.) Abraham and Sarai (later renamed Sarah) had faith in God and believed what God promised. Abraham was confident that God would look after him and he trusted that the life God had for him in the new land was better than his successful and secure life in Mesopotamia. God had a purpose in leading him to the new territory!

Some of us may feel content and safe where we are now, even if we are living in a less than ideal situation or are following unhealthy habits. But God’s plan is better. Actually, it is best! God’s plan from the beginning was to redeem you and me to Himself by the death of His Son, Jesus, on the cross, and make us His children by faith. “..God sent forth His Son …so that He might redeem those who are under the Law, that we might receive adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba! Father!” (Galatians 4:4-6) (Although the scripture says “sons” this includes both men and women who believe. Galatians 3:28) This is the entrance to new, eternal life. We don’t know what lies ahead, but we are not alone. Believers in Jesus have the Holy Spirit as helper and guide. (John 14:26, 16:13) Trust God as you follow Him in faith, whether you are staying home, travelling, or moving to a new land!

With summer, comes travel. Getting in some exercise while travelling may be a challenge, but with determination, creativity, and some planning

it is certainly do-able. After sitting in a car, plane, train or bus, or in meetings all day, you are probably looking forward to moving around and working off some stress and stiffness. Exercise will feel good, so you can look forward to it.

If you are driving, your shoulders and upper back are most likely tight from being hunched up with your head jutted forward for several hours. So you will want to stretch these areas by doing some shoulder rolls, pulling your head back and holding , and stretching across the front of your chest and shoulders. There are many exercises you can do while sitting in the car or plane. Click here for a ideas. During your gas station/restroom breaks, when you can also do some squats,

lunges and, if it is safe to do so, take a brisk walk. We have stopped at some beautiful rest stops along the interstate highways which are perfect for a ten to 15 minute rejuvenating walk.

Air travel has opportunities for exercise. During layovers between flights, take a walk. With those long concourses at the hub airports, you can walk for 30 to 60 minutes without leaving the security area.

Comfortable shoes are a must, even though it takes a little extra effort to remove and retie them when you go through security. (Remember, you only have to go through security once!) Make sure your purse/carry-on is comfortable (I usually wear a small backpack.) and even if you are pulling a suitcase with wheels, you can take a rejuvenating walk!

Staying in a hotel? Many hotels have a fitness room and/or indoor pool and I always check ahead to see what is available and select the hotel accordingly. In recent years, I have seen a huge improvement in hotel fitness rooms, with many now equipped with free weights, mats, foam rollers for ab work, and Swiss balls.

When you arrive, be sure to check the fitness center and pool hours.Remember to pack comfortable workout clothes, shoes and socks and/or your swim suit! You may click on the links for ideas on working out in shallow water and deep water.

For some cardio and leg work in your hotel, try some stair climbing/walking combinations: Start at ground level and go up one flight of stairs, walk briskly down the hallway and back to the stairwell,

and down the stairs to ground level. Then climb two flights of stairs and walk down that hall and back. Keep going with as many floors as you want. You can do any combination of climbing and walking (try also taking two steps at a time) to keep it interesting. In good weather, walk the perimeter of the hotel grounds

and nearby parking lots if it is safe (Ask the front desk staff for recommendations on where it is safe to walk or the location of the nearest mall.) If you are a YMCA member, look up the closest Y before you leave and bring your ID card. YMCA’s vary in their guest policies, but you may have the chance to use equipment you are familiar with or even attend an entirely new class.

In your hotel room you can perform the strengthening exercises such as squats, lunges, and wall push-ups.

As always, check with your physician before starting any exercise program or if you are uncertain about whether a particular exercise is appropriate for you.

Including exercise in your itinerary will help you function better during the day and sleep better at night. The extra activity will burn off extra calories consumed while dining at special parties and dinners. Strength training will keep you toned and the stretching will ease stress and stiffness. Your trip will be more enjoyable. Bon Voyage and Bon Exercise!

Photo credits: frank.itlab.us, Detroit Airport, Sheraton Hotel PhiladelphiaMarritott Courtyard Georgia Tech, thatsfit.com, inchargefitnesscenter.com all from Creative Commons, L.E. Lang Collection

Taking Exercise on the Road (While sitting.)

Even in the confinement of a car, train, bus or plane, it is possible to get some exercise! First, a few points to keep in mind on your form: Sit tall in your seat

with your ears over shoulders over hips, feet on the floor and your abdominal muscles pulled in. Keep your navel pulled inward toward your spine and breathe throughout your activity.

Let’s start with some active exercise. This will aid circulation and help you stay alert. Seated as above, begin marching: lift one knee, hold for a moment, and return your foot to the floor. Repeat with the other leg. You can lift your knee as high as you want. (Even lifting your foot one inch off the floor will work some of your large muscles.) Keep your abdominals pulled inward to exercise that area at the same time. Do 20 or more marches or as many as you like. I will do these while I am driving using cruise control (as long as traffic conditions allow it).

Try quick little runs (lifting your feet rapidly only an inch off the floor) and then go back to marches. Try marching in a pattern of feet together, then land with feet apart (“in, in, out, out”). Use your imagination with your foot patterns and play some lively music for motivation!

Still seated, if there is room, kick your leg to the front, alternating right and left legs. (This is a knee extension.) If you don’t want to kick, a not-so-obvious exercise is to tighten your thighs (one at a time or both at once), hold for ten counts, and release. You can also tighten your gluts (buttocks), hold for ten, and release. This works the larger muscles of your legs and hips. Another leg exercise is to squeeze a pillow or rolled-up sweatshirt between your knees to work your inner thighs.

