The exercise you choose to do is personal. We have different preferences. Some love to run. Others hate it. Some love to swim. Others would rather bike. One person might love to go to the gym, another might detest it.

The best type of exercise for you is the one (or two or three) that you enjoy. That moves your body in a healthy way multiple times a week. That you can keep doing for the long haul.

Consistency is the key.

Ways to Help Exercise Consistently

People who are consistently able to stay in shape over a lifetime have this in common: workouts are part of their lifestyle. They’ve chosen to prioritize exercise and are consistent week in and week out, year in and year out.

Here are some ways to help keep exercise consistent:

• Choose activities you enjoy. If you hate running, don’t decide to run five days a week. Do you love to swim? Get a membership at a local pool or find the closest beach.
• Choose a time of day that works with your schedule most of the time. Personally, I know I’m way less motivated in the evening than in the morning. So I exercise in the morning.
• Give yourself a day or two off each week. It’ll help motivate you to work out on your “on” days. And sometimes, knowing you get to take a day off tomorrow can be the boost you need to get your workout in today.
• Don’t set a goal you’re unlikely to fulfill. Set a realistic goal, starting with baby steps if you have to.
• Make it accessible. This includes having the right gear—including gear for adverse weather if you love outdoor fitness, like I do.
• Keep your exercise activities within your budget. Buy used equipment. Shop sales. If the gym is what you need, take advantage of the first week of January and other key “intro” seasons with drastically reduced prices.
• If you need other people to help keep you motivated, find at least one workout buddy. Schedule your workouts together. Maybe your dog can be your workout buddy. Most dogs are eager to go with you for a walk or run as often as you’re willing…and need the exercise as much as you do!

Work Your Whole Body

It’s best to choose two or three different types of exercise that work different muscle groups and body systems.

We’ve all heard of cardio and strength or resistance training. Cardio refers to your heart, lungs and circulatory system. Most cardio workouts also include at least some of your muscular-skeletal system, which is strength.

It’s also important, if at all possible, to choose at least one activity that’s weight-bearing—meaning you’re on your feet. That’s important for bone strength, especially as we get older.

How Often and How Long?

The US government’s Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) publishes Physical Activity Guidelines.

Here’s there recommended amount of daily physical activity for various ages:

• Children ages 3-5 should aim for at least three hours of active play throughout the day. This is super important for their growth and their physical, mental and emotional development.
• Kids ages 6-17 need at least an hour of moderate-to-vigorous activity daily. This includes activities that makes their heart beat fast and activities that use lots of muscle groups, like playing on the playground.
• Adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio a week (and preferably 300 minutes). In addition, some strength or resistance workouts 2-3 times a week. That works out to 30-60 minutes 5 days a week or more. Which is why we want to choose something we enjoy!

What are “Moderate” Exercises?

We have lots of options for moderate exercise. Brisk walking (3 miles per hour or faster). Biking less than 10 miles/hour. Doubles tennis. Ballroom dancing. Water aerobics. Even general gardening.

150 minutes a week of any of those will contribute “substantial” health benefits in several areas. It’s better to spread the exercise out throughout the week (5 30-minute sessions). Each session can even be split, as long as each is at least 10 minutes long.

Even better? Up to 300 minutes—an hour for five days out of your week will contribute even more benefits to your overall health.

I’ve heard for years that we need at least three workouts a week. Stacking the minutes into only one or two days and the benefits are not nearly the same. I don’t know why that works, but somehow it does.

What are “Vigorous” Exercises?

Racewalking, jogging or running. Swimming laps. Singles tennis. Biking faster than 10 miles/hour. Hiking uphill or with a heavy pack. Gardening that includes hoeing or digging. Basically anything that raises your heart rate enough so it’s hard to carry on a conversation.

75 minutes a week of these can replace 150 minutes of more moderate activities. A good rule of thumb: 15 minutes of vigorous is worth 30 minutes of moderate.

For several years my exercise of choice was running. I could run 3 miles much faster than walk 3 miles. I no longer run due to a succession of minor injuries, but still enjoy walking almost every day. So I replaced my vigorous 30-minute workout for a moderate 60-minute workout.

It helps that in my current season of life, I have time to walk for an hour at a time. I realize not everyone does. That’s one of the reasons I liked running—the same benefits in half the time.

Include resistance training and stretching too

Part of those 150-300 minutes should include resistance or strength training a 2-3 times a week. These are activities that work the major muscle groups like weight training, push-ups, squats, etc.

Flexibility is also important, especially the older we get. Good old-fashioned stretching exercises are great. Pilates is a combo of stretching and strengthening that’s really effective too.

[NOTE: I know many people love yoga for its health benefits, but I don’t recommend it for spiritual reasons. I know that’s hugely controversial, but there it is. I’ve talked with and listened to both current and former Hindus, and they all testify to yoga being tied irrevocably to Hinduism.]

Gym or no gym?

Personally, I hate working out in a gym. I’ve done Pilates in my living room in the past, and currently have a resistance routine I do in my living room. Otherwise, I do my activity outside year-round, even through our Minnesota winters.

If you’re a lap swimmer or need to be in a class in order to stay motivated, by all means get a gym membership. But don’t forget, there are many, many benefits of being outdoors too that you can’t get from a gym.

When my kids were little, I had little choice but to A. join a gym (with child care) or B. get a treadmill. We bought a treadmill, and I used that for many years until I could leave them home alone during my runs.

If you absolutely can’t stand exercise but still agree to it because of your health, take advantage of podcasts and streaming services!

