What's on your Gym Playlist?

Are you a Daydreamer [fans of Adele]?  Are you a Belieber [fans of Justin Beiber]?  Are you a Swiftie [fans of Taylor Swift]?

Whoever you are - you probably like some sort of music!

My playlists vary.  Different places mean different playlists.  I don't usually play the same music during my office hours as I do driving or working out.

When I am writing a lesson I like to have music on in the background that requires no focus.

When I am doing work in my garage - cleaning, wood work, being creative - it's usually country [usually because that's the only station that the radio picks up in there].

When I am at work I usually tend to listen to something that isn't going to bother the offices next door; something along the lines of alternative/rockish and it's usually at a volume that they don't hear it anyways.

When I am doing yard work - I actually like to listen to podcasts.  Because the mower and the weedeater are loud anyway, turning the music up loud enough to hear it leaves my ears ringing afterwards.  I enjoy doing the yard work but sometimes there are other things that I need to do so at least the podcast makes the time pass by easier.

When I am in the car or driving it is the radio.  I don't have sirius radio or anything so I'm stuck with whatever is currently playing on Ryan Seacrest's top songs show.  That's not always ideal as a lot of it is crap - I guess I'm old enough to say that now but seriously - a lot of it's crap.

When I am in the gym though, it's usually rap and/or hip hop.  It keeps me going.  I love to work out to it.

Now, most of what I listen to is by christian artists.  This isn't some knock on "alternative music" as I still listen to non-christian music today.  I grew up on rap with the likes of Tupac, Dre, Snoop Dogg, Biggie, Bone Thugs, and such.  Eminem came soon after and I liked listening to him too.  His songs still have that catch for me.  Here's the thing though with all of these artists: while lyrically pretty genious, and even with accuracy of the times then - it doesn't do it for me anymore.  The darkness of Eminem's early stuff is just crazy to me now.  Honestly though, what was considered dark, crazy and vulgar back then is much of the norm today with any genre.

I strive to have things around me that are going to better me.  I want stuff that I am going to be challenged with. The strides that christian rap, hip hop and rock has taken - I have that now in music.

My gym playlist consists of Lecrae, Andy Mineo, Propaganda, KB, Trip Lee, Sho Baraka, Tedashii,  Family Force 5, Derek Minor, Beautiful Eulogy, Red, Manafest

7 people + 3 months = Fit With a Purpose on Facebook

7 people + 3 months = Fit With a Purpose on Facebook

Fit With a Purpose has expanded onto Facebook for a more personal interaction.  The platform makes conversation easier and more accessible.  The website is a tool for many to use and continue to provide relevant content concerning Fitness, Faith, and Family.  

For the next 3 months, people are following the health and fitness journeys of 7 individuals as they embark on their personal journey to better fitness.  This is at their pace, will power, discipline, workout plans, gyms, homes, etc.  This is all up to them.  Each week, they will post a video talking about the successes and failures of the past week and share hopes for the upcoming week.  Throughout the weeks, Fit With a Purpose will provide insight into workout routines, healthy recipes, and similar areas.  

We hope that you will add Fit With a Purpose's Facebook community to your 'must follow' social media list and that you will continue to watch the website for ongoing conversation in the world of fitness, faith, and healthy family advice.

GO TO Fit With a Purpose's Facebook Community

2016 Goals

Here are my goals for 2016! 

As you can see, there is no magical number for me to land on or to lose in order to be happy at concerning weight. Each day that I make good decisions will reap benefits health-wise overall. Exercising the body, mind, relationships and generosity with my goals this year. 

What are your goals for 2016?

5 Ways to Exercise for Free!

If you have made New Year's resolutions then you probably have said that you want to lose more weight.  You're under the same line of thinking as last year and the year before that.

How's that going for you?  If we are making the same resolution as the year before than we have gone wrong somewhere.  What is or what is not working?  For many, what isn't working is paying for a membership to a gym and not going to the gym.  If you can afford to do so, a gym membership is a great thing to have as long as you use it!

Maybe you have a membership to a gym as I do or maybe you recently acquired your membership to enhance your health and fitness for your new goal.  That is great! Many people are unable to do so though and I thought it'd be good for everyone, gym members included, to know of ways that exercise and fitness can come at no cost; health and fitness can come free.

