Participants: Don Morgan
Series Code: WM
Program Code: WM000350
00:01 The following program presents principles
00:03 designed to promote good health and 00:04 is not intended to take the place of 00:06 personalized professional care. 00:08 The opinions and ideas expressed are those 00:10 of the speaker. Viewers are encouraged 00:12 to draw their own conclusions 00:14 about the information presented. 00:35 Hello and welcome to Wonderfully Made. 00:39 My name is Don Morgan and I teach 00:41 in the department Health and Human Performance 00:44 at Middle Tennessee State University. 00:47 Over the next number of weeks I am going 00:49 to be talking about the role that physical 00:52 activity can play and helping you achieving 00:55 optimal level of health. As an exercise 00:59 physiologist who is taught in the area of health 01:02 and fitness for 20 years and conducted research 01:05 on how the body responds to exercise. 01:08 I have come to appreciate just how exquisitely 01:11 made our bodies are and how God has designed 01:15 them to stand physical challenges, injury, 01:19 illness and all types of environmental stressors. 01:22 In this upcoming series of program I am going 01:26 to be presenting information that will 01:29 highlight the many health benefits which 01:32 come from being physically active. 01:34 As well as address some of the health conditions 01:37 that are caused or worsened by a sedentary 01:40 lifestyle. In addition, I hope to be able to 01:44 show how leading an active lifestyle can 01:47 fit seamlessly into God's plan for each 01:50 of us to enjoy vibrant, fulfilling and 01:54 spiritually and rich lives. When talking about the 01:58 relationship between physical activity and 02:01 health, it's important to define what we mean 02:04 by the word health. To me being healthy 02:09 is not merely the absence of disease 02:11 and infirmity but instead it represents the 02:15 combination of physical, mental, social 02:19 and spiritual well being. It is my view that 02:24 we are individually responsible for our health 02:27 and well being, to the practice of positive 02:31 lifestyle behaviors like not smoking and 02:35 engaging in a daily regiment of moderate 02:37 physical activity. Thus it is our choice 02:42 and no one else's as to whether or 02:46 not we will decide to embrace physical activity 02:49 as an integral part of our lives. 02:54 One of the things I like to emphasize is that 02:57 physical activity can be a joyful experience. 03:01 A good example of this is watching children 03:05 who are engaged in active play at school 03:07 or at home. As any parent or teacher knows, 03:11 young boys and girls have a natural bent 03:15 or inclination towards being active and 03:19 they seem to find great happiness in the 03:22 simplest of activities like riding a bike, 03:25 playing tag, jumping rope or even just digging 03:30 around in a sand box for hours on end. 03:34 Well the attraction of physical activity can 03:37 wane with age. I know many adults who also 03:41 find the sense of joy and fulfillment in being 03:44 physically active. I for one, enjoy running. 03:49 Now I am certainly not a fast runner and 03:54 I don't run as far or as long as I used to. 03:58 But at this stage of my life, with a busy family 04:03 and a job that's very, very hectic always 04:07 on the go, I am quite contend to be able 04:11 to run about 40 minutes are so on moat days of 04:14 the week. When I run, I know I am receiving 04:20 a multitude of physiological and 04:23 psychological benefits, many of which we will 04:26 detail in future programs. In addition I also gain 04:31 a tremendous spiritual blessing when I exercise, 04:35 because it is a daily reminder that God loves 04:39 me so much that he created a wonderfully 04:43 made body to inhabit, that is strong and 04:46 powerful, a body that enables me to meet 04:50 life's physical challenges head on each and 04:54 every day. One of the reasons I look forward 04:59 to my daily run is that it is one of the times 05:03 each day that I truly feel energized in the life. 05:07 When I run I can feel my heart pounding, 05:12 my breathing rate increasing, 05:14 the sweat gathering on my face, 05:16 and the growing stress on leg muscles as 05:20 I trudge up the hills that surround my home 05:23 in Middle Tennessee. There is a reward though 05:28 for my efforts because as I reach the top of 05:32 the rise and begin my descend down the hill, 05:35 I am able to recover, re-gather my strength 05:40 and feel a sense of solid accomplishment 05:43 that at least on this day I have been able 05:46 to find the energy and the strength to meet 05:49 this physical challenge. As I've began to speak 05:54 to audiences on the topic of physical activity 05:57 and health, I have to come realize that not 06:01 only is there a physical dimension to leading 06:05 an active lifestyle, but there is also a spiritual 06:08 dimension to physical activity. 