Spiritual and Physical Fitness- Or Jumping Jacks are for the Young

Some years ago, there was a commercial advertising for Medic Alerts. An emergency notification alert button for the elderly who need help. The commercial featured a little old lady lying on the floor, shouting, “help, I’ve fallen and can’t get up!”  Many jokes followed, and numerous young would Pratt fall and scream, “help, I’ve fallen and cannot get up!” Much to the amusement of those around.  The only thing that commercial did for me was think, “boy, I never want that to be me.”  And so, I, like many my age, eat Salmon, exercise, take supplements, drink lots of water, get plenty of sleep, if only to push that fateful day off. If we are lucky we will die on a treadmill and not from falling on the floor with our medic- alert wrapped around our necks!

A local paper recently reported an elderly woman, fifty, Ha!  Needed help getting down the emergency slide of the plane after it had crashed on a tarmac. The Journalist stated that elderly women are especially difficult for the airlines to work with in these situations because they are no longer limber. I again, think, “boy I don’t want that to be me!”  So I exercise more -that is until, one day, you realize that jumping jacks are for the young.

You discover this about the first time you jump up in the air and parts of your body are still free falling when your feet are back on the ground.  Some of my readers will know the name, Jack LaLanne, he hosted the first and longest-running nationally syndicated fitness television program, The Jack LaLanne Show, from 1951 to 1985.  He was the beloved authority on physical fitness.  As our once agrarian society became more sedentary, he realized that without the body, the mind cannot function well.  But our creator knew this first,

1.1  Corinthians

Do you not know your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.

Physical fitness is connected with spiritual growth. Embracing this journey as we dedicate ourselves to lifelong physical health and spiritual development are meaningful acts of worship and devotion to God,

just switch up the jumping jacks to perhaps a nice steady stationary bike.