I.  Go for a walk.

What is a walk going to do for you?  Everything!  Your goal was to become healthier right?  Breathing fresh air, moving around, and outdoor scenery can do great things for you!  Maybe it's around your block that you'll walk.  Going to the nearby park and walking around will give you a good workout as well. Many parks now have walking paths for those wanting to get outdoors. If you live near a school, chances are that there is a running track near you then - take advantage of that track and track your distance with ease and without any special technology.  Walking is free and it's benefits are priceless.

II.  Take up Hiking.

Hiking has a lot of walking in it but here is much more to hiking.  Hiking can be very challenging.  When hiking, you will find that your heart rate is going to perform at different rates rather than the consistency of walking.  This would be compared to circuit training.  Your heart rate is going to rise when hiking uphill in the woods more so than walking through a valley.  This change in heart rate is going to promote weight loss just as circuit training in the gym.  Find a nearby state park, friend's or family's property, or local park and go exploring!  Hiking can be great for the mind as well.  Any type of exercise can be rewarding but hiking and taking in the outdoors will provide you an opportunity to view the grandeur of the creation around us.  As you hike, look for wildlife, beauty and get away from the busyness of the everyday.

III.  Use Your Body for Resistance Training

Being overweight comes at a health cost.  It usually means labored breathing, higher risk of heart disease, lack of energy, sleep problems, and many, many more side effects.  One way that you can overcome this weight problem is to use the weight against your weight.  Simple exercises, in terms of difficulty to perform, like push-ups, squats, and lunges can use your current weight to build muscle - all while losing weight.  Let your inhibitor become a benefactor.

IV.  Get Creative with your No-Cost Workouts

I've carried a lot of groceries in from the car to the house for my wife.  I tell you that a gallon of milk can get heavy after a while.  Why not save your milk containers and fill them with water and use them as weights for lifting?  Do lunges while carrying the filled containers. Fill them with dirt, water or sand - all of that would work for the task.  Why not do what many gyms are doing and use a tire for a workout?  Let's face it, you won't be able to lift a tractor tire in the beginning for this workout so go with a smaller one.  Take an old tire and flip the tire over again and again. Take a sledge hammer, bat or stick and hit the tire with force.  Tie a rope around the tire and drag it.  Do you have a fire place?  Take those pieces of wood that you've cut for the fire place and throw them as far as you can again and again.  Does your child have a swing set?  Go and do pull ups on the swing set.  A quick search on the internet can give you machines or exercises that you can perform in the gym; just mimic those moves and machines with things you have around the home.

V.   Scour the Free Listings on Social Media & Craigslist

People are always getting rid of things.  Granted, at the beginning of any year it would be a little harder to find exercise equipment for free as many are now using their dusty machines or people are benefiting from selling their unused equipment.  Some though are being given away.  Find a local Facebook group and search for free items.  Put a ISO (In Search of) or WANTED post out there on those sites stating what you are looking for.  Drive around during spring cleaning and see what people have put on the curb.  It seems that exercise bikes are always available.  Check Craigslist to see what is in your area.  Ask family to see if they have something around the house that is unused.  Remember that you don't have to own the equipment personally but can borrow the equipment from friends or family until you can save up enough to get what you want!

It may not be as easy to exercise as it is to come up with excuses not to exercise but it is totally worth it when you see the results!  

BEING OUTSIDE - A thing of the past?

When I look back [I'm only 31] at my childhood I can legitimately say that 'growing up' isn't like it used to be.  No I didn't walk up hill both ways to school in the snow.  No I didn't have to wake up at the crack of dawn to milk the cows or feed the chickens.  I didn't have to to plow the field while it was still cool in the morning before school.  I didn't have those chores.

Those are the things that my dad had to do when he was growing up.

But when I do look back,  I find that life was simple.  No No, not simple like you all older than me, but simple compared to what kids growing up now have [don't confuse simple with lazy].

We've all seen the movies where the future is a bunch of lazy people sitting on chairs living life through a headset of virtual reality oblivious of what is really going on around them.  I'm not saying we are at that point but we are a bunch of lazy people oblivious of what is really happening around us, or even to us.

A goal that I set this year and have stuck to most out of all the goals set is this: 

"Spend ONE hour outside each day."   

This isn't adding up the time it takes when I walk from the car to the grocery store entrance.  This isn't counting the minutes from one building on campus to another.  All of the goals that I set this year were goals that required intentional behavior.  Intentionally being outside for one hour each day.  I have not been successful every day but I find myself longing to be outside.  

I am an outdoors type of guy anyway.  I like to hunt, fish, play sports, run, garden, and all of the similar activities.  It's refreshing to be outside.  It reminds me of my childhood.

