Back to Basics Healthy Habits Challenge #2

Back to Basics
Healthy Habit #2: MOVING YOUR BODY

For the past three weeks, we worked on our first healthyhabit: drinking water.
We talked about WHY our bodies need water, HOW to drink more water each day,
and strategies to keep you chugging your water daily.

Today, we add in our second habit: MOVING YOUR BODY.

Please don’t read that and then tune me out. 

This is not typical New Year’s Resolution talk of spending
hours in the gym or performing long cardio sessions or even a planning to run
your first 5K. What I am referring to here is essential for your health and
well-being and that is to MOVE YOUR BODY
daily, the way that God created it to move.

What I mean by that is this:

 There is no one right way.

For some of you, you may only be able to move your arms or tap your toes. Maybe
all you can do right now is to march in place, or for some of you much further
down this path you are used to running full marathons. Wherever you find
yourself right now, there is GRACE. There is also room for growth. 

Your body was made to
move. 

Regular physical activity is tied to better health, increased
longevity, lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, decreased rates of cancer
and other diseases, increased energy and better quality of life. It’s also one
of those things that gets easier the more you do. 

Because we are trying to create lifelong, sustainable
change, we’re going to take this habit nice and slow. If you already regularly
exercise, you won’t have much to change so you can serve to cheer us on and
offer support. 

For those of us that are just getting started, I want you to
do this step by step, day by day.

TRUST THE PROCESS. 

We’re going to go a bit deeper with this habit, and start by
looking at our motivation and reasons for needing change.

To help you keep track of each day’s task, I’ve created a Printable file for you that you can use each day to CHECK OFF your progress (If you’d rather have a WORD file, you can access it here). A quick description is listed for each day’s task, but refer back to this post for the full information and assignment.

Here’s what the printable file looks like:

YOU CAN DO THIS and we’re in it together!

Day 1: January 22nd:

Get a blank notebook or journal. On the front of it, write
2015. Open up to the inside and on the first page write this:

My Why:

After those two words, I want you to stop and consider your motivation for why
you want to get healthier. See, if we only focus on the scale or a clothing
size, these changes you’re making will not last. Those factors alone are not
enough to keep you on a path towards lifelong health.

What WILL keep you going, is if you figure out your real WHY.

For me, my WHY consists of several factors.
These are things that keep me going when I’d rather quit.

Here are just a few that I’ve listed:
-To steward well the gift of health that God has given me.
-To make sure that I am physically able to go wherever God’s calling may take
me
-To do all that I can to be around to see my children grow up, get married, and
one day meet my grandchildren
-To be ready to serve and love my family well
-To encourage others
-To be an active participant in my life

Your reasons may be vastly different, or they may be the same. Either way, WRITE THEM DOWN.

Like right now. WRITE THEM DOWN.

You may be tempted to skip this step, but it will be
critical to your ability to stick with this months down the road.

WRITE IT DOWN, friends.

That’s it for today. Now go chug your water!

Day 2: January 23rd:
Get out the notebook that you started yesterday. This notebook is going to
become your motivation journal.

Read your “WHY” from yesterday. Add to it if there is anything different that
God has led you to add.

Then flip to page 2 and write down any motivational quotes or scriptures that
may help you persevere in this journey. These should be quotes that stir your
heart and help you stay motivated…ones that inspire you to continue when you’re
ready to quit.

Here are some examples to get you started:

Ps. 139: 14- I am fearfully and
wonderfully made.

My body is HIS temple and I am the Caretaker. Am I stewarding it well? (Based
on 1 Cor. 6:19)

“It’s not about the mirror, it’s about the One we are trying to mirror.” –Jimmy
Pena

I am called to present
my body as a LIVING, HOLY SACRIFICE acceptable to God. –Romans 12:10

“Our health–as a Believer in Christ–is so much more than what society says
it to be. For us–it is about stewardship. It is about obedience and full
submission, turning this gift of life and the tool (our bodies!) He uses to do
His work, back to Him…If it’s been a while since you’ve asked God what He may
want you to do in regards to your health, then I encourage you to do that. Just
like the areas of parenting, marriage, finances, schooling etc–it will look
different for each of us, but it’s our duty to ask, listen, and then
obey…” Quote from: ”Discipline: The Glad Surrender” by Elisabeth
Elliot. 

For more ideas, you can go HERE.

This page (or pages depending on how many you write down) will serve to
motivate you when you’re ready to quit. You can include pictures, quotes, clip
art, scripture doodles…whatever inspires you to press forward.

Once you’ve done this, if you’re brave enough, head over to the Facebook page
and post a picture of your page 2!

Day 3: January 24th:
So far you’ve looked at your WHY and you’ve written down some things
that make you feel inspired. Get our your motivation journal and read through
them.

Now today, I want you to flip to a new, blank page and write at the top: GOALS.

On this page, I want you to sit and dream with God for a few
minutes. Ask Him what His plans are for you in this journey. What does HE want
for you to accomplish? What are some things you hope to have learned or
mastered by December 31st, 2015? As you prayerfully consider these,
write them down in your motivation journal.

Once you’ve done that, drink a glass of water and then put on some comfortable
shoes. Your second task today: SPEND FIVE MINUTES WALKING. This can be marching
in place while watching television, walking laps around the inside of your
house, walking a lap or two around the outside of your home, or walking down
the street. However you have to do this, get it done today.

FIVE MINUTES is all
I’m asking. 

You can do this, friends. 

Day 4: January 25th:
Get out your motivation journal. Read through your WHY and your
motivational quotes page. Now choose a few of these and write them down on
notecards or sticky notes. Place one on your bathroom mirror, one on your
refrigerator, one on your food pantry and one in your car.

By placing truth in places that you will need to see it, you’re setting
yourself up for success in the future. Spend FIVE minutes today doing some sort
of physical activity. This could be walking in place again, walking outside,
stretching, riding a bicycle, etc. Find FIVE minutes and MOVE your body. This
will look different for everyone. Remember, it’s not about perfection, but
about imperfect progress. You can do this!

Day 5: January 26th:

Today, park your car in the furthest parking spot you can when at work, at the
store, or anywhere else you may go. With each extra step that you are having to
take, thank God for a body that can move and ask Him to help you move it for
His glory. 

Day 6: January 27th:
Your task for today: While you watch TV, for one entire television show
(30 minutes OR 1 hour show), use the commercial breaks to get up do some form
of physical activity. You can march in place, jog in place, do squats,
push-ups, sit ups, crunches, calf raises, jumping jacks, bicep curls, etc. Any time
the commercials start, begin your exercise. When the show comes back on, return
to your normal activity. Thank God for a body that can move.

Day 7: January 28th:

Flip to a new page in your motivation journal.

Write down: My exercise goals for this week:

and then put down what a reasonable goal for yourself might be. This is NOT the
place to go overboard and set unrealistic expectations such as: “Get up at 4:30
a.m. every day to complete a 10 mile run” or “go to the gym every night after
work for 90 minutes” if these aren’t things that you were already doing.
Remember, we’re asking God to help direct us in new ways of moving- ones that
are sustainable and ones that bring glory to Him. What can you reasonably do
this week that will inch you closer to your main goals for 2015. Write down
your plan for the upcoming week and the physical activity you hope to
accomplish.

Now go check in on the Facebook Page and let us know how week 1 went for you in
the #backtobasics2015 #moveyourbody habit #2.