Over my 45 years of involvement in the fitness industry, I’ve been in many gyms and fitness centers. That means I’ve been witness to many displays of poor form (exercises being performed improperly). In spite of all the YouTube tutorials and advances in personal training, I still notice a lot of bad form. Granted, it’s a bit better and there are many new ideas of training being birthed or re-invented. Point being, that proper form, and execution of the exercise are very important. We should not just go through the motions while exercising. We need to be intentional. Here are some thoughts to consider in achieving proper exercise form:

• Perform each repletion in a pain-free motion.
• Your motion must be symmetrical.
• Always maintain proper form.
• When performing extension motions, avoid snapping into extension.
• Respect the pain. If you ever experience sharp pain, you should discontinue your workout and seek professional advice.

I had an interesting experience several years ago while exercising. I was hitting my bench presses when my workout partner pointed out something to me. The imprint of my body, from the sweat, left some convincing evidence that my form was way off. My torso was shifting significantly to one side. It would seem that I was compensating for some injury or deficiency I was not even aware of. The strange thing about that event was it felt right and I thought I was in my “grove”. Unknowingly I was moving toward an injury. Sometimes, though our moments feel right or in the grove, we could be in a faulty movement pattern.

We need to be intentional about our workouts. We need to watch our movements for imperfections that may arise and correct them. The mirrors in the gym and a good workout partner can be helpful in detecting those imperfections. I refer to those improper movements as sinful motions. They’re sinful because, if you continue with those motions in that fashion, you will eventually suffer an injury. The first step is to capture (become aware of) the faulty motion. The next step is to correct it. Just like our spiritual life, sin has consequences.

I believe we need to be intentional about our walk with Jesus as well. I recall my old pastor and friend (Tom Pendergrass) sharing this in a sermon, “if you find yourself coasting in your daily walk with the Lord, there is a good chance you’re going downhill.” Just as we do better in the gym with a workout partner, we do better spiritually with an accountability partner. Merely going through the motions, will not result in growth. We need to examine our walk with the Lord. “For God, who said, let there be light in the darkness, has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus.” 2 Corinthians 4:6 NLT. In other words, we need to shine the light into all areas of our lives to ensure we are on the right path. Here are some areas we may benefit from inspecting spiritually to be intentional in our walk with Jesus:

• Our prayer life.
• Consistent quality time in the Word
• Tithing
• Having a good church home
• Being involved in and growing through a small group.

There are many more areas or ideas we could add to both lists of suggestions. If we’re hoping to improve, it starts with an honest inspection of our lives. Then, making the sacrifices we need to make and make better choices. I believe God will bless you as you inspect and invest in your growth, spiritually and physically. Be intentional, but don’t forget, God is faithful. He completes us. I believe it brings Him joy to watch us pursue Him deeper.
Yours in health.