Other benefits beyond our health

One of my favorite things about being in shape at 60 is still being able to do all the outdoor activities I’ve always loved. Cross-country skiing. Canoeing—including the portaging we do up in northern Minnesota. Hiking a trail in the mountains.

At this stage of my life, one of my great motivators is being able to get on the floor to play with our little grandkids and keep up with our adult kids on family trips and outings.

Consistent exercise (or activity, if you don’t like that word) is one of those choices we make that draws dividends for years to come.

So what’s your plan?

If you’re inactive today, just start with something. Gradually work up to 30 minutes five times a week. Do what you like. Connect with a family member, neighbor or friend and do something together. Get a dog so you have an excuse to walk. Walk a neighbor’s dog if you don’t have one.

Are you already active? Maybe you can try something new for some variety (when I had to take up some biking during a foot injury, I found it wasn’t so bad after all!).

Really want an incentive? Sign up for a race, download a training plan and get to it. If you’re just getting started, sign up for a 5k. If that’d be too easy, go for a 10k or half marathon. Or a triathlon. Or a biathlon. They’re fun, many are for a good cause and you get a free t-shirt, mug or hat.

[I loved those years I was able to “compete” in long-distance races (“participate” is a much better word!). It was wonderful motivation and a supreme sense of accomplishment.]

Whatever you choose, do your best to be consistent and enjoy the many benefits of being fit!

Here’s more…

• Great News about Moderate Exercise and Longevity
• Exercise of All Kinds is Terrific for Brain Health
• Physical Inactivity is the #1 Health Problem of Our Time

The post What Kind of Exercise Is Best? first appeared on Heaven and Nature.

Larger organizations usually have a volunteer coordinator (either paid or volunteer!), a volunteer application process and volunteer events that are already coordinated and on volunteer calendars.

Smaller non-profits and businesses often run a more flexible program based on their staff size and needs—whether by preference or necessity.

Beyond the common “indoor” help (computer work, website help, social media, customer service, bookkeeping, tech, special events, et cetera) many of them also rely on volunteers for all kinds of outdoor tasks. 

Whichever organizations you’d love to work with, volunteering is the perfect way to plug in when and where you can. It can be seasonal, gear-related, grounds-related, animal-related, maybe some trail and campsite maintenance, firewood processing…the list can be endless.

My family and I (my husband, our three now-adult kids and their families) have made this part of our lifestyle since forever ago. And it’s one of the most fulfilling things we do, especially since we love to do it together.

What Can Outdoor Volunteering Look Like?

If it’s local, you can offer to put time in weekly or monthly. If it’s not local, offer to help out for a multi-day project once or twice a year.

Some outdoor volunteer projects are best for large groups, others for just a handful of people. Some would love to have school groups help out, some only use adult volunteers. 

I volunteered monthly for a local horse rescue a few years ago. I lugged hay and grain to the various corrals, scooped out stalls and hauled manure away, cleaned and filled water troughs, and whatever else was on the agenda for the morning I was there.

It was a great option because got me around horses (I love horses). It got me off my rear and on my feet (when I sit a good part of my day it feels great to work hard for a while). It got me outside and around new people.

Most of my family’s outdoor volunteering has been for our favorite non-profit ministry in northern Minnesota—Okontoe, a wilderness family campground and Christian retreat center.

We’ve helped them plant, weed and harvest in their large community garden. We’ve helped maintain their campground. We’ve helped split and stack their winter firewood supply. We’ve helped cut and clear brush, and remove dead trees near campsites.

Often these volunteer projects have been an add-on to a long weekend or week of camping up there anyway.

When I was in my 20s, I volunteered for two summers there, too, when they used to run 2-week youth camps. I was a counselor one summer and co-director the other.

We taught things like wilderness skills, canoeing and team building. Each session culminated in a multi-day canoe trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

A few years ago I was able to fill an ongoing (remote) volunteer position with an outdoor ministry until they were able to get someone full-time in their office.

How to Find Outdoor Volunteer Gigs

We love volunteering for Okontoe because we can share fellowship, help behind the scenes at a Christ-based organization and freely talk about our faith with both staff and co-volunteers.

Christian kids camps and outdoor ministries near you, or ones you’re already connected with, are natural places to consider.

The first step is to reach out and see where they need help and what specific skills they look for. If they have a volunteer program in place, follow the procedure to get your name on the list. If not, get in touch and ask.

They don’t have to be too near if you can pull off an occasional multi-day trip like we do for Okontoe—which is a five-hour drive away. Now that we’re empty nesters, I’d even consider going across the country to volunteer for a week at a ministry I want to support.

There’s also much to be said for being salt and light in the broader community. Especially if your spiritual gifts are bent towards evangelism.

Examples of Outdoor Volunteer Opportunities

Wherever you decide to focus your volunteer efforts there are numerous opportunities:

• Do you love dogs but don’t have one of your own? Offer to walk a neighbor’s dog, or volunteer to walk dogs at your local animal shelter or rescue organization.
• Do you love to hike? Find a hiking organization in your state and see what they need help with. In Minnesota, we have the Superior Hiking Trail, part of the North Country Trail and the portage system in the Boundary Waters. They’re always looking for help with trail work—maintaining, trimming, removing fallen trees and more.
• Are you a camper? Check out local parks that accept volunteers to help maintain their campsites, plant trees, be a park guide or help get rid of invasive plant species. Many campgrounds, both public and private, need a campground host during their camping season. 
• Check with your state’s Department of Natural Resources for outdoor volunteer gigs at state parks. Minnesota’s DNR lists opportunities for master naturalist training, campground hosts and safety instructors.
• America’s National Park Service uses thousands of volunteers each year from Yosemite to Acadia, from Glacier to the Everglades. If you live near one of them or you’re an empty nester with flexibility, how awesome would it be to give a summer for that?
• Resorts and lodges in wilderness areas often can use volunteer help pre- and post-season. Just ask!

