God wants you to glorify Him in your body. It is the daily habits, consistently practiced, that will either sow disease or vibrant health. While some things are genetically determined, scientists today are finding much has to do with our life decisions and daily habits.
I. Movement
- STEPS: 10,000 Steps are recommended for optimal health. This is 4-5 miles per day. A morning 20-30 minute walk, an evening walk after supper and regular walking during daily activity should be enough to get these in. It is my observation that many healthy people have an active lifestyle of movement and do exercise as an addition to this. Sedentary habits make it much harder to stay fit.
- Weight Training: This can be done 3-4 times per week. I find that a CrossFit class can improve consistency, as a regular appointment with others tends to reinforce it. During these 1-hour sessions, there is a learning time, a warm-up time, a rest period, the main “Workout of the Day WOD” and then the mobility (stretching) time. These classes are taught by professionals who can modify each exercise to fit your fitness/injury level. Do what works for you.
- Aerobic Exercise: This is about getting the heart rate up. This happens with CrossFit workouts, but also with running, cycling, swimming, and the like.
II. Diet
I love Dr. Michael Gregor’s book, “How Not to Diet”. Dr. Gregor is the founder of nutritionfacts.org and is a leading researcher on optimal nutrition. In general, a plant-based diet is the best for long life and optimal health.
-Here is a link for a 1500-1800 Calorie eating plan that is plant-based. It is in Google Doc slides format. Just print off the slides and make cards to plan and execute your meals for the week. Click: Food Plan
III. Recovery
- Naps
- Nightly Sleep 7-9 hours
- Weekly Rest: Sabbaths
- Vacations
- Sabbaticals