Besides working out, there’s another reason exercise classes make me feel so good...being with my friends there.

During my high school years I didn’t have a lot of girlfriends. Most of this was my own doing. I didn’t have the confidence to share my heart with anyone who could stomp on it with gossip or make fun of me. Back then, I didn’t know that I could pray and ask God to bring the right friends into my life.

For the past 26 years, the majority of my weekday mornings have been occupied with teaching group fitness classes. It surprised me to realize recently that this is where I have developed my closest friendships. 

Last week, after my Cardio Power Pump class, a group of us sat on the floor of the fitness room and listened to an audio Bible study. I was moved as I looked at each of my dear friends who were in the room.

One woman has been attending my fitness classes sporadically for over 20 years and she keeps me laughing. I met another woman at church and we developed our friendship during a Bible study in her home. Another friend moved to Owensboro several years ago and I feel like I have known her all my life. My athlete friend has seen her share of adversity and her strong demeanor and discipline inspire me. A girlfriend 10 years younger makes me feel better when I am down.

My ears perked up as some of the younger ladies shared how they also have developed friendships through our fitness classes. Several mentioned being torn between their careers and staying at home with their children. Feelings of isolation drew them to the group fitness classes and they were surprised to meet others in their same situation.

Next, a young missionary spoke about her time in a foreign country and how a Christian family took her in and made her feel loved. She yearned to have a family one day and to be able to stay at home with her children.
 
I marvel at how beautifully God has orchestrated the steps of our lives. He knew these fitness classes would bring us together to develop the friendships that we all need. I love the scripture of Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 about the power of friendship: Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work; if one falls downs, his friend can help him up.

Having friends is the best present a girl could give herself. 

Blessings,
Theresa

Photo: Theresa with friends

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Get more advice from Theresa!

Find all you need to know on whole-person 
wellness in Shaped by Faith.

Theresa is a former model and nationally certified fitness professional who teaches people to use their faith to inspire fitness and their fitness to strengthen their faith. She is the author of Shaped by Faith: 10 Secrets to Strengthening your Body & Soul, and three exercise DVDS: Pilates for the Soul, Strength Training for the Seasoned Soul and Pilates Stability Ball.

She and her husband, Robin, have seven children and live in Calhoun, Kentucky.

Last month, within days of the release of my new exercise DVD for seniors, Time magazine featured a story called “Exercise to Protect Aging Bodies—and Brains.”

The article said studies confirm that exercise not only helps maintain good health but may also prevent the onset of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, osteoarthritis and dementia.

That’s amazing news but nothing I couldn’t have told you.

Every Monday and Wednesday, for the past five years, I’ve taught a class called Senior Strength. It’s 45 minutes of seated and standing strength, endurance and stretching exercises. Students in the class range from ages 50 to 90. Several have had hip and knee replacement surgery and some are recovering from shoulder, back and neck injuries. Regardless of their health history, these ladies are energetic, full of grace and have very sharp minds.

Two students, a mother/daughter team, have taken my class for the last two years. Virginia, the mother, will be 90 this summer. Although she has arthritis, she lives on her own, still drives, and she’s even been asked to lead an exercise class in her retirement community! Carol, her daughter, told me, “Exercise keeps mom going strong. I enjoy being able to look at her and see myself in two dozen years.”

There’s another criteria for wellness—something Time magazine’s article didn’t touch on—and that’s prayer. My Senior Strength class and I pray together before the start of each class, and it prepares us to stretch, grow strong and have fun. The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 12:2 that we can “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Make today a mental health day. Do your favorite form of exercise, breathe deep and talk to God.

Blessings,
Theresa

Photo: Some of Theresa’s Senior Strength class. Carol is in the front row second on left. Virginia behind her in red striped shirt.

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Get more advice from Theresa!

Find all you need to know on whole-person 
wellness in Shaped by Faith.