Include Your Family

If you’ve got kids at home or grandkids old enough to bring along, an outdoor volunteer stint with them accomplishes several things:

• It gives you a chance to spend time together doing hands-on activities.
• It gets the kids outside and away from their electronic gadgets. 
• It exposes them to the blessing of serving others. The more you do it, the more of a lifestyle it becomes.

I was raised by parents who regularly volunteered for all kinds of things, so it’s always been part of my life. My husband was also raised that way, and we raised our kids to volunteer with us as they grew up. Now it’s ingrained in their lives and will be part of their own children’s growing-up years.

This kind of generational giving is amazing! I’m so thankful for the example we had and the example we can be.

10 Reasons to be an Outdoor Volunteer

1. Gets you outside and active

I don’t know about you, but I spend a lot of my day sitting. That’s one of the reasons I loved my 18-month volunteer gig with that local horse rescue. 

For two hours I was off my rear and working hard scooping poop, hauling hay, sometimes walking horses…whatever the day required. It was a wonderful break from all that sitting.

Our Okontoe events keep us outside for 3-4 days straight in all kinds of weather (even snow). That’s even better.

2. A great family affair

One outdoor volunteering project has become an annual family tradition—what we call our Woodcutting Weekend at Okontoe. 

The staff there burns wood all through their long winters. When our kids were young teens we started going up every October for a long weekend to spend a day or two helping process their winter wood supply. 

They started inviting their friends, and before long we had 15 teens and young adults coming with us.

Now our kids are in their 20s, and they still look forward to it every fall. They’ll schedule work around it if they can. As a mom, I treasure that!

This year (2023) even our 15-month-old grandson came along, as well as the 11-month-old daughter of one of our long-standing participants. These folks who were young kids when they started are now bringing their own families. What a joy!

3. Introduce city folks to the outdoors

That annual weekend—cutting, splitting and stacking many cords of firewood—has been an awesome way to introduce our kids’ city friends to the wilderness. 

Some of them had never hiked the beautiful trails, or lived for a weekend without running water, or had to stoke a wood stove instead of turning on a furnace.

While we’ve had plenty of beautiful sunshine and blue skies over the years, we’ve also worked in rain, cold and snow—something most of them wouldn’t do at home.

Without exception, they’ve all loved it (at least for a few days!).

4. A chance to learn new skills

Almost none of the first-time participants we bring on our Woodcutting Weekends have split wood with an ax before. And they all love it! Especially the guys, but many of the girls too.

It’s so empowering for them to realize what they can do physically. Most of them ask to come back to do it again and again.

Many of the available opportunities for outdoor volunteering can include learning new skills you can then use in your day-to-day life…or just for fun.

5. Gets everyone away from media

It’s not just young people who need a break from screens—we adults do too! A few days away from the internet, TV and phones can do wonders for your peace of mind. It’s wonderfully refreshing.

Not every outdoor volunteer gig will be media-free. But it’s sure nice to get them when we can.

6. See new parts of your state, region or country

There are volunteer opportunities at state parks, regional parks, national parks, wilderness ministries—all over the US and some international ones.

While you can certainly serve locally, another adventure would be to find a volunteer opportunity located in a destination you want to travel to. Add an extra day or two to take advantage of the outdoor recreation opportunities there.

Our weekends at Okontoe are five hours from us, so we always try to include some local hikes before or after our work days. Doing this has introduced a gorgeous part of Minnesota to several of our kids’ friends who had never experienced it before.

If the ministry or business you want to volunteer for has overnight accommodations it always helps. But even if they don’t, you can usually find a nearby campground or short-term rental to keep your trip within budget.

7. Meet new people

Invite people to your own group who don’t know each other yet. Most of the folks who come with us to Okontoe are part of our local church. Some of them are new and don’t know that many people yet, so these are great weekends for mingling.

Or you can join up with an established volunteer group. Either way, you’re bound to meet new people.

You automatically have two things in common with these soon-to-be friends—your love of the outdoors and your love of serving.

Volunteering for an outdoor ministry is also a wonderful way to get to know the staff. You never know how God will use these connections in the future!

8. Gain a new appreciation

Every state or national trail system (like the Superior Hiking Trail and the Appalachian Trail) has volunteer weekends for trail maintenance. 

I haven’t done this yet, but I’ll bet those who do have a new appreciation for what goes into the important work of keeping those trails in top condition for those who use and love them.

Every time we come back from our Wood Weekend we gain a new appreciation for our furnace and indoor plumbing, haha!

9. Develop an outward focus

One of the very top benefits of volunteering is focused giving. Remember Jesus’ words, “It is more blessed to give than receive”? Well, turns out—it is!

In their book The Paradox of Generosity, the authors state: “Generous people tend to receive back goods that are even more valuable than those they gave: happiness, health, a sense of purpose in life, and personal growth.”

(The Paradox of Generosity, by Christian Smith & Hilary Davidson, © 2014 Oxford University Press)

10. Create a lifestyle

All these choices—getting outdoors, being active and giving—can become a lifestyle. And a healthy one that offers physical, emotional, mental and spiritual benefits.

Kids who are raised this way see it as normal and are very likely to keep doing it all their lives. But even if this wasn’t modeled for you when you were young, you can start now.

