Move

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.