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.

Fortune for Good Health

Can you picture a Chinese fortune cookie that you’ve snapped it in half to get the message out?

That’s what many people’s approach to health looks like. Two separate pieces.

We go to church for spiritual inspiration…we go to the gym to work out.

Many of us read a daily devotional at home, or go to a small group Bible study to learn how we can be transformed by God.
 
To improve our physical health, we go on a diet, see a medical doctor…or watch The Biggest Loser to see what dramatic change is possible for our bodies.
 
Even people that have risen to the top of their profession often have a broken approach to health.
 
I can think of several well-known Christian pastors and authors who are very overweight. They seem to skip over the parts in the Bible about taking care of the physical body. I am not judging them, but I notice they do not take care of their health.  
 
Then, there are those in the health community that have powerful bodies but do not share any spiritual wisdom. Take, for example, the celebrity trainers we see on television. They look great, but don’t give glory to God for their healthy, strong bodies.
 
The spiritual and the physical are two facets of us that fit together perfectly, just like the broken pieces of a fortune cookie. That’s the philosophy behind Shaped by Faith, my work in which I help people to use their faith to inspire fitness and their fitness to strengthen their faith.
 
Here are two easy ways to put your spiritual and your physical parts together.

1. When you are in church, breath deeply and evenly from your belly during the sermon and Scripture reading.
Oxygen will flood your bloodstream—giving you more energy, and you’ll exhale carbon dioxide—decreasing your fatigue and mental fog.
 
2. While you exercise, repeat a prayer or Scripture verse to yourself as you walk, cycle, or lift.
Your focus will broaden and God’s strength and power will support your physical exertion.
 
Back to that fortune cookie—here is God’s message for you, from 1 Timothy 4:8, “Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever.” (The Message)

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.

The Truth About Snacking After Dinner
 
Many people think eating late at night causes weight gain. Actually, it’s not when you eat that matters, it’s what and how much you eat.
 
It’s fine to snack on small portions of crackers and low fat cheese, yogurt and fruit, cereal and milk or peanut butter and apple slices. Cake and ice cream, on the other hand, are empty calories that over time will add pounds to your frame.
 
My downfall is cookies.
 
I was upstairs after dinner minding my own business when I heard the cookies calling to me. A walk down the stairs would be good exercise, I rationalized. Stair climbing is a great cardiovascular exercise, not to mention how much it strengthens the legs.

Mindfully, I descend the stairs engaging my core muscles. I open the pantry and take several cookies. Walking away, I hear the cookies’ sweet whisper again. Hesitating in mountain pose I reflect on how many cookies I have already consumed. One more for the climb up the stairs won’t hurt.
 
What voice do you hear after dinner?
          
Here are a few ideas that work for me when I get in the habit of eating too many cookies after dinner.
 
1. Do something for yourself in the hours you habitually snack. 
Take a class, give a family member a back rub, knit, take a bubble bath, talk to a friend, write a letter, read a wonderful novel. Make your life sweeter than your cravings.
 
2. Snack on real food, not junk food.
This begins with making smart choices in the grocery store. Do not buy something that you know will tempt you. I try to keep trail mix bars on hand. I also love to snack on low-fat graham crackers or a cold crisp apple with low-fat peanut butter.
 
3. Make exercise, not food, an after dinner habit.
Many women attempt to soothe their stress and anxiety with high-calorie comfort foods. Try establishing an evening ritual like taking a walk or stretching for 10 minutes. This will settle your spirit and your digestion much better than a shot of refined sugar and flour.
 
Blessings,
 
Theresa Rowe

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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.

Take a Two-Minute Time-Out

In my line of work—as a Christian fitness instructor—I often exercise and pray at the same time.

In my Pilates class one evening I made an accidental discovery. We were doing some mat exercises while I recited Scripture to the students and created a time for silent prayer. A palpable sense of peace came over the room.

I noticed the same cause and effect at home. I was stressed out. It was my daughter’s first day back at work, my baby grandson was going to the daycare for the first time, and while I had mixed feelings about that I also had a long list of things to take care of.

So I cleaned my outside windows while I talked to God. Within minutes, I felt calm, focused and able to turn my attention back to my list of what needed to get done by dinner.

This is what I discovered: Exercise and prayer are the perfect combination to diffuse stress and settle our whirling minds and anxious hearts.

Certain exercises calm us more than others. Best are movements that stretch and strengthen our body at the same time. They literally give a “time-out” to muscles that have become tight with stress.