Let’s review the benefits of outdoor volunteering one last time:

• It’s a great opportunity to get outside…
• It gets you active…
• It’s a wonderful way to give to and serve others. What a blessing for them!
• And it’s a blessing for you and others you bring along.

What could be better?

Here’s more…

• Build Memories through Outdoor Travel & Recreation
• How to Raise Our Girls to Love the Outdoors
• Seeing God in Nature

The post Volunteer to Make a Difference with Outdoor Ministries first appeared on Heaven and Nature.

We know all kinds of things are good for us and will make us healthier. Things like eating healthy foods and exercising. Being grateful and speaking encouragement. Taking our thoughts captive, spending daily time with the Lord…

So why is it such a battle to choose those good things, and not such a battle to default to the easy things?

Well, the world we live in isn’t just a natural world—it’s also a spiritual world. When sin entered the picture, the battle began.

But that doesn’t mean we just give in. We engage. We continue to battle laziness and busyness…and the other excuses we have for not getting and staying fit!

Most of us in First World countries need times of regular exercise in order to stay fit. But the mindset is so often that exercise is only for athletes or for those trying to lose weight (or maintain a healthy weight).

Physical fitness, though, is a major boost for whole-person health, not just physical health!

Let’s start there…

We Need Good Physical Health

It used to be it was just us older folks who needed the reminder to keep moving. Nowadays, though, with the hours and hours in front of screens instead of outdoors, even kids need it.

Our body is designed to move. God made it that way. It’s a functional marvel, actually. But when we don’t move, when we’re mostly sedentary, our body doesn’t respond well.

And the older we get the more important it is to commit to being at least at a minimal level of fitness.

Recent studies show that a sedentary lifestyle is even worse for us than obesity. (And of course a sedentary lifestyle also makes obesity more likely.)

(Just Google “dangers of a sedentary lifestyle” and you’ll find page after page of online articles.)

We don’t have to train like Olympians, but we need to move our bodies—a lot.

Some of that movement needs to increase our heart rate, make us sweat a little and make us to breathe harder. Some of it needs to work our muscles to build strength. Some of it just needs to be moving—gardening, doing stairs, walking from a further parking spot.

As followers of Jesus, doing what we can to keep our bodies healthy is part of stewardship. How many people have been sidelined in ministry, influence and impact by poor physical health?

Sometimes health challenges are out of our control. But according to stats from the medical community, most of them are lifestyle-related. That means our choices have a lot to do with it.

Let’s move on…

We Need Good Mental Health

Guess what you’ll find if you Google “benefits of physical activity on mental health”? Page after page of online articles explaining why this is true.

There is more and more evidence that physical movement helps us even out mental challenges like depression, anxiety, mood swings and tension. And it increases good things like mental clarity, creativity and memory.

Who doesn’t want that?

You know what happens when you take time to move your body everyday? You get physically fit and you invest in your mental health.

I’ve had people tell me they were able to get off meds for their mental health challenges when they committed to regular physical activity (especially when doing it outside—which is another blog post).

We Need Good Emotional Health

Exercise is known to release endorphins—“happy chemicals”—in our body that combat depression and moodiness and help lift our spirits. They can increase enthusiasm, self-esteem, gratitude, confidence, contentment.

Let’s face it, when our physical health and mental health are solid, they boost overall feelings of well-being and satisfaction. Good choices breed other good choices!

Who doesn’t want that?

Healthy thinking and emotions do wonders for our relationships, too. Whether at home, with friends, at work, school or church—people love being around people who are emotionally healthy.

When the Lord designed the human body, He made it so all these parts of us are interrelated. Let’s take advantage of that!

We Need Good Spiritual Health

Let’s think about this: Living a biblical lifestyle includes giving thanks in every situation, rejoicing always, not being overwhelmed by fear and anxiety, believing God’s word that He loves us and will never leave us…and the list goes on.

And if He created our bodies to help us do all that naturally just by engaging those bodies in regular physical activity…

Why not make it easier on ourselves to rejoice, give thanks, fear not, be at peace, love ourselves and others?

So this time we invest (not spend) in physical activity—whether on the trails, in the gym, in a kayak or on a bike—is an investment in our whole-person health.

It’s not just for athletes. It’s not just to lose weight or maintain weight.

It’s part of stewardship. We get one body during our time on earth. How are you taking care of yours?

Here’s more…

• Why Strength is Key to Optimal Health
• Should Doctors Prescribe Outdoor Activity?
• Why Your Brain Loves Exercise

The post Why We Need to Get Fit…and Stay Fit first appeared on Heaven and Nature.

That was really good news for me back in 2015 when I was diagnosed with the beginnings of arthritis in my right foot.

I’d been experiencing shooting pains in my first metatarsophalangeal joint (in other words, my big toe joint).

Even though it’s not what I would’ve liked to hear, I was glad to know what was wrong so I could move forward. I got some custom orthotics soon after my diagnosis, and have been able to stay active ever since.

Why Exercise is Good for Arthritis

I asked the podiatrist several questions about running with arthritis. He encouraged me to get used to the orthotics first, then by all means to get out and try it. Let my feet be my guide as far as distance and intensity.

According to this article from MayoClinic.org, exercise is important for several reasons.

• It’s helps ease stiffness
• Keeps us flexible
• Helps maintain bone strength
• Gives us more energy
• Helps us sleep better
• It helps us control our weight (obesity is a high risk factor for arthritis)

The Arthritis Foundation recommends walking and aquatic exercises as especially good for most people who suffer from osteoarthritis. Other activities like biking, swimming, running and paddling are also good.

