START WITH THIS ONE THING

At the end of each training session, I am stretched by my trainer, while on a mat, flat on the floor.  It is painful!  Think stretching an old dry rubber band and it snaps.  Yep, that's the way it feels some days.  When we finish, and I am on the floor moaning and groaning, he always gives me a cross handed lift off the floor.  A hand up

One of the things I have realized is I have begun to put my hands down to help myself up when sitting anywhere--couch, chair, floor.  I have become accustomed to using the extra leverage to get back into a standing position.  Instead of relying upon my core, I am cheating and the result is a weakened core.  If I could give you one piece of exercise advice, it would be do not use your hands to push yourself from a sitting position to upright.  At first, this may require scooting forward in the seat, or doing a little rocking to get the momentum going.  In the long run, you will grow stronger with each push to the upright position using only your core.  A weak core is a symptom of a weak you.  Start with this one thing, standing without pushing with your hands and watch yourself grow stronger over time.




When The Trainer and I were talking this over, I told him I could not get off the floor without using my hands (try it--NOT easy).  He asked could I get up while kneeling on one knee. There you go, a place to begin.  Slowly try one or two of those a day until you can get up without assistance off one knee. Then begin to work on getting up off both knees without assistance.  Then try cross legged and getting up.  (NO, THERE WILL NOT BE A VIDEO DEMONSTRATING ME DOING THIS) It is a slow process over time to restrengthen what we have allowed to become weakened.  We might need a little help at first, but soon we are on our on again.  Wanting to live life to the fullest, we must keep the all important core strong.  That hand up often is all we need to get the ball rolling.

There are times, I have received a spiritual hand up.  Someone has spoken truth, challenged me, or asked difficult questions about my spiritual habits.  My good friend, Len Woods, has written yet another book

It is a collection of "hands up" solutions to common spiritual challenges.  All we have to do is take what he says, apply it, and repeat.  We will grow stronger from the application.  I have just begun reading his latest offering.  What a gift he is to us all.  Need a hand up, order the book!  Time to get those spiritual exercises going and reap the benefits of a better life.

Iron sharpens iron.

So one man sharpens another.

Proverbs 27:17