Theresa is a former model and nationally certified fitness professional who teaches people to use their faith to inspire fitness and their fitness to strengthen their faith. She is the author of Shaped by Faith: 10 Secrets to Strengthening your Body & Soul, and three exercise DVDS: Pilates for the Soul, Strength Training for the Seasoned Soul and Pilates Stability Ball.

She and her husband, Robin, have seven children and live in Calhoun, Kentucky.

We are snowed in today—again! Western Kentucky got five inches of snow yesterday and we’re expecting more today.

Our country roads are really bad and everything is closed—schools, stores and businesses, even the fitness center where I teach. My driveway is plowed in but I’ll let my sons and husband tackle that. Although snow shoveling is great cardio and strength training, I don't want to chance hurting my low back since I have some bulging discs in my lumbar spine. 

When I’m snowed in, I relish the day off. I take a welcome day of rest from teaching, driving my sons to school and sports, and being on the go.   

I’m going to make Mexican Soup—it’s one of my favorite winter meals; low on fat and high in protein. Then, I’m going to do some Pilates stretches in my home office. This room is my personal space and it has a large window from floor to ceiling with a breathtaking view of the winter scene outside.

Stretches are gentle movements that extend our limbs and muscles and help our body rest. Below is one of my favorites that feels so good. I also demonstrate a seated version of this movement on my website, ShapedbyFaith.com, as well as thigh, hamstring, and back stretches. Check it out—you can join me in my home and we’ll stretch together.

Hip/Glute Stretch
This stretch releases tight hip flexors that cause pain in the hips, back, hamstrings and knees.

Begin by lying on the floor with both knees bent. Cross your right foot over your left knee. Place your hands behind your left thigh. Exhale and gently pull your leg in toward you while keeping your upper body relaxed. Hold this for 15–30 seconds. Repeat this stretch on the opposite leg.

Snow days can be inconvenient but I am thankful for the time, peace and healing they bring.

Mexican Soup Recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs. ground lean turkey

1 onion chopped

1-oz package of Ranch style dressing mix

2 packages of Taco (McCormick) season mix

16-oz can black beans, undrained

16-oz can kidney beans, undrained

16-oz can pinto beans, undrained

16-oz can diced tomato with chilies

16-oz can tomato wedges (or diced), undrained

2 cans white corn (or mixed corn)

2 cups water

Preparation

1. Cook turkey meat and onions till brown. 

2. Mix all ingredients together in a large pot and simmer for 2 hours.

3. Add low-fat Mexican cheese, low-fat sour cream and light tortilla chips on top of soup if desired.
 

Blessings,
Theresa

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Get more advice from Theresa!

Find all you need to know on whole-person 
wellness in Shaped by Faith.

Theresa is a former model and nationally certified fitness professional who teaches people to use their faith to inspire fitness and their fitness to strengthen their faith. She is the author of Shaped by Faith: 10 Secrets to Strengthening your Body & Soul, and two exercise DVDS: Pilates for the Soul

She and her husband, Robin, have seven children and live in Calhoun, Kentucky.

Ladies, heart disease is not a “man’s disease”—it’s the No. 1 killer of women in the U.S. That’s why the American Heart Association declares each February “American Heart Month.”

Their national Go Red for Women campaign encourages women who have heart disease to speak up, share their story and make others aware of the risks and warning signs of heart disease.
 
I will be speaking about my own struggles with heart health on February 12th at a Go Red for Women luncheon affiliated with the University of Kentucky. And that’s why I am writing to you right now. I am passionate about sharing with women how listening to their bodies can save their lives! 

Ten years ago I looked like the picture of health. But I knew there was something going on in my body that was just not right. Although I was teaching fitness classes five days a week, I felt fatigued. I was short of breath, dizzy, sweated excessively while exercising and experienced tooth pain. I had no idea these were symptoms of a heart problem.

Neither did the doctors I saw, apparently—I looked so strong and healthy. I continued going to various doctors for a year until a physician finally took me seriously and decided to check my heart through an echocardiogram. The test showed that I had a dime-sized hole in my heart. I am thankful that God kept me alive and that I was physically strong enough to make it through the extensive open-heart surgery. 
 