Your lower legs can get a workout too. Tap your toes on the floor, then your heels (again one foot at a time or both at once). Turn your ankles in, then out. Then do some foot circles. Some of these exercises are shown in the magazines in airline seat pockets.

Another option that also works the abdominals is to pull your navel inward toward your spine and hold while holding one foot an inch off the floor. Count to 10 and repeat with the other foot. Repeat twice. One of the best exercises is simply to pull in the abdominals. (Click here to read about that one.)

For the upper body, press your back into the back of the seat. (Back extension) Hold and release. Then pull your head back, hold, and release. Finally, squeeze your shoulder blades toward each other, hold and release. All these strengthen the muscles in your upper back.

Include some exercise breaks during your travel. This will contribute to your Length and Strength!

Photo credits: bbc.co.uk, Collector Car Ads, both from CreativeCommons

Strong Legs

“Hmm,” you think to yourself, “there’s someone carrying a pallet down the street. Hey, wait a minute. He’s the same guy who was paralyzed before! Four men were carrying him on that pallet a little while ago!” Sure enough, the formerly paralyzed man was now walking with an energetic, joyful step, holding the pallet (a light bed or mattress) in his arms with ease, as he shifted it to avoid bumping into people on the streets of Capernaum. (Or maybe he carried it on top of his head as was the custom in that day?) Moments earlier, Jesus had proclaimed to the paralytic and the crowd that the man’s sins were forgiven. (Mark 2:5) This was an inner healing and cleansing that was instant and complete. Then Jesus told the man to “get up, pick up your pallet and go home,” an outer healing to verify that Jesus indeed had the authority to forgive sins. (Mark 2:10-11) This forgiveness is available to everyone in our day if a person believes that Jesus is the Son of God sent to die on the cross to pay the penalty for all sins. (John 3:16)

In this story (and in a similar one in John 5:2-15) I wondered why Jesus said “pick up your pallet and walk.” Why not just tell man to get up and walk away? (Was Jesus teaching that we should pick up after ourselves? Maybe! ) The people who were not witness to the miracle could now at least see the outward signs of redemption and new life. If the former paralytic had simply exited the house and walked down the street empty-handed, possibly no one would have noticed him. But carrying that bed would catch someone’s attention. (In John 5:10 that healed man got the wrong kind of attention - getting into trouble for carrying his pallet on the Sabbath day.)

Okay, so it’s not necessary to carry a bed around. But is there some outward evidence about you of the inner miracle of being forgiven, cleansed of the guilt of sin and given new, eternal life? This would not be something you are trying to show off or be prideful about, but something different about you that another person might see. Maybe it is compassion for someone less fortunate, patience or humility you didn’t have before, a willingness to go the extra mile, or love. Mark 2:12 says the healed man went out of the house “in the sight of everyone.” Their reaction? “They were all amazed and were glorifying God saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this.’ " Whatever Jesus has told you to “pick up,” whatever change has occurred on the inside and the outside of you when your sins were forgiven, may it all be for the glory of God!

To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1:11-12

Walking, one of the basic activities of daily life, requires strong legs. Last time we worked the quadriceps on the front of the thigh (Click here if you missed that one.) and this week we will focus on the “hamstrings” muscles which run down the back of your thigh. The hamstrings are actually three sets of muscles responsible for pulling you leg backward (at the hip) and for flexing your knee (pulling your heel up toward your buttocks).

Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. (You also want your knees slightly bent when you are standing in line or while standing and working, not “locked” in a straight position because this can throw off your alignment.) If your balance is a little unsteady, you should hold onto a counter top or the back of a sturdy chair. Now bend one knee and lift your heel toward your fanny, counting to three as you do this. Then lower to the count of three. (Keep your thighs parallel to each other.) You will feel your hamstrings contract as you lift your heel. Lift your heel again for a total of eight to 12 repetitions, or alternate legs (8 to 12 “reps” for each leg). Only bend your knee as far as it is comfortable for you. In other words, no pain! If you have any concerns about your legs, contact your physician before trying this exercise.

If you do not want to bend your knees, try this seated version: Sit in a sturdy chair with your heels on the floor a few inches in front of the chair. Put a heavy book or other object behind your heels. Pull your navel toward your spine to support your back. Now try to drag your heels along the floor toward you. The books will prevent them from moving but your hamstrings will still get a workout.

Here is another one. Stand facing and holding onto a wall. Your feet are again shoulder-width apart and knees are slightly bent. Now lift one leg just a little ways toward the back. Pretend there is a ball behind your heel and you want to kick it gently away from you. Note here that your entire leg is lifting (as opposed to just the lower leg that we just did), so the action is from the hip. These are little kicks to the back, not big ones! Take special care to keep your hips level. (Click keep pelvis in neutral if you forgot that exercise.) Perform eight to 12 on each leg. An alternative for this one is to lie face down on a mat or carpet and lift one leg about three inches from the floor. Repeat with the other leg so you do eight to 12 on each leg.

Do these hamstring exercises at least twice a week. If you are not sore, you may do them every day if you wish. In future posts you will learn other exercises to help with strengthening your legs and hips. Keeping your legs strong will allow you to continue your normal activities and live independently. This is part of the purpose of “Length and Strength from the Inside Out!”