We did not have the video game systems that I have now.  We had a Playstation.  We had two games that I remember: Tony Hawk's skateboarding game and Resident Evil.  Oh yeah, we did have a Snowboarding Sample game as well.  You could run one slope and get a score.  The next person ran the same slope and try to beat the score.  And over and over it went.  That's it.

My childhood was spent outside.

Bike riding, playing 500 in the streets, playing in the snow, hunting and fishing with my dad, baseball, football, and playing basketball on crappy goals at the school playground are some of the things that I remember most.

Now that I think about it, I remember getting hurt a lot or someone else get hurt a lot from some of those things but it was worth it.  Are we that tough any more?  

I remember popping a blood vessel in my leg because I attempted to ride my bike down a rain washout made path down a rugged hill and crashed my bike.  I remember playing tag and tried to climb a fence and cut open my leg and had to let my buddy's mom fix me up.  I remember my brother falling from a tree branch only to hit another one on the way down and bust his chin up pretty bad.  Another time, my brother dove face first into a fire hydrant playing 500.  I remember bruised wrists because we lowered the basketball goals to where a 6th grader could dunk.  We were flying high. Pump up the jam!

So, this year I set out a goal to be outside more often.  As this year progresses my goals have grown as well.  I look at my son and wish for him a childhood that involves a lot of the same things that mine did.  Of course I want him to have cool things [daddy likes the cool things and gadgets too] but I want him to have more memories than, "do you remember that one time Bob the Builder did that on his show?"  

I want him to learn hands on.  

He loves being outside.  He watches from the window when I mow.  He always wants to go to the playground.  He loves to run around, ride his truck, his bike and play with other toys outside.  He likes to sit around the fire pit.  

Honestly, his love for this stuff just started this year.  

As my goals have transformed throughout the year - some of my hopes for him have become clearer.

Because of this one goal of mine, he has been one to benefit.  We have been able to have ten times more Daddy and Son time.  Our garden, which used to consist of a 10' x 5' raised bed is now a 20' x 15' garden.  We also now have four flower beds instead of just two.  We've been on a couple "jogs" together and are learning how to  keep our balance on a bike [hopefully he won't have a crash like the many I had].  

[From the first picking]

Being outside does not have to be a thing of the past.  I am not going to get a "Father of the Year" award.  I know people that are doing ten times better than I am at finishing their Goals, being a parent and all that.  

What I do know is that I am intentional.  To complete any goal you need to be intentional.  To be a good daddy you need to be intentional.  To be a good husband you need to be intentional.  To be a good anything you need to be intentional.

Don't use "intentional" interchangeably with "good intentions".  "Good intentions" is something completely different.  That is motivation behind something but intentional is the execution of those good intentions; done on purpose.

How do I think I'm doing with this goal?  Pretty good.  

Go do life on purpose!

Reading: Exercising the Mind

My wife and I were talking the other day about homework.  When I was in high school, I rarely took school work home.  I found a way to get most everything done at school.  She said that she always had homework.  My lack of homework may have been due to the necessity of getting it done quickly because sports took up many afternoons and evenings.  Rarely did I enjoy the school work.  I enjoyed the benefits and rewards of having completed all of the assignments.  Most of all, my playing sports never was in question when it came to midterms and quarter grades.  I had teammates who weren't sure if their grades were going to be good enough to meet the sports requirements each quarter. There were many benefits of having high grades: respect from teachers, scholarships, sports privileges and others but few outweigh the benefit that it had inwardly.  I was unaware of it then but studying was beneficial for the mental health which affects the physical health.

This is another follow up to my Original Goals List for 2015.  The first goal was to GIVE MORE and the second is to READ MORE.  More specifically, read one book each month of 2015.  Admittedly, I am struggling and falling behind on this one.  Finding time to read is difficult.

That is my excuse.

I find time if I want to go to the movies.  I find time if one of my favorite TV shows are one.  I find time to do many different things; those things are more fun than reading.

I never was a huge fan of reading.  Playing the Nintendo, Sega Genesis, Sega Dreamcast or Playstation [original] was always more fun than reading.  Gameboy always suited me better on car rides than a book.  Riding my bike was much more of an adventure than sitting in my room with a book.  You would find me outside, playing video games, at a friends house or watching TV but never reading a book.  For whatever reason, I don't have many memories of reading a book because I wanted to.  Black Beauty was a book I remember reading as a child.  Goosebumps at school.  The 'Choose your Own Adventure' books were fun but always read at school during reading class.  