Two years ago, right before I had my second open-heart surgery, I had been studying scripture about the heart. As I prayed, I felt God speak to me and I knew I should make an appointment with a cardiologist ASAP and get things checked out once again. God was right; the hole in my heart had reopened and once again I am thankful to be alive.
 
Here are my three tips for heart health:

1. Be a good listener!
The American Heart Association says, “The most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.” If you “hear” something, take action and see a doctor immediately.

2. Have a heart check-up regularly.
Regular medical checkups and early diagnosis of unexplained or vague symptoms can safe your life.

3. Get your heart moving! 
Invite a friend out for a walk and talk session. If the weather is bad, walk your stairs, do jumping jacks or bounce on a stability ball while reaching your arms up and down (I LOVE this exercise).

Blessings,
T

Get more heart health tips on our Love Your Heart page.

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Get more advice from Theresa!

Find all you need to know on whole-person 
wellness in Shaped by Faith.

Theresa is a former model and nationally certified fitness professional who teaches people to use their faith to inspire fitness and their fitness to strengthen their faith. She is the author of Shaped by Faith: 10 Secrets to Strengthening your Body & Soul, and two exercise DVDS: Pilates for the Soul

She and her husband, Robin, have seven children and live in Calhoun, Kentucky.

There’s ½ inch of snow on the ground here in western Kentucky. You have to understand something about these parts: when it snows, almost everything shuts down so cars won’t slip and people won’t fall.

I was wearing heels last night while walking through the snow, stepping carefully to keep my balance. I was also thinking about balance because I was on my way to speak about that very topic to the women of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY.

Each safe step I took reminded me of how new I am to a balanced life. I have always been pretty strong physically, but not emotionally and spiritually. I spent most of my 20s and 30s anxious, confused, searching, stressed out, teetering on falling apart. In a word—unbalanced.

How do we find balance? The secret comes from a strong physical and spiritual core. That’s the message I shared last night.

I discovered that becoming balanced on the inside requires the same focus and discipline as developing physical balance. Practice and repetition bear fruit and we gradually become stable and whole.

Here are two simple balance exercises I practice daily:

1. I make a time each day to pray and talk to God. My favorite Scripture verse tells us to lean on God for balance and support. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5,6)

2. I put myself in a safe position of imbalance and let my body find stability. I exercise with a balance ball regularly but you could also simply stand on one foot for 15 seconds, and then the other. You can do this on a grocery store line or anywhere. This simple movement will engage your core and build your body’s ability to maintain balance.

I am thankful for having the balance required to wear heels in the snow, and for the inner balance that gives me confidence and security that God has a plan for each one of us.

Blessings,
Theresa

Pictures from Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY

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Get more advice from Theresa!

Find all you need to know on whole-person 
wellness in Shaped by Faith.

Theresa is a former model and nationally certified fitness professional who teaches people to use their faith to inspire fitness and their fitness to strengthen their faith. She is the author of Shaped by Faith: 10 Secrets to Strengthening your Body & Soul, and two exercise DVDS: Pilates for the Soul

She and her husband, Robin, have seven children and live in Calhoun, Kentucky.

Life throws curve balls, doesn’t it? Your car could break down…you could get the flu…your smoke alarm could go off in the middle of the night and you’d have to get out of your building quickly. Are you ready for the challenge?

Exercise prepares us for the unexpected challenges of life. Exercise builds our muscles and strengthens our bones. Exercise revs up our metabolism, which increases our energy. Exercise gives us stamina, the capability of sustaining prolonged stressful effort. In other words, exercise builds endurance. 

Here’s a note from a Shaped by Faith reader that illustrates this point exactly.

My friend, Cheryl Smith, is a registered nurse who volunteers at disaster sites through Christian relief organizations. She went to Indonesia for the tsunami and Texas for Hurricane Katrina. Now she is leaving this week for Haiti.
 
She said she isn't worried about her stamina, strength and energy because she has been working out with your Shaped by Faith DVD for two months, twice per week.

