Focus
Let’s Get Moving! The benefits of exercise BY JASON ARAGON
Image: PeopleImages / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images
M
any say they don’t have time to exercise. In Ecclesiastes 3 we’re told that there’s a time for everything, which, of course, would also include a time for work and a time for rest. Sedentary behavior and a lack of exercise are often associated with laziness; yet we need to remember that “true rest”—both physical and emotional—is just as important as the amount of physical activity. In His infinite wisdom God created movement and rest as counterparts to protect our bodies. Muscles need stored energy to create more and new muscle tissue. Sleep and rest are not only sweet after hard physical labor; both are also necessary for energy storage and repair. Adequate sleep, water, and nutrition ensure adequate energy production and storage; and then appropriate movement and muscle load produce and maintain strength and endurance. Scientific reports of escalating rates of diseases linked to sedentary lifestyles and behaviors abound. Sadly, today’s accelerated way of life leaves little room for scheduled movement. Ironically, we may be so busy at “work” that we don’t “work out” enough! Motorized transport means not enough walking; escalators and elevators mean less stair climbing. Urban environments were designed for vehicular traffic and not for pedestrian access. People typically don’t get enough daily manual work because most of us don’t grow our own food anymore. And yet, we don’t have enough time for leisure activity because our career jobs are so demanding. Then when many engage in leisure activity, they often do so as spectators rather than active participants. This has led to a global explosion of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). AdventistWorld.org June 2022
11
