Shaped by Faith

There are plenty of ways to lose weight. Diets, pills, exercise regimens. The question is: Is weight loss your most important goal? Is it really the way to achieve wellness?

In her new book, Shaped by Faith: 10 Secrets to Strengthening Your Body and Soul, fitness instructor Theresa L. Rowe offers a different approach. By exploring the powerful yet often untapped relationship between your physical and spiritual selves, you can achieve what she calls whole-person wellness: a healthy body, positive attitude and strong faith.

After 25 years as a personal trainer and Pilates instructor, Theresa has learned that the greatest motivation for living well is a connection to God.

Allowing your spiritual journey to support your physical journey, and realizing how profoundly your physical growth affects your spiritual growth, can bring you closer to whole-person wellness. As your physical and spiritual selves work together, you'll become healthier, holier and more able to endure whatever life may present to you.

For the next 28 days, we'll be sharing some of the practical advice, scriptural passages and prayers from Shaped by Faith to help jumpstart your journey. These are just a sample of the tips, inspiring stories and exercises featured in the book, which also includes a strengthening and stretching DVD and a year-long workout plan.

Follow along with us for the next month and you may lose some weight, but more importantly you'll be building stamina, developing flexibility and finding balance.

The focus of Week 1 is on listening to your body's cues and taking the first steps on the road to whole-person wellness. Week 2 explores the importance of concentrating on breathing. Building up your endurance through cardio exercise is the challenge for Week 3. And in Week 4, you'll discover ways to strengthen your core.

You may want to journal your fitness challenges and successes, as well as your spiritual mindset. It will help you stay motivated and on track, and years from now you'll be able to look back and see how far you and God have come together.

Whole-person wellness is not about a destination, but about the journey, and there are plenty of roses to smell along the way. So enjoy—and remember that we're right here with you every step of the way as you work toward accomplishing your goals!

Go on, get Shaped by Faith!