I don't do hard-core exercise, but I need something! This morning reminded me exactly why.
For starters, I have arthritis. With the weather changes we have been having, my hips, back, and knees have been throbbing. When I walk in the mornings, those are the places I feel it most. It's important to keep those joints moving. I always feel better when I do.
It gets me out of bed in the morning and moving. If I sleep in, I feel behind all day.
And here is the big one ... it gives me time to think, when I need to think. I have a situation with one of my kids right now that is causing me some stress. I am not exactly sure how to handle it sometimes. This morning when I was walking, it was a crisp morning. Breathing in the air caused my mind to feel clear. I was praying about this situation and I felt God SPEAK! When I am home, it is rarely quiet enough for me to hear God when He is trying to speak to me. But when it's just me, and Crusoe, and the crisp, dark morning, I can hear clearly.
I was given direct answers for how I should be handling something. I felt such peace and gratitude.
What I heard is opposite of how I have been reacting.
I didn't want to get up this morning and get out there to walk, but I am so glad I did. The physical benefits of exercise are obvious. But it's the mental ones that we tend to forget.
I always feel better after I exercise, physically and mentally! I had no idea that you had arthritis. That has to be difficult to deal with.
ReplyDelete