06:11 When we are active we have the opportunity 06:15 and the privilege of exploring and moving 06:18 about the world that God has created for us. 06:21 In thinking about this gift from God, 06:25 I'd like for you to reflect for a moment 06:28 on some thoughts found in a wonderful 06:31 little book called the Adventist Health Style, 06:34 written by David Nieman. 06:36 He writes that there is a God given design 06:40 in nature for action and movement. 06:43 Consider the flowers that open and close daily, 06:47 the circulating ocean currents and orbiting 06:50 planets or the powerful onrush of the wind. 06:54 Water is fresh and clean if taken from a 06:58 rushing stream, but unhealthful when 07:01 drawn from a stagnant pool. 07:04 What is the spiritual meaning of these words? 07:07 To me these statements convey a fundamental 07:12 principle of Christian living that is when we 07:16 daily energized our body with physical activity 07:19 we fit perfectly into God's creation plan for 07:23 the universe, a plan in which movement 07:26 and activity are the norm and not the exception. 07:31 Ellen White a prolific Christian writer also 07:36 speaks about the link between activity 07:38 and health. In her book Ministry of Healing, 07:42 she states that, Action is a law of our being. 07:47 Every organ of the body has it's appointed work, 07:52 upon the performance of which it's development 07:55 and strength depend. The normal action of 07:59 all the organs gives strength and vigor, 08:01 while the tendency of disuse is toward decay 08:06 and death. Bind up an arm, even for few weeks, 08:11 then free it from it's bands, and you will 08:15 see that it is weaker than the one you have 08:18 been using moderately during the same time. 08:22 Inactivity produces the same effect upon 08:25 the whole muscular system. 08:29 What Mrs. White is saying here is that 08:32 the health of our bodies is directly associated 08:35 with them being used on a consistent basis. 08:38 Conversely, when we are physically inactive 08:43 for long periods of time or engaged in physical 08:46 activity on a hit or miss bases, 08:49 our bodies also adapt to this relative lack of 08:53 physical activity by becoming weaker and 08:57 more prone to sickness and disease. 09:00 Unfortunately there is no silver bullet that 09:04 will magically do away with disease and death. 09:07 However, performing regular physical activity 09:12 at a moderate intensity provides so many 09:15 health benefits that it's about as close to 09:18 a silver bullet as you will ever find. 09:23 For those of you who have embraced inactive 09:25 lifestyle there is almost an instinctive 09:29 understanding of how essential and important 09:33 exercise and physical activity are in warning 09:37 of chronic disease and maintaining normal 09:40 levels of function. For those of you however 09:44 who are not as active as you know you should be, 09:48 I hope that these series of programs will act 09:51 as a catalyst to motivate you to become healthier. 09:55 For some this may be journey you wanted 09:59 to take it various time in your life, 10:02 but for some reason you never took that 10:05 first step. For others you may have begun a 10:09 fitness program in the past but you didn't stick 10:12 with it long enough to see any lasting benefits. 10:16 Whatever the case may be, it is my sincere 10:20 prayer and hope that the material presented 10:23 in these health lectures begins to encourage 10:26 you to maintain a regular physical activity program. 10:33 As you began this journey, I want you to remember 10:36 that the path to wellness and good health is 10:40 not a short one, but instead is a wide 10:44 expanse that can be travel the rest of your life, 10:47 if that is your desire. As the evidence will show 10:52 it is not necessary to be extreme when performing 10:57 physical activity, but it is essential to be active 11:01 on a moderate and regular basis. 11:04 In order to reap the major health benefits 11:07 that activity can provide such as better way 11:11 control, lower blood pressure and an increase 11:15 in bone density. Such an approach is consistent 11:19 with the notion that moderation and physical 11:22 activity can lead to good health. 11:27 Although I am going to be presenting information 11:30 that describes the association between 11:32 physical activity and health, 11:34 I realize how important it is to translate this 11:39 knowledge into something that is useful 11:42 and practical and meaningful. 11:46 So over the course of these thoughts we will 11:49 be mentioning not only the health benefits of 11:52 physical activity, but also talking about some 11:55 of the simple ways to include physical activity 11:59 and exercise into your daily schedule. 12:02 We will also be looking at ways to over come 12:04 various physical activity; looking at ways of 12:08 how to monetary how much physical activity 12:10 you are actually doing as well. 12:14 As we begin this journey together 12:16 I strongly believe that a secret to staying 12:21 on the road to better health is to find the 12:24 meaningful reason to adopt and to 12:28 commit to a healthy lifestyle. 12:32 There is no single perfect reason that 12:34 will work for everyone, but there is a reason 12:38 that will make sense to you, a reason that 12:41 you can identity with. For some it may be 12:46 that in listening to these programs 12:48 you will finally come to appreciate the sheer 12:51 enormity of the health blessings that come 12:54 from adopting a healthy lifestyle. 12:58 May be you have decided to become physically 13:00 fit because you are not functioning 13:02 as well as you used to, and you want to 13:05 become more fit and stronger so that 13:09 you can accomplish the daily tasks of living 13:12 more effectively. Perhaps you've had a 13:15 recent health scare and you suddenly 13:18 become aware that the old adage that without 13:21 your health you have nothing really is true. 13:26 It could be that you have become unhappy 13:29 with the way you look and feel. 13:31 And increasing your level of physical activity 13:34 would be a good first step toward reversing 13:37 this trend, or it may be that you've come to 13:42 realization that your health is important 13:45 not only to yourself, but also to those 13:48 who love you, care for you and depend on you. 13:52 The key point here is that this reason 13:57 whatever it is, needs to be important to you 14:01 because it will be this reason that will motivate 14:05 you to walk not only on the nice days but 14:09 also on days when the wind is blowing, 14:11 the temperature is cold and there is bit 14:14 of rain falling. It will be this reason that 14:18 will give you the inner strength to turn 14:21 down that second serving of ice cream 14:23 or that late night snack. It will be this reason 14:27 that will keep you from loosing your result 14:30 to stay healthy and fit when the temptation 14:33 to abandoned this resolve is difficult to resist. 14:39 Remaining committed to a daily program of 14:41 physical activity will help you to determine 14:45 and to develop an internal complex 14:48 that will guide you away from a sedentary 14:50 lifestyle and lead you instead towards 14:54 higher levels of wellness and total health. 15:00 Did you know that the Bible speaks well 15:02 of being in good health. In third John Verse 2, 15:07 God's servants says Beloved, 15:11 I wish above all things that thou mayest 15:15 prosper and be in the health, even as thy 15:18 soul prospereth. Christ is the source of our 15:24 physical and mental and emotional and 15:26 spiritual health. And much of his ministry was 15:30 devoted to acts of healing. God wants us to enjoy 15:35 this beautiful world that he has fashioned 15:38 and to that end he has created and designed 15:42 us to be active and noble. In fact one can make 15:47 the case that living a sedentary lifestyle 15:51 actually runs contrary to God's ideal of physical 15:55 activity as the natural state of affairs for a 15:59 universe that operates on the fundamental 16:02 principles of actions and movement. 16:06 The idea that sedentary living is not a normal 16:09 condition is also expressed, 16:12 in the profess to one of the chapters in the 16:16 1996 Surgeon General's report on Physical Activity 16:19 and Health. In this profess the author state 16:23 that the exercise boom is not just a fad; 16:28 it is a return to 'natural' activity the kind for 16:33 which our bodies are engineered and which 16:36 facilitates the proper function of our 16:38 biochemistry and physiology sedentary existence, 16:44 possible for great numbers of people 16:47 only during the last century, represents a 16:50 transient, unnatural aberration. 