I’ve found that when we pray while doing these movements, God’s peace eases our mental and spiritual tension, too. It’s the best-kept stress-release secret around!

Here’s my recipe for a two-minute time-out for your body, mind and soul. Do a simple exercise like the Single Leg Stretch, described below. As you stretch and release your hamstring and back muscles, shape your worries into prayers and release them to God. The Apostle Paul describes the result this way: “Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down.” (The Message, Philippians 4:7)

Single Leg Stretch
Lie down on your back with your left leg straight on the floor and your right leg raised to your chest.

Place your right hand on your right shin or beside your right ankle. Place your left hand on the inside of your right knee.

Raise your left leg a few inches off the floor. Flex your spine as you lift your shoulders and upper back off the floor and look toward your belly. Keep your core muscles engaged as you exhale, then switch legs and corresponding hand positioning. Inhale and switch again.

Continue switching legs and keeping your core stabilized through this exercise. Do not move your back or spine, only move your legs and arms. Repeat five times on each 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.

A Skeleton Story—Not Just for Halloween

This is the time of year when skeletons decorate windows in neighborhoods across the country. Use them as a reminder to take care of your bones!   

Bone is a living tissue that is continuously changing. When you are young, your body makes new bone faster than it breaks down old bone. In your mid-thirties this cycle slows down and you begin to lose slightly more than you gain. It slows further after menopause, when women are most at-risk for osteoporosis, a bone thinning disease.

There are three factors that are essential keeping your bones healthy throughout your life: adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D and regular exercise.

Sandy, a woman from Arizona, contacted me last week to share her experience with exercise and bone strength.

This is what she said. “I am 53 years old and have osteopenia—lower than normal bone mineral density. That puts me in the high-risk category for osteoporosis. In spite of taking Fosamax, calcium, magnesium and vitamin D3 my annual bone scan shows continued deterioration.”

She continued, “I saw your story in GUIDEPOSTS magazine and I was intrigued that you said certain exercises help prevent bone loss. I bought Shaped by Faith and have used your DVD twice per week for the past seven months. Last week I visited my chiropractor. He was amazed at the improvement of the size and tone of the muscles in my shoulders, back and deltoid muscles. I am anxious to see bone density scan results this year but regardless, I am thrilled that I have built muscle and I have more energy.”
 
Sandy’s bones have benefited from weight bearing exercises—movements that cause muscle to pull on and strengthen bones. Carrying grocery bags and climbing stairs for instance.

Here are three easy bone-building exercises you can do at home. You don’t need a thing—just sit in your kitchen chair and use soup cans as weights. 

1. Seated Shoulder Press
Sit with your feet on the floor hip width apart, your spine lifted tall and your abs pulled in. Hold each weight or soup can at shoulder height next to your shoulder with your palms facing forward. Exhale and lift the weights over your head slightly in front of your body. Inhale and lower the weights slowly back down to your shoulders. Repeat 8 times for 3 sets.

2. Seated Lateral Arm Raise
Sit holding light weights or soup cans in both of your hands with your arms at your sides. Feet should be shoulder width apart and your spine should be tall with your abs pulled in. Exhale and lift your arms up to the sides only to shoulder level with your palms facing the floor. Inhale and lower your arms back down to your sides. Repeat 8 times for 3 sets.

3. Seated Leg Extension
Begin by sitting up tall with a scooped belly and both feet flat on the floor hip width apart. You can hold onto the sides of your chair to help with balance. Straighten your right leg out in front of you and flex your foot. Exhale and lift your leg straight up and hold. Inhale and lower your right leg down just above the floor. Repeat this for 10 repetitions and then switch to your left leg. Repeat the entire exercise for 3 sets on each leg.

As you lift, think about all the good things you are doing for your body—Proverbs 15:30 says, "A cheerful look brings joy to the heart and good news gives health to the bones!" 

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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.

Cardio Soul
 
My fitness classes are filling up with new faces since the cooler weather has blown in. Seasoned runners are doing step aerobics in my cross training classes and those who have enjoyed walking and gardening all summer are coming for Pilates.

But the class that fills up the fastest is Cardio Soul.

Cardio Soul is my own mix of Scripture, prayer, cardiovascular workout, strength training and core work. It challenges each major muscle group, gets students’ heart rates to stay between 55 and 85 percent of their maximum heart rate for at least 50 minutes, and gives them a spiritual boost, too.

But for people like you who can’t get to my Cardio Soul class in Calhoun, Kentucky every week, I’ve developed Cardio Soul Lite, a simpler and shorter at-home workout.

I’ve used F-A-I-T-H as an easy way for you to remember this routine.

First, find a place in your home where you can lie down and walk around. I like my living room carpet. Make sure you can see a clock easily or wear a watch. 

To begin, read this scripture out loud. Repeat it to yourself every few minutes to stay focused. “In everything give thanks.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Here we go!

F – Get your feet moving by walking or marching in place for 5 minutes.

A – Work your arms with standing push-ups—done leaning up against the wall. Do these for 2 minutes.

I – Increase your heart rate with jumping jacks. You can also climb stairs or step side to side while lifting your arms over your head with each step. Do this for 3 minutes.

T – Trim your tummy with abdominal curls. Sit on the floor in sit-up position. Curl down almost to the ground then up again. Repeat for 2 minutes

H – strengthen your hamstrings with walking lunges. To do these, take a long stride, stop mid-extension, lower your hips and hold. Do these for 2 minutes.

Repeat this routine, then lie down and relax for at least a full minute. While you are resting, breathe slowly and deeply and repeat “In everything give thanks” in your mind with each inhale and exhale.

Do you feel great? Let me know!

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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.

Bible Study on Balance Balls

After my Thursday morning Cardio Power Pump class at a local church, my friend Tania and I often stand outside the locker room and catch up.

A few weeks ago I found myself telling her how frustrated I felt because I wanted to have a Bible study with the women in that class but the church’s policy did not allow non-members to lead a Bible study on church property. 

Tania smiled and said, “I will lead the study and you will help me. What do you think about using What Happens When Women Say Yes to God, Lysa TerKeurst’s new book?”  
 
“Great idea! I just saw her on Oprah,” I said. “Let’s have the Bible study right here in the fitness room after class so we can just stay in our workout clothes.”
 
Today was our first Bible study. About 25 women from my fitness class stayed for it, joined by a few others who came just for the group. As we looked around the room deciding where to sit, inspiration hit.
 
“Wait! Let’s sit on the balance balls,” I said to the group. “We can work on our core while we talk. Balancing on something round is the easiest way to strengthen your abs and back muscles,” I explained to the women who just walked in.
 
Members of my fitness class laughed, knowing my obsession with the balance ball. The other women took to the idea more cautiously, but within five minutes we were all seated on the large yellow, red and green balls, books in hand.

As Tania and I left the church today, we both noted how exhilarated we felt. The gentle sustained bodywork of balancing on a stability ball seemed to quiet my wandering mind and open my spirit to God in a deeper way.

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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.

Thin Does Not Mean Happy

Earlier this month I was interviewed on Nancy Turner’s This is the Day, a show syndicated on several Christian radio stations. A listener in Indiana contacted me afterwards with a problem that is sooooo common I want to share it with you.

Let’s call this woman Laura. She describes herself as a church-going Christian, 53 years young. She exercises but eats too many carbs and sweets and drinks diet sodas, and is about seven to ten pounds overweight.

Sounds like she’s in pretty good shape. But listen to this. She told me, “I am bombarded with thoughts of not being good enough and I think if I just look thin and weigh less I will find peace.”

“Why am I always longing to be thin and why do I think this will make me happy? I know this is crazy!”

Wow, do I hear that a lot. And, I have felt that way, too. This is how I answered Laura, and what I want to say to each and every one of us.

Everything you mentioned in your email is so true when it comes to how many women think about themselves. I used to compare myself to women that I would see on television or on magazine covers, too, and think that looking beautiful and thin would make me happy. 

Being involved in the modeling industry was an eye opener. Outwardly gorgeous women are often as insecure as other women. When I became a Christian I realized that when I constantly compared myself to others, I was really saying to God, "I don't like what you have created."

I began paying attention to my spiritual fitness, not just work on my physical fitness. It was a relief to get my focus off what I looked like. What I am trying to say is, "Be who you are called to be!" 

Remember, God loves our hearts, not our looks.
 
Blessings,
Theresa Rowe

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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.

Walking the Dog

My husband and I gave each of our twin sons a Beagle/Lab puppy for Christmas two years ago when we moved to our 100-acre farm. It was perfect, we thought—the dogs could roam the woods while we were out all day.

Every morning, as if heading off to work, Charlie and Rascal would rush out the door and then return home in the evenings hungry, filthy and tired.

But one day, the pups didn’t come home. Finally, after a week, Charlie showed up. He had puncture wounds all over his body. We never saw Rascal again.

A vet saved Charlie’s life, and we decided we’d have to keep Charlie on a leash whenever he went outside just to be safe. A new form of exercise entered my life: walking the dog.

Here’s how it works. My husband and I do most of the care. The truth is, the dog sleeps in our bedroom! My husband, Robin, actually gets up at 4:30 a.m. to walk Charlie each morning. It’s not as bad as it sounds.

As an insurance agent, Robin is behind a desk all day. Walking Charlie helps him get regular cardiovascular exercise. Robin and Charlie walk down the drive, up the hill and to the main road where they pick up the newspaper in our post box. It’s a mile round trip. 

I’ll do the same route with Charlie when I get home from teaching my morning classes, and then again in the afternoon. The boys walk him again in the evening. Between us all, Charlie gets at least four miles a day!

Here are some tips for getting the most out of walking your dog.

Don’t walk in flip-flops—wear good supportive shoes. While you’re at it, put on sunscreen and carry a cell phone just in case.

Work with your dog’s walking style. For instance, my dog is not a good walker. Beagles like to explore and run. And so I do a walk/run.

Dogs get thirsty, too. Bring a bottle of water for the dog and a bottle for yourself!

Your body will benefit from the regular walks a dog brings to your life, and your spirit will enjoy the breather, too. Plus, you can feel good that you are doing the right thing—“A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal.”  (Proverbs 12:10)

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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.

Circle of Life

My heart is leaping with emotion—my daughter has just had a beautiful little baby boy!

I hadn’t told that many people what was happening in our family because my daughter is not married. It’s a situation I would not wish for her, but, honestly, an unhappy marriage to a dishonorable man is worse. I know—that was me when I was her age.

When I found out I was pregnant with my first child, I was in college. My mom had passed away and I had no one to turn to. My boyfriend and I married because it was the only way my father would let me keep the baby. Most of my pregnancy was spent hiding feelings of guilt and shame.

When my daughter first told me she was pregnant, she was home from college on Christmas break. Feelings I had buried for forty plus years came back with familiarity, but this time I wasn’t a scared teenager. I was a woman who had felt God’s hand on her life and had experienced God’s grace with greater abundance than I could have imagined. I assured my daughter that I loved her unconditionally and that she and her baby would be welcome to stay with us. It was a landmark moment for me.  

The birth of my new grandson is a complete wonder to me. This precious child has already brought me completely unexpected gifts of healing, peace and freedom…and he’s not even a month old.

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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.

What’s for Lunch?

I love coffee and can drink it in 100-degree heat. Each morning, during my Bible study and prayer time, it’s God, black coffee and me.

But it was my love of coffee that led me astray. The close proximity of a new coffee shop to where I taught exercise classes made it an ideal place to stop at noon. I reasoned that because I had worked so hard I deserved a 16-ounce cup of coffee. Not just any coffee, a caramel latte with whipped cream drizzled in caramel. This baby weighed in at 750 calories but that was my lunch so it was OK. And it was better than the diet colas and sweet cereal I used to eat after class.

It didn’t take long for my new habit to start taking its toll. Terrible headaches…profuse sweating about 30 minutes after downing the latte...and snug clothes.

I replaced my carmel latte with a non-fat latte and reduced fat wild blueberry muffin, and bumped up my exercise. But I didn’t lose anything; in fact, I gained a few more pounds.

I decided to keep a food journal to track my food intake and determine if my calories consumed were less than my calories expended.

Even with my healthier choices, the food journal was a real eye opener. My non-fat latte had 220 calories, and the reduced fat wild blueberry muffin still had 360 calories.

My lunch is now a piece of fruit, usually an apple, a ¼ cup of almonds and a few slices of reduced sodium chicken on whole-wheat flat bread.

My coffee is now black with no lattes at all.

The change had almost immediate results with a definite increase in energy. I learned first-hand that exercising certainly helps us to lose weight but if we do not complement exercise with healthy dietary habits weight loss is almost impossible.

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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.

Untangling Ourselves

I’m still exhilarated from the Shaped by Faith program I led last night at Walnut Memorial Baptist Church, in Owensboro, Kentucky. Although I’ve shared my story many times, I feel thankful each time I recount God’s grace that pulled me out of my despair.

