By Brad Bloom, Publisher, Faith & Fitness Magazine
The boy was bouncing the basketball, running all over the court and working up a sweat. He stopped and walked up to another boy hunched and head-down in the corner. “What’s wrong”, he asked. The sad boy replied, “No matter how much I try, I can never make a basket.” Then the answer came, “That’s OK. I can’t either. Come join me and let’s try together.”
If you workout today and feel pretty good about life then count yourself blessed. AND – if your mind is centered on Jesus and you celebrate God’s grace in your life then you’re freaking off the charts!
Let me clarify by running a few numbers with you. With more than 38,000 gyms in America and an IHRSA estimate of 71.5 million people using a U.S. based fitness facility you might optimistically hope that the majority of Americans are physically fit.
We know that’s not the case. In fact, with a population of over 329 million (estimated in 2019) that math shows that less than 5% of Americans hit the gym. Measured differently, The National Center for Health Statistics estimates that over 39% of adults aged 20 and over are obese and another 31.8% are overweight. According to the CDC about 13.7 million children and adolescents are obese. With data like that we should have a fit that so many are physically unfit.
When it comes to mental wellness there’s a lot of study that has been done and is currently being done. Given the amount of research and support available you might once again optimistically hope that most people are mentally fit or at least getting help to improve their mental wellness. The statistics from the National Alliance on Mental Wellness show a mind-blowing reality:
1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year.
1 in 25 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year.
1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year.
Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-34.
In all likelihood global statistics are similar.
HELP SAVE A LIFE FROM SUICIDE
QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer — the 3 simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide.
I talked with Philip Gastineau, MA, LLPC, LMHCA while working out at the downtown Grand Rapids YMCA. He provided the above QPR link to me. Turns out that he has a history of serving at the Y. He has found ways to bring together physical, mental and spiritual support to people through his vocation. We discussed that everyone can give support to people in need — at the gym, your workplace, church, neighborhood or wherever. AND it can be as easy as simply keeping the QPR model in mind.
BREAK INTO THE WILD
Wow! Let me say it again. If you workout today and feel pretty good about life then count yourself blessed. You’re standing high with a beautiful view of life. Now look around because God wants to go with you even higher. Pursue God to learn how you can be faithful to help yourself and others.
In this issue of Faith & Fitness Magazine I’m asking you to join with us in digging deeper. Sure, we need to get deep into the despair, pain, confusion, frustration and fear. I believe as we do that we can get even deeper into the hope, healing, clear vision, peace, and bold purpose that tests positively for the very nature of God. We’ve brought together content that will help you dig deep in both directions. And YES, this is a workout that will test your moxie to become bolder.
Let’s commit to giving that level of attention to others. Look for those who need to hear you ask TODAY, “Are you OK?” It starts that simple. It’s time to be fearless. How do you know if that person lifting next to you is that 1 in 5? You don’t. How can you be certain that young person on the team is that 1 in 6? You can’t. You don’t have to try to rescue anyone. Just celebrate and point everyone AROUND YOU to the Rescuer.
MENTAL FLEXIBILITY FOR GREAT FREEDOM
Marianne Stenger identifies 7 ways to develop cognitive skills. I want to adapt them here to a faith and fitness perspective as we explore How Fit Is Your Mind?
ALTER YOUR EVERYDAY ROUTINE – You know it’s true in muscular development. It’s true in your own mental wellness and in your interactions with others too. Step out of the shadows of your routine.
SEEK OUT NEW EXPERIENCES – Imagine it. God is new every morning. Go discover what’s new. It might be “group X” or it might be ‘all alone’ but it’s time to dance.
PRACTICIE THINKING CREATIVELY – As your read the stories in this issue you’ll discover people who have embraced the honesty of admitting they don’t know it all. But they didn’t stop there. They’ve dared to run into some wide open space, look up and see what GOD wants to create.
DON’T ALWAYS TAKE THE EASY WAY – Hey church, speaking of routine is that, “This do in remembrance of me” loosing most of it’s gravity? Come back to some seriously demanding communion where you bare, with full eagernesss, the burdens of others. Don’t hold back.
GO OUT OF YOUR WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE – This is why you were created. Stretch well and take a path that promises to lead to an all-new definition of what fitness means for you and someone else.
TRANSFER YOUR LEARNING – “The fullness of God’s love.” Do you think people even know what that is? It’s not enough to talk about the virtues of holistic health. We have to be willing to be the instruments God uses to see their lives made whole.
CHALLENGE YOUR MORALS – Nobody wants to exercise with old, inadequate or broken equipment. The fullness of God’s love is crafted to a high standard. That means it doesn’t get any better for you and others. Mental fitness begins when we release the spirit of freedom.
(Some of the comments above reflect lyrics in the Urban Rescue song Freedom. Watch it now.)
Let’s come together, be life, and do what only God can do.
Train strong in Christ,
Brad Bloom, Publisher
During the time that this issue of Faith & Fitness Magazine was originally featured the Covid19 Noval Coronavirus became a global pandemic. In response to that we produced the following video:
