In the award-winning film Chariots of Fire, Olympic runner Eric Liddell is discussing with his sister, a fellow missionary, whether or not to take time off from his mission work to run in the Olympics.

He tells her, “God made me fast. And when I run, I feel God’s pleasure.”

That line has always stuck with me: When I run, I feel God’s pleasure. Now, I realize that not everyone finds pleasure in running, or in exercising in general, but I do believe that God made us with bodies and these bodies are made to move. Before I was a Christian I knew of the joy of physical movement, from playing football and basketball and baseball. But after I became a Christ-follower, I began to see how much God loves our bodies and how much joy our bodies are capable of when we see them not as commodities or as something to starve or exhaust to look more attractive, but as sacred organisms that are united with our souls.

Movement has been linked to our well-being in many ways, not just to our bodies but to our brains. In her book The Joy of Movement, Dr. Kelly McGonigal writes, “Physical activity influences many other brain chemicals, including those that give you energy, alleviate worry, and help you bond with others. It reduces inflammation in the brain, which over time can protect against depression, anxiety, and loneliness.” But what I find even more fascinating is that during physical activity, our muscles secrete hormones into the bloodstream that make our brain more resilient to stress. Scientists have called them “hope molecules.” In other words, when your body moves, it produces hope. Of the many great reasons to exercise (strengthen the heart and muscles, lower blood pressure and cholesterol) I find the ability to give us hope the most fascinating and alluring.

The soul-training exercise I am encouraging you to try is to move in whatever way you can. I recognize that for many reasons some people are limited in their mobility. And I realize that there are factors such as age and physical health that will limit the kinds of movement, and the amount of movement, that you might be able to do.

One of the things I try to do when I move is to concentrate on a part of my body. For example, when I am engaged in walking or swimming, biking or yoga, I try to pay attention to my feet or my legs and will give thanks for them. Or I will feel the air going in and out of my lungs and offer praise for both air and lungs. Perhaps you are only able to take a short walk. If so, I encourage you to do this with a focus on your body.

If possible, try to exercise outdoors. This is sometimes called green exercise. Studies have shown that within the first five minutes of outdoor exercise “people report major shifts in mood and outlook. . . . Taking a walk outdoors slows people’s internal clocks, leading to the perception of time expanding.”

Sometimes when I walk I combine movement with prayer. Spiritual formation author Adele Calhoun calls this practice “prayer walking.” She writes, “Some people do their best praying while they are moving.” She suggests we go outside and take a walk through our neighborhood, praying for the people who inhabit those places such as houses and churches and schools, or perhaps hospitals or places of business.

“Prayer walking,” she writes, “is a way of saturating a particular place and people with prayer. This discipline draws us out of prayers that are limited to our immediate concerns and into a larger circle of God’s loving attention.” When you come across a school, for example, try walking by it in the company of Jesus. Pray for the people who work there and those who attend there.

No matter what you are doing—jogging, kayaking, or playing tennis or pickleball—try to combine (1) an appreciation for your body, (2) awareness of your body, and (3) awareness of God—the One who perfectly designed your amazing body. Like Eric Liddell, see if you can feel God’s pleasure in your movement.