Our lives are like tangled skeins of yarn in one way or another. In a Shaped by Faith program, I trace back the yarn of my life back to the tangles of being adopted into a cold family, the twist of becoming pregnant as a college freshman, and double snarl of enduring two painful marriages to dishonorable men.

The audience last night nodded with their own memories as I recalled my feelings of abandonment, shame, and guilt.

At that point, I led them in some seated exercises. As they did side stretches and leg lifts, I told them, “Exercise was the way I found to unravel myself.” Taking and teaching fitness classes gave me a purpose and a sense of self worth. And in God’s mysterious way, exercise ultimately led me to faith when a student in my class prayed with me.

All of my Shaped by Faith programs end with discussion time. I would say that at least 15 ladies last night asked me different questions related to fitness, finding direction and self-esteem.

I encouraged each to go for a walk, or garden, or ride a bike, or just sit and scoop their belly. Start moving! Getting in touch with your body is a good step towards getting in touch with yourself.

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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.

Relaxation for Your Body and Soul

Last week I turned up the beat in my advanced Power Pilates class and we crunched, lifted and held 100 repetitions at a time. We did Plank. Side plank. Bicycle. Vertical Leg Curl. Double Leg Stretch. At the end of the hour we were spent.

I took the last five minutes and led the class in relaxation. The students lay down, closed their eyes, and relaxed while I read Scripture to them. I guided them to breathe deeply and let go of all tenseness in their body one section at a time, from head to toe. Some people actually fell asleep.

To my amazement, none of us were sore the next day.

That same week, I did frog jumps with my Cardio Soul class. We leaped like frogs across the gym floor. It was about 50 jumps wall to wall. Then we marched in place and leapt back to where we started.

Afterwards, we stretched our hamstrings and glutes but did not lie down and relax. The truth is, none of us could sit the next day, myself included!

I discovered that a key to not being sore after strenuous activity is to let our bodies totally relax.

There is a spiritual lesson here. When your spirit has had a workout perhaps from grieving a death in the family, the exhaustion of caretaking, or the anxiety of a job search, you need to relax your spirit. Lie down and rest. Have a cup of tea. Sit in the sunshine. Listen to music. Go to church.

What I do for spiritual renewal is to take a prayer walk with a friend. We meet and walk and talk about our family, our concerns and ourselves. We stop on a park bench or at a coffee shop and pray for one another. This refreshes my spirit and recharges me for whatever challenges lie ahead.

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GUIDEPOSTS welcomes your prayer requests. Staff and volunteers pray for thousands of people each month. You can submit your prayer request confidentially online, by mail, or even pray with a prayer volunteer on the phone.

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.

Why Stars Like Nicole and Madonna Look So Youthful

I saw a headline this week that read "Celebrity Secrets: Why Stars Like Nicole and Madonna Look So Youthful." I was curious. What I learned made me laugh. The stars’ secrets ranged from using hyperbaric oxygen chambers to leeches (I am not joking!) to botox.

Here are Theresa’s Secrets: Real-Life, Anti-Aging Tips for Every Woman:

•    Take your make-up off every single night, even if you are too tired.

•    Cleanse your face every single morning and evening.

•    Use a really good anti-aging eye cream every morning and before going to bed. Always start from the outside of the eye and lightly dab the cream under your eyes.

•    Wear sunscreen everyday on your face. If I’m out of face moisturizer, I use my sunscreen. It does the same thing!

•    When you are home do not wear any make-up and give your face a much-needed rest.

•    When you work out, do not wear any make-up. This allows your pores to breathe easily and they do not get clogged.

•    If you don't have time to shower after a workout, wash your face in the ladies room sink and then apply moisturizer. 

•    Drink lots of water all day long and during the middle of the night if you wake up. I keep bottled water beside my bed—my body craves water!

•    Breath deeply. I really believe this helps decrease facial wrinkles.

•    Don't drink out of straws—the puckering causes lip wrinkles.

•    Eat salmon three times a week, as well as blueberries (along with lots of salad and broccoli). I can see a difference in my skin when I eat fish and berries—they really do promote a youthful look.

Working out is my number one tip to staying and looking young. Exercise makes me feel like a kid all over again. Especially working with the stability ball, it’s so much fun and very challenging. Having fun shows up on your face!

Most importantly, I seek God daily and try not to compare myself to the younger looking females that grace the cover of almost every magazine.

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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.