Fitness Friday: Exercise - Let God Lead

A few years ago, at God’s direction, I walked around my neighborhood first thing in the morning. God gave me awesome blog posts and spoke to me about all kinds of things. Great start to my day, and peaceful days. I also slept very well.

All was good for several months, then I got off track. Then we moved. I went through a lazy season with no exercise. And I felt lousy.

After the holidays I decided to get serious again. In January I started CrossFit. God nudged me to try it even though I was a bit nervous. Loved it! It’s challenging and high intensity, and it’s a great variety of exercises. It was the first time in a long time I felt highly motivated to work out. Having no work schedule yet, I organized my day around the CrossFit schedule.

Then I got a job in Raleigh that required me to live there during the week. Had to quit CrossFit because I couldn’t get there three days a week. I thought, “Hmmm, I know some good exercises now, I’ll just set up space in my apartment and work out there.”

In a word, NOT.

So I decided to go to CrossFit here in Raleigh. After all, it worked well in Warrenton. Signed up and went for two weeks. Enjoyed it, but it was stressful to get there every day, and I found myself eating dinner way too late. After missing two weeks due to being out of town and other work-related things, I realized it just didn’t fit my schedule.

Now I’m back to walking in the morning. Felt a gentle nudge from God to start again. I listen to an awesome prayer call by Jennifer LeClaire every morning at 6AM. Now I walk during that call. My evenings are free again to write, and my stress level is WAY down. God speaks to me during that early morning time, and we have sweet fellowship while I stretch afterward. I am sleeping better, too.

Did you notice a key component to what works and what doesn’t? It’s not that one exercise is right for me all the time and another is not. 

As with all things in life, I need to let God lead. 

When I follow His guidance, exercise fits perfectly into my schedule and I reap the benefits. When I go my own way, it never seems to work out (pun intended).

If you struggle to find time or motivation to exercise, ask God to give you His plan. He alone knows what exercise is right for you in which season of your life.

Remember that your Creator cares about every little detail of your life and He always knows what’s best for you. And that includes exercise.

When I move back home, I hope He leads me to go back to CrossFit.

In the meantime, I walk.

What exercise are you doing now? ARE you exercising?