Activities like these use your whole body, improve circulation, provide cardio benefits, strengthen your muscles—all of which help with arthritis symptoms.

Don’t Aggravate Your Pain

Being aware of what aggravates pain will help you decide which activities to do and not do.

Here are some things I already knew aggravated my pain:

• Mounting a horse from the ground. When I mounted from the left side of the horse—ouch! It took me a few minutes to recover from the pain. I switched to a mounting block so I wouldn’t have to push off with my right foot.
• Pushing my cross-country ski boots into the bindings. I actually needed to stop skiing for a season. There was no way around that one.
• Sand volleyball. After playing for 45 minutes one afternoon, barefoot, my foot hurt for a good week.
• Sprinting. My husband and I were asked about playing co-ed softball that summer. I had to pass on that, too.

Since my arthritis is in my foot, the shoes I wear are key, although I suppose that’s true when it’s in your knees or hips too.

I was already used to wearing shoes all the time. My chiropractor suggested that to me back in 2008 when I first started seeing him for sciatica. No more barefoot in the house. No more cheap shoes with zero arch support.

My Arthritis Improved

I’ve been wearing either those custom orthotics or some other kind of arch support in my shoes ever since. The pain in my foot vastly improved and has been almost non-existent for several years now.

I can mount a horse from the ground again. I’ve been able to push my ski boots into my bindings without any trouble. I haven’t tried sand volleyball in a few years, but I imagine that would go much better, too. I don’t sprint anymore, haha…but probably could if I had to.

So, a combination of staying active and wearing good support has been the ticket for me.

Getting and Staying Active

The key is regularity. It’s important to keep your blood flowing, your joints moving and your muscles flexible.

If you’re not already doing some kind of activity, check with your doctor or physical therapist first for their recommendations. Then just keep at it once you’ve found an activity or two that work well for you without aggravating your pain.

The Arthritis Foundation, like the exercise experts, recommends: “150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity or an equivalent combination” each week.

Moderate-intensity activities are things like walking, light hiking or snowshoeing. Vigorous options include running, cross country skiing, hiking or snowshoeing hills.

You may find, like I did, that your pain decreases the more you keep your body moving. I hope it does! It’s so freeing to be able to keep up with the activities I love without the pain of the arthritis.

Isn’t it amazing how God designed our body to heal itself? While not everything can be solved through better lifestyle choices, many things can.

Here’s more…

• Dynamic vs Static Stretching: What You Need to Know
• Why Strength is Key to Optimal Health
• Good News about Moderate Exercise and Longevity

The post Why and How to Stay Active with Arthritis first appeared on Heaven and Nature.

In the old days, when I was in high school and college (the 80s), the only type of stretching we were taught was the type now called static stretching.

We knew it was important to get our muscles and joints ready for our physical activity.

Stretching has Changed

But research and experience have taught us since that static stretching isn’t the best way to prepare our bodies for an activity.

I learned this recently at a short presentation by a couple doctors from a local chiropractic clinic at a Chamber of Commerce meeting.

Static stretching is still great—but it’s better after your workout or activity. Or even each day when you’re not preparing for an activity. It’s just plain good for our bodies so we can keep our flexibility.

This is important as our bodies age, as flexibility is one of the (many!) things that diminish without use.

But to prepare for a workout or other physical activity, we want to warm up with dynamic stretching instead.

Here’s a short video that describes the difference. She also goes into the why’s of each one. It’s definitely worth the 4-minute watch.

Dynamic stretching is a way to gradually stretch our muscles through movement, rather than through holding a stretch. It’s better before an activity because it also raises our body temperature and heart rate.

The experts have found dynamic stretching is better for preventing injury.

Rather than try to describe some dynamic stretches, I thought it’d be easier to show you. Here’s a video that demonstrates 21 different dynamic stretches.

Find What Works for You

You don’t need to do all of them, of course. But choose and do one or two that moves each of your major muscle groups before your workout or activity.

I’ve always done static stretching—since my teens. Thankfully I’ve not had any injuries because of not including dynamic stretching.

Now, when I do my Metabolic Renewal workouts, the videos include 2 minutes of dynamic stretches: upper body twists, squats and push-ups.

I’m sure some of you know this stuffy already. But for those of you who didn’t, like me, it’s important to make this change in our pre-activity prep.

This is ESPECIALLY important for you if you’re a “weekend warrior”—if you only do physical activity occasionally. And the older we get, the more important it is.

So…take some time to watch these videos, and Happy Stretching!

(I’m not necessarily endorsing the folks who produce these videos—I haven’t done any research on them. I just found them on YouTube and think they offer a good, basic overview.)

Here’s more…

• Why Strength is Key to Optimal Health
• Why We Need Healthy Bones
• Good News about Moderate Exercise and Longevity

The post Dynamic vs. Static Stretching: What You Need to Know first appeared on Heaven and Nature.

I’ve never liked strength training, especially with weights.

I know it’s good for me. And I’ve done it in the past. I had to take a semester of strength training during college as part of the phys ed requirements.

In the early 2000s I bought a book that caught my eye: Strong Women Stay Young by Dr. Miriam E. Nelson from Tufts University. After reading it I followed Dr. Nelson’s plan for at-home strength training for a long time. But I eventually quit because…I don’t like strength training!

I figured the running, walking and Pilates I was doing was just going to have to be enough.

At 52, I had to quit running due to hip stiffness and a few other minor injuries. So I joined a gym for the first time in my life in 2017 for the sole purpose of getting in two days of strength training.