Last fall she called me to say that she had turned 60 years old and she was exhausted all the time. When I told her she needed exercise, she said she knew but didn't know what to do that would be convenient and not cause her injury. 
 
I recommended the Shaped by Faith DVD. She loved it! She told me that she has muscles where she never had muscles before. She has energy and can tell she is much stronger.
 
Thanks to regular exercise, Cheryl is physically prepared for the hardships she will encounter as she helps others in Haiti.

Here’s an exercise I recommend for building up endurance. It’s called Front Raise and Tilt:

Start by balancing on one leg as you contract your abdominals and hold a set of weights (or soup cans) straight down with your palms facing your legs.

Exhale and slowly lift your arms up to shoulder height, keeping your elbows slightly bent. Hold this position and then tilt the weights in toward one another and then back.

Tilt four times and then lower the weights back down as you inhale. Repeat this for 1–3 sets of 12–16 repetitions. Balance on the opposite leg after each set.

Blessings,
Theresa

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Get more advice from Theresa!

Find all you need to know on whole-person 
wellness in Shaped by Faith.

Theresa is a former model and nationally certified fitness professional who teaches people to use their faith to inspire fitness and their fitness to strengthen their faith. She is the author of Shaped by Faith: 10 Secrets to Strengthening your Body & Soul, and two exercise DVDS: Pilates for the Soul

She and her husband, Robin, have seven children and live in Calhoun, Kentucky.

My husband, Robin, is famous for his Hoppin’ John Soup (the recipe is below), and he was asked to make a huge pot of it for a local fundraiser tomorrow.

He worked for hours chopping and stirring and simmering. When I entered the kitchen last night he complained that his lower back was killing him.

I said, “Robin, are you holding in your stomach?”

He looked at me like I was crazy. But, just like women, men need to scoop their tummy to strengthen their core, too.

Robin is 52 years old and does not make the time to exercise. And if you’ve noticed, when men don’t work out, their bellies usually balloon out first. That’s Robin. He’s not fat, but he has a belly.

Belly fat, also called visceral fat, is a danger for men in their fifties, making them more prone to having a heart attack. Researchers have found that exercise is a must to get rid of belly fat.

Our son, Ethan, recently told him, “Dad you have got to get yourself in shape.” He took Robin outside and they began doing jumping jacks on the driveway.

In a few minutes, Robin came upstairs and said, “No way.” Then he asked for my senior exercise DVD, Strength Training for the Seasoned Soul.

He went into the bedroom, where we have a DVD player, with it. Thirty minutes later, he came out…wringing wet. I assured him that people who are 80 years and older can do the workouts on my DVD, and he needed to stick with it.

Robin has been using Strength Training for the Seasoned Soul daily for the last two weeks. He alternates between the 30-minute upper body workout and the 30-minute lower body workout.

I have to admit—it’s quite odd to see myself instructing him on our bedroom TV! But I’m glad he’s taking charge of his health.

Here’s the exercise I recommend to men who want to reduce their bellies.

Pilates Saw
Sit on a chair or on the floor, wherever you are comfortable. Extend your legs in front of you, wider than hip width apart.

Bend the knees slightly and contract your deep abdominal muscles as you focus on your breathing during the stretch.

Lift both arms out to the side, shoulder height. Inhale and rotate your body to the right, keeping your bottom on the bench.

Exhale and reach forward with your left hand past your right foot as you extend your right arm behind you.

Inhale, roll back up and return to center. Repeat this exercise on the other side. You can repeat this exercise up to 5-10 times on both sides.

If you have any men on your Christmas list, consider buying them an exercise DVD. Working out isn’t for women only.
 
Robin told me that people are already coming in to his office to donate their money so they can have some of his Hoppin’ John Soup. I better go into the kitchen to get my bowl now!

Blessings,
Theresa

Robin’s Hoppin’ John Soup

My family eats the traditional Southern black-eyed pea dish Hoppin’ John for good luck on New Year‘s Day, but those great little peas are so rich in nutrients (including minerals, Vitamins A and B, folic acid, pantothenic acid, and niacin) that it makes sense to include them in our diets regularly.

