St. Paul talked about running the race. St. Ignatius developed “spiritual exercises.” Now with our souls rejuvenated from Easter celebrations and springtime tickling our sensibilities, we are supremely positioned to rev up our physical and faith fitness.

Do we need a little more motivation to be on our way?

For 25 years, Leslie Sansone has inspired thousands of people to “Walk at Home.” Her fitness programs (www.walkathome.com) and bestselling books are the tools she has developed to reach out to even the most sluggish couch potato.

I’ve benefitted greatly from Sansone’s programs, for I cannot exercise outdoors during the day. I’ve also been impressed with how Sansone combines Christian faith with fitness.

Can Do Attitude

Sansone focused on “Motivating the Inactive” in her keynote address at this year’s American College of Sports Medicine Health and Fitness Summit. She said, “The best way to get fit is with faith. When you are aware of the deeper reasons you do something, aware that you are part of something bigger than yourself, you are much more likely to stick to it.

“You may not be able to find the willpower to make yourself walk every day, but if you turn around and ask God to help you get out of bed and put on your sneakers, it will work almost every time.

“Spiritual and physical fitness require fuel for the mind, fuel for the body and fuel for the spirit.”

Regular Schedule

That fuel is activity, she explained: “A faithful life asks us to practice our faith, being actively involved on a regular basis. Physical fitness also asks that we continue the practice of exercise. We don’t store fitness; we must exercise on a regular basis to enjoy the rewards of good health!”

Good health also enables us to be more effective witnesses to faith.

“As believers, we are blessed with this temple, which moves our spirit through this world,” Sansone said. Healthy people “can do so much more good for themselves, their families and their communities. There is an enormous list of negative effects when we ignore healthy choices. It leads to so much chaos – low self-esteem, disease, emotional disorders – to name a few.”

Maintaining strong faith and consistent fitness is challenging in today’s world.

When the going gets tough, prayer is vital, Sansone said. And music and Scripture are important, too. “Walking to the beat of faith music really connects to the soul,” Sansone said. “Music is so motivational! And Corinthians 1 and 2 offer so much to help us manage our temples.”

Sometimes we might be discouraged as we strive to grow spiritually or to advance from that first workout to significant strength. Finding and appreciating God’s presence in the more subtle things around us can be inspiring and comforting, as can taking a workout one day at a time – at any age.

Never Too Old to Begin

Sansone said, “If you have never exercised a day in your life and you are 99 years old, you can train the muscles and the heart to be stronger and perform better. Even five minutes of brisk walking starts to bring blood pressure down and manages stress in a healthy way!”

Whether we look upon faith and fitness as “running the race” or “spiritual exercise,” blending them gives us unlimited strength and hope for our journey.