16:56 There is an intimate connection between 16:59 physical and spiritual health. 17:01 And I would like to tell you about a personal 17:04 experience that illustrates this point. 17:08 A few years ago I was speaking about the 17:12 positive benefits of physical activity to a 17:15 group of church members who are attending a 17:18 summer retreat in the Hills of Prescott, 17:20 Arizona. During this week long health series 17:24 I was part of a small group of individuals 17:28 who walked in the morning and evening 17:30 after eating. On one of our excursions 17:35 I remember walking for about 15 minutes 17:38 or so until we reach the end of the back 17:41 road that was surrounded by hundreds of tall pine 17:45 trees. I remember that we stopped, 17:48 held hands, sang a few songs and gave thanks 17:54 to God for this fellowship experience and for 17:57 giving us the physical strength to walk, 18:00 to gather in this beautiful setting 18:03 and to sense His wonderful presents. 18:07 Throughout this in prompt to worship service, 18:10 the wind blow through the trees and that 18:14 sound echoed all around us. 18:17 Now I don't know if you ever heard wind blow 18:20 through pine trees, but it is a beautiful, 18:24 heavenly, almost in describable sound 18:28 like God was whispering to us that day. 18:31 But we, this intrepid band of worshipers 18:36 on this day we are retreated to a 18:38 wonderful spiritually experience that 18:41 I will never forgot. Being physically fit 18:45 can allow you to have experiences that you 18:48 can remember and treasure for the rest 18:50 of your life. A few years ago I had the 18:55 opportunity to visit a former student of 18:57 mine who lived in Scotland. During this 19:00 visit my student Ian asked if I wanted 19:04 to take a wee little hike at the morning prior 19:08 to a talk I was to give later that day. 19:10 I said fine. I thought this would be a decent 19:14 substitute for run. Well when we arrived at 19:19 the walking site, I suddenly realized 19:21 that the wee little hike wasn't going to be 19:23 horizontal, but instead it was a hike up on 19:27 a mountain. So we started up and soon 19:31 I was drenched with sweat thinking to myself 19:35 I have a talk to give later today to a group 19:37 of faculty and students and I am not gonna 19:39 look very distinguished. But you know it was 19:43 all worth it because I have a picture in 19:47 my office of Ian and I, sitting at the top of 19:50 a mountain on a blue sky day overlooking 19:54 a sparkling lake. In recounting this experience, 19:59 I realized that it was all made possible 20:02 by the fact that I was fit enough to climb 20:05 that mountain and view a beautiful expanse 20:09 of God handy work. In addition to having 20:15 mountain topic experiences, 20:17 being physically active can allow you to 20:20 experience simple pleasures that are just 20:23 as meaningful. Imagine that you are a grand 20:28 parent and that you and your granddaughter 20:31 are driving down a country road sharing 20:34 conversation together. You notice that the sun 20:38 is almost setting and you realize that your 20:42 view of the sunset will be magnificent, 20:44 if you can watch it from the top of a small 20:47 hill located about a 100 yards in front of you. 20:51 You stop the car and your granddaughter 20:55 bolts out, runs ahead and calls back to you 20:58 saying come on grandpa or come on grandma 21:01 you have got to see this, it so pretty. 21:06 Now I am not a grandfather yet, 21:09 but if this situation ever happens to me 21:13 in the future I don't want to say, 21:16 I can't make it up the hill sweetheart 21:19 you tell me what it looks like? 21:22 Instead I hope that I am physically fit enough 21:27 to be able to walk to the top of this hill 21:30 so that I can stand side by side with 21:33 my grandchild and watch the beautiful sunset. 21:40 The decision to adopt the physical active 21:43 lifestyle is a personal one, one that only 21:47 you can make. Tom was a 38-year-old man 21:53 with a wife and a young child. 21:56 He was a busy executive and a job that took a 22:00 lot of his time and energy and he had just 22:04 become a father a few years earlier. 22:07 Because of all these responsibilities 22:10 exercising on a regular basis was 22:13 not a major priority in his life. 22:17 The first sign that something might be 22:20 wrong with Tom's health came 22:22 when he was playing basketball with his 22:24 friends and he noticed that his heart was 22:27 beating in an irregular patterned. 