Now that I am older, I still struggle with just sitting down and reading a book.  Magazines are easy to read due to shorter articles.  It isn't that I don't read books as I have a need to stay current, relevant, be inspired and so forth in my profession.  I have to study and become more knowledgeable like any other who wants to be solid in their career.  I've taken a bit of that approach in order to complete my list.  Some of the books on my list will aid me with my job and some will be for 'pleasure'.  

"Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body" - Joseph Addison

In order to do fulfill my goal of reading one book each month I had to be prepared.  I needed to have a list of books to read for each month.  I took to social media for that.  I asked my friends if they could suggest some books for me to read throughout this year.  Here is the list that we, they, configured.

1.  Jesus + Nothing = Everything [[[January]]] -- page 141 of 209

2.  Sustainable Youth Ministry [[[February]]] -- page 51 of 204

3.  Unbroken [[[March]]] -- page 1 of 528

4.  Churchless [[[April]]] -- page 38 of 191

5.  The Explicit Gospel [[[May]]] -- page 150 of 224

6.  Circle Maker [[[June]]]

7.  Think Orange [[[July]]]

8.  Lead Small [[[August]]]

9.  Killer Angels [[[September]]]

10.  Sticky Faith [[[October]]]

11.  Love Does [[[November]]]

12.  The Tipping Point [[[December]]]

**EXTRA READING**

The Hobbit
The Two Towers
Multiply - Francis Chan
They Smell Like Sheep
Developing the Leader Within You
Becoming a Person of Influence
Growing True Disciples

As you can tell, I have some work to do.  If I look at it statistically as we look at almost everything else in our lives, I am only 16% towards my goal.  That means that I have only read 16% of the pages out of 5 books for January through May.  

That's not good!  

To find results is what I'm doing here.  Academically, a 16% would require a big fat F on my report card. With any review, you find where you are going wrong and fix it.  I find that I have not put the time and energy necessary into this particular goal. 

These are some benefits, from my own brainstorming session, that I believe reading does for a person.  

stimulates the brain - requires discipline - challenges self - makes hard things easier - ignites creativity - promotes imagination - inspires - educates

These are scientifically proven benefits, collected from here, which are from daily habits of reading. 

enhances the sense - enables life long learning - allows for better skill retention - improves creativity - better verbal abilities - increases one's store of knowledge - higher test scores - reduces stress levels - improves critical thinking - staves off dementia - dementia settles in at a slower rate - better reasoning - confidence builder - more white matter - increases brain flexibility - improved memory - builds relationship between parents and children - better listening skills - an easier time concentrating - alleviates mental health disorders

After reading that list, why wouldn't we all read daily?   

I know that it is motivating for me to see that a little bit of reading, even the smallest bit daily, is positive for my health.  That's what this is all about right?  Mental and Physical Health all play together.  What good would it be to have one and not the other?  We have the opportunity to help both forms of health by taking simple steps in the right direction.  

I challenge you to  be intentional in both your physical and mental health.

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING RIGHT NOW?

GIVING is making you stronger!

Why give? It's healthy!

This is another follow up from my goals list for 2015.  It's an explanation or a "where am I now" with the goals that I set at the beginning of the year.  If you don't remember my goals, you can find them here on a previous post.

The first of my goals is to give 10% more than I did last year.  That's not a crazy goal.  To give more is something I think many of us would like to be able to do.  Money doesn't always seem to be there though does it?  It's there probably more than you realize.  I remember a time that my wife and I were looking to rent a house and the monthly rent was a bit more than we could afford and the very generous potential landlord said to me, 'It's not hard for money to come around, you set the price that you can afford'.  We were blown away by that.  Someone that didn't worry about money?!

I work in the ministry, it's no secret that most of those who work in the ministry don't make a ton of money.  It's also no secret that much of the population live like it is better to receive than to give.

That old saying, it's better to give than receive has flip flopped and is a distant memory from today.  I am encouraged however when I see others paying it forward.

Why give?  Isn't this a health site?  To answer the second question, it is but there is something very healthy about giving.  It doesn't have to do with the tax write-off of giving.  It doesn't even have to have anything to do with the church.  Giving is good for the person, mind, and entire body.

Don't just take my word for it.  Take this article for instance.  Take this article too!  And another.  Actually, Google came up with result after result when I typed in "health benefits of giving" to the search bar.  There must be something to this giving thing and the direct relation to physical and mental health.

