LET’S MOVE IT!

Sedentary living is the bane of civilisation. We drive to work and plonk ourselves in front of the desk for hours on end. Then we head home, driving again.

When we reach home, some among us might resume our desk jockey existence, catching up on unfinished work. Or we may transform into couch potatoes in front of the TV.

                                                                   
Unless we incorporate more physical activity into our lives, we may become victims of 

noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes, which are the leading cause of mortality in the world. http://www.who.int/gho/ncd/en/

So let’s make it a point to MOVE MORE.

This video clip from the movie, Madagascar 2, is highly entertaining and instructive:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0qkUIFEtXM

Some of us may be walking time bombs if we’re not careful. We might just drop dead suddenly, what with a stressful lifestyle, round-the-clock eating and lack of exercise. But we console ourselves, thinking it only happens to others but not us.

How will we leave this earth? Morbid come to think of it but let’s face it. We should not run away from reality.

The commonest way of exiting is not when we get cancer or meet with an accident. By far the most likely terminal event will be a heart attack or stroke, which is related to clogging of our arteries supplying the heart or brain.

The major risk factors for heart disease/ stroke are:

1. Family history.

2. Hypertension.

3. Diabetes.

4. High cholesterol.

5. Smoking.

Other risk factors include stress, lack of exercise (sedentary life) and obesity. When the obesity is concentrated in the abdomen (pot belly), it is even worse as it is associated with “metabolic syndrome”.

Pot belly (also called paunch, “spare tyre”) is not just something cosmetic. It is a sign of poor health; many risk factors for heart disease are associated with it.

We’d better beware when the only exercise we get is clicking the mouse or remote control.

We can do ourselves a whole lot of good by taking more walks, being wise and selective with our diet, learning how to manage stress (techniques such as meditation, deep breathing exercises), going for our annual medical check-ups and regularly taking our medications if we have been instructed by our doctor. Be regularly updated on health issues by reading widely.

Those above 40’s should consult a doctor before embarking on a vigourous exercise programme.

Remember it’s about keeping our coronary arteries unclogged:

http://www.asiaone.com/Health/News/Story/A1Story20080928-90465.html

Disclaimer: The above is not intended to replace professional medical consultation.

TAKING CARE OF THE TEMPLE

A blog reader commented: “Without faith it is impossible to please God. If you’re not walking by faith, you are going to be fearful and unbelieving. Divine health and divine healing are a result of walking by faith. No matter how much you concern yourself with food and diet, without faith it is futile.”

My reply: “Trusting God for our health doesn’t mean we have no role to play in maintaining the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). While we need not be finicky health freaks, we still need to practise a healthy lifestyle that looks into areas such as diet, exercise, work-life balance and stress management. Thinking all will be well since God takes care of our health is being foolhardy. Even pastors and missionaries have heart attack and stroke. Having great faith alone is not enough. We still have to take personal responsibility for our health.”

Clearly, faith is not to be equated with foolhardiness: http://bit.ly/1fEQLjp

If our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, shouldn’t we be responsible for caring and maintaining it (1 Corinthians 6:19)?

Apart from God’s sovereignty, the number of years we have in life to glorify God depends on how well we fulfill our jobs as a “temple caretakers”.