After two years of that (and I was faithful to go a couple days most weeks) I didn’t renew my membership because…I don’t like strength training!

Then two years ago I bought the Metabolic Renewal program. That’s the one I’m still doing, most weeks. I can do it from home, each workout is only 15 minutes long, and I can tell it works. It’s a mix of cardio and strength that I add to walking.

I don’t love it, but I know my body needs it! So I’m going to keep working on strength exercises.

Here’s why:

1. Strengthens Our Muscles

“Use it or lose it” is absolutely true when it comes to muscle strength. Weakened muscles shrink and become flabby. Since our muscles support our entire skeletal system, flabby muscles mean flabby support.

Strong muscles mean strong support. This is especially important for a healthy back and for healthy joints.

A physical therapist told me years ago: “The best thing you can do for your back is to have strong stomach muscles.” I recently read something similar about our knees: The best thing for healthy knees is strong quad muscles.

It can be working with weights or exercises that use your own body weight, like squats and push-ups. If it works your muscles, it’s good.

2. Revs Up Our Metabolism

Muscle is active tissue and needs calories to fuel it—even when resting. As our muscles are strengthened, they grow and therefore need more fuel. Theoretically, this should help us maintain our weight easier.

One thing I like about the Metabolic Renewal program is the heavy emphasis on healthy eating. Whole foods, lots of veggies, some fruits, plenty of protein and some healthy fats—these cooperate with your active movement to feed our cells and help keep them working hard for us.

3. Improves Our Balance

One of the most common injuries we hear about with the elderly is broken bones due to falls. That’s partly true because as inactive people age, their muscles used for balance get weaker.

Strength training builds up those muscles in our hips, legs and back we use for balance. I’ve noticed myself how my body automatically compensates and corrects itself when I lose my balance—say when slipping on an icy patch.

While I’ve fallen here and there, I’m pretty amazed at the many times I’m able to stay on my feet because my muscles are used to working hard.

4. Increases Our Bone Density

The other reason for broken bones is that as inactive people age, they lose bone density, which causes their bones to become more brittle.

Strength training increases bone density, both strengthening the bones and decreasing the risk of osteoporosis. If there is a fall, there’s less risk of broken bones.

5. Energizes Us

In Strong Women Stay Young, Dr. Nelson reports on a study she and her colleagues did: participants in the strength training study reported a 27% increase in their overall activity during the study. Compare that to the 25% decrease in activity with the control group in the same study.

Being strong makes it easier and more enjoyable to do everything else! It’s easier to garden, clean the house, get up and down the stairs, shovel the driveway, hike and mountain, set up a tent, play with your kids or grandkids, even carry groceries in from the car.

When our body is used to physical work through exercise, including strength workouts, it responds positively to all other kinds of activity.

Our Ultimate Goal: Stewardship

Our ultimate goal isn’t to be thin, be in good shape or strong just for the sake of it, or because we want to look and feel good. Although we do.

It’s not even so we can keep doing the activities we love. Although we want that, too.

Our ultimate goal is to be good stewards of the physical body God’s given us!

We want to be able to keep doing what we’re called to do well into old age—not be forced to the sidelines because of feebleness, sickness and weariness.

I forgot to mention that the study participants Dr. Nelson recruited for her strength training study were all postmenopausal women.

It’s not too late to begin now, no matter what your age or physical condition!

Here’s more…

• Why We Need Healthy Bones
• Good News about Moderate Exercise and Longevity
• The Many Health Benefits of Walking

The post Why Muscle Strength is So Important for Optimal Health first appeared on Heaven and Nature.

He was welcomed into the Celestial City (as it’s called in Pilgrim’s Progress) by His Maker and Lord.

One of the ways my dad, Ivan, lived his life was in loving and enjoying the outdoors. He passed on that love to all five of his children, including me.

We were blessed to have parents who took us kids camping, hiking, swimming, and on road trips to beautiful places.

When we started collecting pictures of Dad for his Celebration of Life service, we found quite a few of him adventuring in the outdoors…

• Honeymooning with Mom in the Canadian Rockies when in his 20s
• Camping with the family when in his 30s and 40s, including a family road trip back to the Canadian Rockies and Montana
• Dog sledding in northern Minnesota when in his 50s
• Summitting 14,065-foot Mt. Bierstadt in Colorado with my brother when in his 60s
• Careening down a 200-foot water slide at a Mexico water park when in his 70s.

He was always adventurous!

In his 80s Dad developed dementia and signs of Alzheimer’s. As long as he still had the physical strength, one of his favorite things to do was to walk the trails through the woods in a local park with us (shown in the photo below).

My dad wasn’t a perfect man, or a perfect husband, or a perfect father. He struggled with depression all his life. He had faults like the rest of us.

But he lived his life fully. He impacted so many people—people we heard from at his funeral and for many weeks afterwards.

He had a deep, lasting faith in his God and a deep commitment to his family, his church, his friends and causes he believed in.

For a long time now it’s been one of my desires to live my life well, too. I’m honored to have had such a good example of that in my father.

Several of us kids put up Facebook posts about him after he passed away. I love this one posted by my youngest sister, Katy (the photo was taken by my older brother on a hike in Colorado):

May you, also, continue to pursue a life well-lived. In the end, we want to be able to say, like the apostle Paul:

“The time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith. From now on, the crown of righteousness is stored up for me, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that day; and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved His appearing.” ~ 2 Timothy 4:6-8

(World English Bible, public domain)

Here’s more…

• Beauty is God’s Handwriting
• Why You should be an Outdoor Volunteer
• How to Find Parks and Trails Near You

The post A Life Well-Lived: In Honor of My Outdoors Dad first appeared on Heaven and Nature.