I went through a study called '40 Day Spiritual Journey to a more Generous Life' a few years back.  It's primary approach is obvious through the title.  It used the Bible as the focus throughout the topic of giving.  While many feel that the church is all about money, that's not true.  The church does need money to pay the bills, aid and support missionaries, aid the community and the likes of that.  I raise the question as to why we believe, church goer or not, our wallets are the only things that are called to give of?  Why is it that we view those that need our help only in a financial manner?

I do believe in tithing and strive to give 10% more financially this year than last but I also hope to give much more of myself to those in need as well.

What does your community need?  Think about that?  What is it that your community could stand to benefit from?  Is it trash clean-up at the park?  Maybe it is volunteering at the soup kitchen, animal shelter, helping the elderly with yard work, visiting the nursing homes, sharing your skills for a project, writing grants for non-profits, making blankets for abused women shelters [so many kids go through those].  This is a never-ending list!

To be honest, if most of us were to consider how much time was spent serving someone else other than our family and friends last year, it wouldn't take much to give 10% more than last year.  The art of serving other people exited the building several years ago but it's time to give back.

If the idea of giving simply to help another out doesn't work for you, think of the health benefits anyways.  I know that is selfish to view it that way but if you are helping someone out selfishly or not - follow through.

I particularly like that the studies show that giving offers:

• better managed stress
• longer life expectancy
• better outlook of others
• stronger marriage
• better mental health
• more success
• a little more happiness at work

Whatever it is that will push you to give more this year, do it!  Your relationships, mental & physical health, success and life will benefit from it as well!

HOW DO YOU PLAN TO GIVE MORE THIS YEAR?

HOW CAN YOU INCLUDE YOUR FAMILY ON GIVING MORE THIS YEAR?

Setting Goals and sticking to them!

I love Kansas City sports teams!  Chiefs & Royals all the way!  I have been a fan all of my life.  Watching the Royals last year was really awesome for me.  Do you think that the Chiefs or the Royals start each year thinking and believing that they will only go so far?  Take any professional sports team and ask them at the beginning of the year and they all believe that they have what it takes to make it to the top.  Take any profession and ask each employee and most will say that they have what it takes to make their company better or make them more money.  It's all because of goals.  The Royals want the World Series Championship.  The Chiefs want the Super Bowl Championship.  The Patriots want their quarterback back.  Whatever it is that people want - it starts with goals.

I am a "Goals" person.  Each year I write out a list of goals and hope that I have the discipline to stick to it.  One of the hardest goals that I had set for myself, and failed to complete, was to reach 1000 miles running/jogging/walking in one year.  I got to the 750's.  It was close but didn't get the medal that they'd give every runner at the end of a marathon, (or half).  I'll admit, it was a bit of a pipe dream, impractical, unrealistic but it got me moving.

This year, I believe I set difficult goals to achieve for myself though they are attainable goals.  Here is a list of my goals from the beginning of the year.

_________________________

2015 Goals:

1.  Give 10% more than last year

2.  Read one book each month [outside of my Bible Study]

3.  Spend one hour outside each day as possible

4.  Limit TV time to 1 hour each day

5.  500 miles [run/walk]

6.  Get Healthier!

_________________________

I'm going to do some follow up posts in evaluating how I'm doing on each of my six goals so far and throughout the year.  It's important to do this after you've set goals for yourself.  How will you know if you ever achieved what you set out to do?  

My goals are specific.  I don't want to be cookie cutter.  The only cookie cutter goal is #6 but if I do #'s 1-5, #6 is bound to happen.  Too general of goals makes it very easy to back out.  The general "decisions" takes any decisive approach out of making goals.  "Make more money" is subjective; will you be happy if you make $1 more than you did the previous year?  

Goals are important in life.  They are used as motivation to keep moving; to push forward further than you thought you could.  Will there be times that I fail? Absolutely.  Will there be time that I succeed? Absolutely.  

They say life is a marathon and not a sprint; I say life is meant to be lived and  not to wait for tomorrow to live.  This doesn't mean to be stupid for the sake of stupidity. It means to live life in the present because life is happening all around you!  

Goals are meant to better oneself.  They give a person something to strive for and the moment a person gets an inch closer to completing a goal, it's encouraging and the goal is made real.  

This is real life.

WHAT GOALS DID YOU MAKE THIS YEAR?  

HOW ARE YOU ACHIEVING THESE GOALS?

Comment your answers below!