Years ago I was not what you would call “pro-exercise.” I even found a supporting verse in the Bible: For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things (1 Timothy 4:8a KJV).
Clearly, it was better to be godly than a jock. Who wants to sweat, anyway? I mean, isn’t that the kind of thing they do in hell?
I remember the first time I attempted a Pilates video I checked out from the library. I’d heard Pilates was about stretching, and that sounded better to me than sweating. Well, within five minutes, as I painfully reached for my toes, I was asking, “Hey, this stretching hurts! Is this even safe?”
The willful experience of physical exertion was so foreign to me that I almost convinced myself it might be harmful! Over time, I learned I could not only survive that initial discomfort, but I felt better on the other side. I eventually moved on from Pilates to more aggressive exercise like Cardio, Plyometrics, and High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). The video trainer my wife and I follow likes to say, “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable!”
The first clause of the law of inertia you may have learned in school applies to exercise and to habits. “An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion (with the same speed and in the same direction), unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.“ You have to get off your rear to exercise. And if you have developed sloppy habits, you’ll tend to keep repeating them unless you choose to replace them with better habits. Any time you start something new or stop something familiar, it may be a little awkward or uncomfortable, but it won’t kill you. In fact, it might keep you alive!
This concept finds relevance in any potential area of growth, including how we think. We have well-worn neural pathways that result in the predictable emotions and behaviors we exhibit when our “buttons” are pushed. These mental highways are created and maintained by what we believe about God, ourselves, others, and the events we experience. We tend to look for evidence to validate and protect our views and discount that which contradicts them.
However, when a path leads you to a dead end or to bad places in your health, finances, relationships, or any other area of well-being, it’s time to abandon that road and choose a new one. Identifying and challenging your false beliefs and choosing to part ways with stale thinking may seem disconcerting and uncomfortable at first, but it won’t kill you.
Every time you choose to step away from a lie that is stealing your joy and peace, and embrace what is true instead, you cast a vote for life and happiness. Do it consistently, and you will create new pathways leading to much more enjoyable destinations!
For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace (Romans 8:6).
Wow!! A lot packed into that, JB – thanks! I certainly agree with you about what is called “confirmation bias” (looking for evidence to validate and protect our views) and how “stuck” we can get in old habits. Kudos to you for stepping outside your comfort zone and looking at fitness (both physical and spiritual) in new ways. And never underestimate the power of having a mate or friend whose model of fitness inspires you :). It’s easier when we don’t imagine we have to “go it alone” and achieve progress in isolation.