NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–God’s design for the world was a perfect plan. He finished his work by creating the most complex of all living things, made in his own image and capable of a multitude of tasks. In Genesis 2, God gave the first human, Adam, an assignment to care for the Garden of Eden. Adam was strong enough to do this job without the help of machinery, electricity, power tools or transportation. Throughout the Bible, people were required to be physically capable of walking long distances, gardening and farming with hand tools, digging wells and carrying heavy loads.
Times have definitely changed. Today modern conveniences do the work for us. We no longer rely on physical exertion to accomplish daily jobs. The catch is that our physical bodies are still created to move! Technology has produced an extreme imbalance on activity. People pay the price for this lack of movement with illness, fatigue, weight gain and stress. We have a choice: either we must work at a physically challenging job or exercise to stay in good physical condition.
According to the American Heart Association, if you sit most of the day, you are characterized as having a sedentary lifestyle. A sedentary lifestyle can lead to stiff joints and lower back pain. It is one of the main risk factors for coronary heart disease, diabetes and obesity. It can result in a body that is not well enough to serve God as he intended.
Becoming more active is as easy as walking out your front door and around your neighborhood. Think of ways you can add activity into your daily lifestyle. Choose to move more and use your body as God designed it. You will reap the benefits of better health.
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Portions of this article are taken from the Fit 4 Fitness Member Workbook (ISBN 0-6330-2010-9). For more information about Fit 4, visit www.fit4.com or call 1-800-458-2772. Branda Polk is a certified fitness instructor and the Fit 4 coordinator at LifeWay Christian Resources.