22:29 Although he didn't feel any chest pain 22:32 or pressure, Tom decided to visit a physician 22:37 and have a complete physical. 22:39 The doctor said there was nothing out 22:42 of the ordinary, nothing was found that was 22:44 strange, so the doctor send him home 22:48 and told him not to worry. However the 22:53 next night he began to experience continuous 22:56 heart palpitations and became very apprehensive. 23:01 Tom, his wife and his one year old daughter 23:05 raised to the local emergency room 23:07 where he spent hours hooked up to an 23:10 EKG machine. As he lay in bed trying to remain 23:16 calm and looking up periodically at the 23:20 heart tracings, he thought of questions 23:23 a young father should never have to ponder. 23:26 Ones like am I going to have a heart attack 23:29 tonight and may be die? Will I be able to see 23:34 my young daughter grow up? 23:37 How can I leave my wife with the task of 23:40 raising my daughter? As he lay there that 23:45 evening he began to wonder if his lack of 23:49 regular physical activity had in some way 23:52 contributed to the situation. 23:56 Thankfully after nearly 4 hours, 23:59 the palpitation subsided and Tom went home. 24:03 Thankful that he had survived the evening, 24:06 but shaken to his very chore and uneasy 24:10 about what it transpired, 24:13 the next day transformed by what 24:16 it happened Tom began walking in the morning 24:20 and evening with his wife and soon 24:23 he was walking dozens of miles per week. 24:27 Over the course of the next 6 months 24:29 Tom lost weight, his blood pressure fell, 24:33 his cardiovascular endurance improved 24:36 and his heart palpitations were judged to be 24:39 benign. Today Tom really misses a day of walking. 24:47 Tom is a real person, someone I know well, 24:52 and I believe that had he had not decided to 24:56 start a regular routine of physical activity, 24:58 his chances of having a major health 25:01 setback in the near future would have being 25:04 substantially increased, instead he now leads 25:10 an active life that contributes immeasurably 25:13 to a healthier lifestyle, the benefits of which 25:17 Tom can now share everyday with his family. 25:24 Tom's experience in that emergency room 25:26 was a motivating factor that caused him 25:29 to make a decision that changed his life. 25:32 It is my prayer that like Tom you too will find 25:37 a reason, a reason that makes sense to you, 25:40 a reason that rings true to you to begin a 25:44 regular program of physical activity. 25:48 If Tom can change his life and find the Joy 25:52 and fulfillment that comes from being 25:54 physically active, so can you. 25:57 Ralph Waldo Emerson once said that the first 26:01 wealth is health. Evidence is mounting 26:06 daily that shows the people of all ages can 26:09 substantially improve their health and well 26:11 being by adopting an active lifestyle. 26:15 Although modern technology has made 26:17 our lives more efficient in countless ways, 26:21 it is also made it much easier to reduce our 26:24 daily levels of physical activity. 26:26 The time has come for us to take a proactive 26:30 stance by creating and taking advantage 26:33 of opportunities to accumulate small 26:36 amounts of physical activity throughout the day. 26:40 In closing, I want you to know that God's 26:44 richest blessing of physical and spiritual health 26:47 await you as you start to incorporate physical 26:51 activity into your life. I hope that as a result 26:55 of listening to these series of programs 26:57 that you began to experience the joy 27:00 and reap the benefits of living an active life. 27:04 As our creator God knows that our physical 27:08 and spiritual health thrives only 27:11 when we are active in both body and spirit. 27:14 It is God who is the author of healing and 27:17 renewal who forgive all your inequities 27:21 and heals all your diseases, who redeems 27:24 your life from destruction and crowns 27:27 you with loving kindness and tender mercies, 27:30 who satisfies your mouth with good things 27:34 so that your youth is renewed like the eagles. 27:37 God wants nothing less than for you to 27:41 be in the best of health so that you can meet 27:45 and overcome the physical and spiritual 27:48 challenges of daily living, and in the process 27:52 bless others around you with the message of 27:55 wellness and good health. I hope that you will tune 28:00 in next time when we will talk about how to start 28:02 a physical activity program and to be 28:05 active until then keeping moving 28:07 step by step towards better health and fitness. |
Revised 2014-12-17