Ingredients

1 can cream of chicken soup

3 Polish sausages (large smoked sausage cut up in pieces)

2 Italian sausage rolls

2-3 cups cubed ham

1 chopped onion

3 cups brown rice

4-6 cups of water—add more as needed 

1 stick of unsalted butter

3 cans of black eyed peas undrained

1 tablespoon Cavender's Salt-Free All-Purpose Greek Seasoning

Preparation

1. Cook the Italian sausage with the stick of butter along with the chopped onion in a skillet. 

2. Sprinkle in 1 tablespoon Cavander’s All-Purpose Greek Seasoning.

2. Cut up the Polish sausage and ham in bite size pieces and set aside. Cook the rice. 

3. Once the sausage is cooked; add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil for a few minutes. Put on simmer for 2 hours and enjoy!

Serves 8-10

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Get more advice from Theresa!

Find all you need to know on whole-person 
wellness in Shaped by Faith.

Theresa is a former model and nationally certified fitness professional who teaches people to use their faith to inspire fitness and their fitness to strengthen their faith. She is the author of Shaped by Faith: 10 Secrets to Strengthening your Body & Soul, and two exercise DVDS: Pilates for the Soul

She and her husband, Robin, have seven children and live in Calhoun, Kentucky.

You can email her with any questions or concerns.

This time of year, there’s a simple movement I recommend doing several times each day for your health...washing your hands!

With swine flu, head colds, sore throats and more going around, washing our hands is the best prevention against illness we can take.

The Mayo Clinic says, “Frequent hand washing is one of the best ways to avoid getting sick.”

At the fitness facility where I work, we wash our hands before class and after class, and we wipe the exercise equipment down with disinfectant wipes after we use them.

Take the same approach for any public area—if you or your children take public transportation, make sure you wash your hands when you get off the bus or train, especially a school bus!

But even with washing my hands several times each day, I caught something. I’ve been knocked flat these last few days with a stomach virus. It hit me after my Pilates class last Thursday evening. It started with a really bad headache and then boom.

I had a doctor’s appointment on Friday but I felt so ill my husband cancelled it for me and I stayed in bed. My son Hunter played his first home basketball game that night, but I remained in my bedroom. I slept, watched Elf, and slept some more. Even today, five days later, I am still not back to myself.

Everyone in my family is washing their hands more thoroughly than usual so they don’t catch what I’ve got—and that includes my little grandbaby! I’ve also washed everything I’ve been in contact with, like my towels and bedding.

If the ancient writers of the Old Testament were alive today, they’d surely agree with this approach. Taking liberties with Leviticus 15:11: “Anyone the woman with the stomach virus touches without rinsing her hands with water must wash their clothes and bathe with water.”

Blessings,
Theresa

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Get more advice from Theresa!

Find all you need to know on whole-person 
wellness in Shaped by Faith.

Theresa is a former model and nationally certified fitness professional who teaches people to use their faith to inspire fitness and their fitness to strengthen their faith. She is the author of Shaped by Faith: 10 Secrets to Strengthening your Body & Soul, and two exercise DVDS: Pilates for the Soul

She and her husband, Robin, have seven children and live in Calhoun, Kentucky.

You can email her with any questions or concerns.

When something goes wrong with our bodies, figuring out the problem is time consuming and nerve-wracking. I know; that’s where I am right now.

I’ve been full of aches and pains this fall. Sometimes I can barely sit or walk because of a deep muscle soreness in my hips and lower back. Since I have three degenerative discs and one bulging disc in my back, I went to an orthopedic surgeon. He sent me for an MRI.

The doctor called me a couple of days later with concern in his voice. “Your pain is not stemming from any disc problems. There’s increased activity in your bone marrow, which could be a sign of leukemia. You need to go to an oncologist.” CANCER.

I made an appointment with an oncologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. The doctor went over every single bit of my health history. He told me I did not have cancer—increased bone marrow activity is normal for me—but he had no solution for my pain.