If you really don’t like to work out—or if, like me, you’re feeling your age more and more and just have to slow down a bit—this is for us!

I recently came across three online articles about the benefits of moderate exercise. I’ll just give you a brief synopsis of each, then send you to the full article if you’d like to read further:

“Even Light Activity is Healthier than Previously Thought”

Light activities—like gardening, walking your dog, even vacuuming—contributed to a 50-70% decline in mortality rates in two separate studies.

One was from Harvard, the other from an institution in Sweden. They both agreed that “subjects who moved a lot enjoyed a substantial longevity benefit over those who moved little.”

The important finding is that it’s not just about a 30-60 minute workout each day. The study participants who sat the least (less than 6 hours a day) showed a 66% lower mortality risk than those who sat the most (more than 10 hours a day).

Read The Washington Post article here. (to read it you’ll need to sign up for a free subscription)

The Activity and Longevity Connection for Over-40s

This article from Vitality Living website refers to a medical journal article that found:

“Even a modestly active lifestyle can add years to one’s life, with high levels of activity adding even greater health benefits.”

It mentions this other important point: physical activity isn’t the only factor for a meaningful and long life. But it’s a definite key.

Read the Vitality Living article here.

Added Years + Better Quality of Life

And finally, the National Institute on Aging supports this, too: “…exercise and physical activity are considered a cornerstone of almost every healthy aging program. Scientific evidence suggests that people who exercise regularly not only live longer, they live better.”

The same article refers to studies that are finding that even adults who start exercising in their 60s and 70s will improve their heart health. Balance, fatigue, breathlessness—all are common with older people, and all are improved with moderate exercise.

Put simply: It’s never too late to start!

This article goes into several other lifestyle choices we can make to improve our health: the right amount of sleep, a diet rich in the right foods, a healthy community.

All of them (and more) don’t just benefit our health but give us a better quality of life.

Read the NIA article here.

God’s Purpose for Our Whole Life

As Christians, one of the things to keep in mind is it’s not just about us living a long life. Or even just about living a long life free of disability.

Both of those are amazing, but there’s more for us.

It’s about fruitfulness for God’s kingdom for as long as we’re living this life He gave us.

The healthier we are—body, soul, mind and spirit—the better able we are to keep pursuing God’s call for our lives—and the more we’ll be able to enjoy it!

This is what I ask myself: What am I willing to commit to in order to get and stay healthy? Is fruitfulness for God’s kingdom enough motivation for me to make healthy choices every day?

It can be SO easy for us to keep putting off those choices because we don’t feel like it…or are too busy…or whatever.

The kicker is, that’s one thing we can’t outsource to someone else!

Back to moderate exercise—if the word exercise makes you cringe, use a different word. Moderate activity. Just move more. We can do it!

Here’s more…

• Why We Need Healthy Bones
• The Many Health Benefits of Walking
• How to Find Parks & Trails Near You

The post Great News about Moderate Exercise and Longevity first appeared on Heaven and Nature.

Like most 20 and 30-somethings, I never thought about my bones in my young adulthood. But when I learned that most older adults start to lose bone strength around mid-life, that got my attention. Once I entered my 50s I began to think about bone loss a lot more.

The weaker our bones are, the more susceptible we are to fractures. When we hear of an elderly person breaking a hip after a fall, it’s likely the result of thinning, brittle bones.

And as we know, the older we are the longer our bodies take to heal after a fracture or other injury.

How Our Bones are Key to Good Overall Health

God has designed an incredibly strong and complex skeletal structure inside the human body. Not only are our bones stronger than steel, ounce for ounce, they grow with us and they heal themselves.

Our bones—all 206 of them—are found from head to toe:

• Our skull protects our brain.
• The tiny bone in our middle ear aids in hearing.
• The spine protects our central nervous system and yet is amazingly flexible.
• Our rib cage surrounds and protects our vital organs.
• Our arm, leg, hand and foot bones provide the structure for movement, both our large and fine motor skills.

When bones weaken, they’re much more likely to fracture than bones that are strong. Weak bones, then, can’t protect what they need to protect as well, and perform how they’re designed to perform.

Why Our Bones Get Weaker

Our bones lose their strength when they lose their mass, which is, unfortunately, a natural part of the aging process.

(There are plenty of other articles that get into the scientific reasons why, if you want to do some research.)

But that doesn’t mean we have to stand by and helplessly watch it happen.

Like every other system in our body, our lifestyle choices make a huge difference in bone health and how well they’ll continue to work for us over a lifetime.

I bought a book about 20 years ago called Strong Women Stay Young, by Dr. Miriam Nelson. After years of research and work with hundreds of seniors, she and her colleagues learned that strength training helps reverse bone loss.

Yes, that’s reverse bone loss…not just reduce it.

And it’s not just women who need to pay attention to bone loss. “Men in their fifties do not experience the rapid loss of bone mass that women do in the years following menopause. By age 65 or 70, however, men and women lose bone mass at the same rate,” says the National Institute of Health.

We can’t stop the aging process, but we can sure slow it down by making the right choices.

How We Keep Our Bones Healthy

Can you guess one of the choices we can make for healthy bones?

That’s right—regular physical activity.

The best are weight-bearing activities, which is why Dr. Nelson’s strength training work with her elderly participants saw such great results.

Walking, running, hiking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, stand-up paddleboarding—all these outdoor activities you love to do are good for your bone health.

