Exercise is medicine

Good morning, everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Live long and live well”

Our Bible verse for today: “Youths may become faint and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:30-31 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Exercise is medicine”

For many years before Aimee and I married and established our home together, I lived in a community on the other end of the county that wasn’t exactly a retirement community, but it was populated primarily by retirees. It’s a beautiful community with great amenities like five golf courses, eleven lakes, lots of hiking and bike trails, tennis courts, pickleball courts, and multiple swimming pools. It also has a very good exercise facility which is owned and operated by our local hospital. It is called the “Cumberland Medical Center Wellness Complex”. The staff there all wear tee shirts with the slogan, “Exercise is Medicine”.

There’s a lot of truth to that slogan. In his great book, “Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity”, Dr. Peter Attia and his team of medical researchers discovered that of all the variables that help to contribute to good health and long life, none had a greater impact than regular moderate exercise. Here’s some of what they discovered:

“High aerobic fitness was associated with the greatest survival (rates).”

“The fitter you are the lower your risk of death… there is no other intervention, drug or otherwise, that can rival this magnitude of benefit. Exercise is so effective against diseases of aging … that it has often been compared to medicine.”

“Exercise really does act like a drug. To be more precise, it prompts the body to produce its own, endogenous drug-like chemicals. When we are exercising, our muscles generate molecules known as cytokines that send signals to other parts of our bodies, helping to strengthen our immune system and stimulate the growth of new muscle and stronger bones.”

“Muscle helps us survive old age.”

“The more effort you’re willing to put into it now, the more benefit you’ll reap in the future.”

When I lived in that community, I enjoyed working out every day at the Wellness Complex. Almost everyone there were senior citizens, but I was amazed at how fit many of them were. Even in their 70s and 80s they were lifting weights, walking and jogging, using the cardio machines, playing tennis and pickle ball, swimming, hiking, and more. I also admired some of the other older folks who had not taken very good care of themselves up to that point, but who were now making the effort to get healthier. Some of them were even pushing walkers around the indoor track!

I have run out of room this morning in this devotional and haven’t yet commented on our verse for today and how it applies both physically and spiritually. So, we will come back to that again tomorrow. For now, I want to encourage you to take your medicine! Get up, get out, and do some exercise. It will go a long way towards helping you to live long and to live well.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Share this:

Related

Leave a comment Cancel reply