Getting appointments with medical doctors and specialists, taking tests and waiting for the results is a scary process. If that’s the cycle you are in, let me remind you to continue exercising in whatever way you are able.

It amazes me that when I am in the worst pain and I walk into the gym to teach my fitness class, I can zone in on God and the pain goes away during the workout.  

If you are dealing with a painful condition that doesn’t allow you to exercise, such as arthritis, you might want to try water therapy.

Water therapy, or exercising in water, is a gentle, welcoming way to make your body feel good. Water gives your body buoyancy, which means less pain! You can find programs in many public pools and physical therapy centers.

This Friday I have an appointment with an MS (Multiple Sclerosis) specialist. My doctor recommends it as the next step to diagnosing my pain and a few other troubling symptoms.

You know I’ll be exercising and praying that day and everyday.

Blessings,
Theresa

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Get more advice from Theresa!

Find all you need to know on whole-person 
wellness in Shaped by Faith.

Theresa is a former model and nationally certified fitness professional who teaches people to use their faith to inspire fitness and their fitness to strengthen their faith. She is the author of Shaped by Faith: 10 Secrets to Strengthening your Body & Soul, and two exercise DVDS: Pilates for the Soul

She and her husband, Robin, have seven children and live in Calhoun, Kentucky.

You can email her with any questions or concerns.

On Our Knees

I’m in Abilene, Texas, this week, helping my daughter as she recuperates from knee surgery. Arthroscopic knee surgery, ACL replacement and meniscus repair, to be exact. Christina is only 27 years old and this is her second knee surgery.

Chances are you know a young woman that has had this type of surgery, or perhaps you’ve had it yourself. Females who take part in sports involving jumping and pivoting like soccer, basketball, and gymnastics have a risk of knee injury that is 4-6 times higher than for males taking part in the same sports.

Christina was a dancer from the age of 3 to 17. She did tap, ballet and jazz six days a week with the Owensboro Dance Theater, and then with the Apollo High School of Owensboro, KY. Her legs hurt her for years. I took her to an orthopedist when she was a teen and he told her, “One day your knees are going to just give out.”

That day happened this fall. To get back in shape Christina began working with a trainer. He paid no attention to her history of knee problems and had her doing jumping lunges with weights. There was a pop and she collapsed. 

There are many theories about why girls and women are more at risk of serious knee injuries than their male counterparts. But one thing research definitely shows is that strength training has an astonishingly protective effect. The Bible says, “Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.” (Hebrews 12:12)

Here is an exercise that Christina is doing to build strength in her quadriceps muscle. You can do it to strengthen your knees.

Straight Leg Raises
Lay on your back on a flat surface. Bend the knee of your left leg to a 90-degree angle with your foot flat on the surface.

Contract your abdominals and breathe deeply. Keep your right leg straight without the knee bent. Exhale and slowly lift the right leg six inches off the floor (by contracting the front thigh muscles). Hold for two breaths and inhale and lower back down. 

Repeat 10 times and work up to two minutes of straight leg raises. Switch legs.

• Progression: Lift leg up to the height of the opposite knee and hold for two breaths, continue lifting for two minutes. 
• Progression: Sit up tall at the edge of a chair as you contract the abdominals. Exhale and lift the leg off the floor about 6-12 inches or to the height of the opposite knee. Inhale and lower back down to the floor. 
• You can also use a stretch band and wrap it under their foot as you lift and lower your leg.

 
Blessings,
Theresa

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Get more advice from Theresa!

Find all you need to know on whole-person 
wellness in Shaped by Faith.

Theresa is a former model and nationally certified fitness professional who teaches people to use their faith to inspire fitness and their fitness to strengthen their faith. She is the author of Shaped by Faith: 10 Secrets to Strengthening your Body & Soul, and two exercise DVDS: Pilates for the Soul

She and her husband, Robin, have seven children and live in Calhoun, Kentucky.

You can email her with any questions or concerns.