Science & The Spirit
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GET ON YOUR FEET
Health Helps Part 5
By Dane and Vicki Griffin
All too many Americans are
staging perpetual sit-ins! According to recent studies, more
than half of all Americans get little or no exercise, and around
250,000 die each year because of it.
Starting early
The problem starts early. Children in grades one through twelve
should get at least 30 minutes of physical education each day,
but only 36% do. That’s one reason 40% of children—starting
at age five—are obese or have elevated cholesterol. And both
of these conditions are risk factors for heart disease.
Down in the dumps
All this inactivity isn’t making us very happy, either. Each
year, nearly 15 million Americans are diagnosed with depression.
A major study revealed that the less active a person was, the
more depressed they were likely to be.
On the flip side, regular exercise is a great mood-booster. The
Bible says, “Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep”
(Proverbs 19:15). One of the meanings for the word “sleep”
is “drooping in spirit,” “faint,” or “dull”—just
what we feel when we don’t get exercise!
Overall benefits
You probably knew that regular daily exercise means better
health and good muscle tone. But did you know it also increases
mental sharpness, concentration, and even self-esteem? One
interesting study showed that a 10-minute brisk walk yielded one
hour of increased energy, as well as reduced tension. On the
other hand, a sugar snack resulted in fatigue and tension.
Running to death
Sometime in the 1930s, a discouraged, miserable man dragged
himself into the office of Dr. Harry Link, a famous doctor in
New York City. The man explained that he had lost his job and
that nobody loved him enough to care. “I just want to commit
suicide to end my troubles,” he moaned.
After Dr. Link examined the man, he told him, “I’ll give you
a program of manual work, and soon you will be feeling much
better.”
The man sneered. “I don’t like manual work and I don’t
want to work. I want to commit suicide.”
The doctor did his best to persuade the man to accept a work
program, but it was no use. In exasperation Dr. Link said, “All
right then, commit suicide. But if you do, why not do something
out of the ordinary and heroic? Why not get into the headlines
when you die?”
The man liked the idea. “What do you suggest, Doctor?”
“Well, I have never heard of a man running himself to death.
If you run around the block until you drop dead, every newspaper
will have it on the front page.”
The man jumped up and raced out the door. At home, he wrote a
farewell letter. Then he started running. He ran and ran, but he
couldn’t drop dead. Finally, he stopped, exhausted. I’ll
have to finish it tomorrow night, he decided. He went home and
slept better than he had for a long time. The next night he ran
again. But he couldn’t drop dead, and—you’ve guessed it—he
never did drop dead from too much exercise. Instead, he
literally ran himself back to health and strength!
Good news
We aren’t suggesting such a drastic program! But the good news
is that when you get serious about exercise, you will not only
have better physical health, but your mental health will also
improve. Why not choose to make exercise—at least 30 minutes a
day—a God-ordained priority in your life?
Part 1
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4
| 5 | 6 | 7
| 8 | 9 |
10
| 11 | 12
| 13 | 14
| 15 | 16
| 17 | 18
| 19 | 20
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