This article from Harvard Medical School says this about strength training:

“A well-rounded strength training program that works out all the major muscle groups can benefit practically all of your bones. Of particular interest, it targets bones of the hips, spine, and wrists, which, along with the ribs, are the sites most likely to fracture.

“Also, by enhancing strength and stability, resistance workouts reduce the likelihood of falls, which can lead to fractures.”

Did you catch that? Strong muscles gives us better balance which means fewer falls. Strong bones mean less chance of a fracture if we do fall.

A healthy diet is also vital for keeping our bones strong. This article is easy to scan and covers the basics: 10 Natural Ways to Build Healthy Bones.

In a nutshell: Eat all the stuff we already know is good for us!

Mix It Up for Great Overall Health

Does this mean we should stop doing activities that aren’t weight bearing? Of course not! Keep doing what you love. Your other body systems will benefit from them, too

But mix your biking, kayaking, canoeing and swimming with weight-bearing activities like hiking and snowshoeing for a good balance.

Does is mean we can’t eat our favorites treats from time to time? No, a treat now and then is great. But if our bone health partially depends on eating healthy foods, then eating mostly healthy is a good choice.

We’ve been given one body for our lifetime. Let’s take good care of it—including our marvelous bones, so they can serve us well as long as we need them.

Here’s more…

• Should Doctors Prescribe Outdoor Activity?
• Physical Inactivity: The #1 Health Problem of Our Time
• The Many Health Benefits of Walking

The post Why Our Bones Need to Stay Healthy and Strong first appeared on Heaven and Nature.

It’s a thing. A growing thing.

Some call is Outdoor RX. Exploring the use of nature and outdoor activity as prescription alternatives to medical drugs.

When you think about it, in the old days this was pretty common. Those who could afford it would leave the city and go to the seaside or the mountains to recuperate. The fresh air, relaxation and outdoor activity would do wonders.

Then the discovery of penicillin and development of all kinds of synthetic drugs (and the rise of the multi-trillion dollar pharmaceutical industry) have made us modern folks forget the remedies God built into the natural world.

But nature and outdoor activity as a means of healing is back in style. At least it’s starting to be.

Here are a few articles and resources:

“10 Health Problems that the Outdoors can help Prevent and Treat”

This article on Forbes.com goes into extensive detail about ten common health issues the outdoors can help prevent or treat:

1. Obesity and obesity-related problems like diabetes, cancer and cardio diseases. All of these are known risks of a sedentary lifestyle—and studies show people who spend time outdoors are more active than people who don’t.
2. High blood pressure—not just more activity, but nature itself helps lower blood pressure.
3. Mental health issues like depression, anxiety and stress are also known to be reduced by exposure to nature.
4. Osteoporosis and osteopenia are a weakening of the bones that can be prevented by both weight-bearing activity and plenty of Vitamin D, which the sun gives us naturally.
5. Nearsightedness—the article refers to a study done with Chinese school children who spent more time outdoors than others (which includes less time in front of screens). They had fewer cases of nearsightedness. Interesting!
6. Dementia
7. Asthma and other lung diseases can be helped by more exposure to clean, fresh air found in (non-polluted) outdoor spaces.
8. Pain and injuries—the article calls it a “massive physical therapy clinic.” Outdoor activity naturally works our whole body in ways that help us increase strength, balance and stamina.
9. Addictions—Not only can outdoor activity and nature help people recover from addictions, it can help keep people from forming harmful addictive behaviors.

“Science’s Newest Miracle Drug is Free”

Brought to you from Outside magazine online, here’s a quote from the article by pediatrician, Dr. Robert Zarr:

“In a world where we increasingly live our lives indoors, we are starting to think about nature not just as a place to recreate, but also as a social determinant of health.” ~ Dr. Robert Zarr

According to the article, the nature-as-prescription movement has exploded. Unfortunately, I personally hear very little about it in my world except when I specifically look for it.

And, of course, the word “newest” in the title is intentional irony. The article acknowledges that outdoor activity has been prescribed by physicians in various cultures for several thousand years. But for our generation, the idea is pretty revolutionary.

“A doctor’s recommendation can matter a good deal. Meta-analyses of multiple studies suggest that, for example, you’re almost four times more likely to attempt to lose weight if your doctor suggests it…Providers can motivate people to change their behavior.”

“Natural Medicine: More Doctors Prescribing Time Outdoors”

This article also cites Dr. Zarr, saying he writes out a couple prescriptions for his patients each day for outdoor activity instead of prescription drugs.

It also refers to a law passed a year ago in the UK that allows doctors to prescribe outdoor activity as an alternative to drugs.

The article mentions a trend you may have heard of: forest bathing. Popularized in Japan, forest bathing practices can get a little woo-woo, depending on who you follow.

But there truly are chemicals trees produce—phytoncides—that benefit humans, especially our immune system. Doesn’t that sound like something the Lord would design into creation?

(No wonder I love trees so much!)

America’s National Park Service & Park RX

Here in the US, the National Park Service released this video in 2014, Park Prescriptions:

The NPS and other government agencies created Park RX to help educate us on the benefits of being active outside.

Here’s a shareable graphic by Park RX:

So, should doctors prescribe outdoor activity and nature for both preventative and disease treatment?

Absolutely!

Here’s more…

• Physical Inactivity: The #1 Health Problem of Our Time
• Why Our Kids need to Play Outside
• The Many Health Benefits of Walking

The post Do You Think Doctors Should Prescribe Outdoor Activity? first appeared on Heaven and Nature.