Paul Poulton reflects on physical and spiritual health.

Paul Poulton

I was recently a guest in a gym that I had not been to before, and as I got stuck into my workout I saw two young men approach a lady who was resting between sets. They asked the lady if she would look at them both and decide which of the two had the better physique. She was asked to compare the muscle mass of the two youths and declare the winner. The lady was too diplomatic to be lured into being the judge of a two-man bodybuilding competition and told the boys that they both had their good points and that she wouldn't like to say which one was better.

Later on the lady mentioned to me the awkward situation the two young men had placed her in. She also told me that while the duo had good points about their physiques they also had areas where they seemed to be lacking - the two young bodybuilders had done a lot of upper-body work, that was plain to see, but they had somehow woefully neglected their lower-bodies. Their bulky torsos were being supported by four skinny legs - Johnny Bravo in double vision.

We had to admire the young men's enthusiasm and playfulness, but perhaps a comprehensive approach to their gym-work would be advisable. A personal trainer seemed in order, one whom would highlight the area of their training that sorely needed to be addressed.

The "exercise is good for us" message is being promoted by governments and authorities across the world: in the UK we have the Department of Health supporting the "Change4Life - Eat Well, Move More, Live Longer" programme, in the US the "President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition" is motivating people of all ages. The World Health Organization have their "Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health," and even the Bible tells us to "strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees." The "knees" bit, ought to be of particular interest to the two young bodybuilders.

Exercise, whatever our ability, seems to be helpful and it is good to see the message being promoted. Especially as the information proclaimed by the authorities is fairly comprehensive, teaching us that there are several factors to fitness, including stamina, strength and suppleness, that you will notice, all begin with the letter "S". The Bible also expects us to be as fit as we can; laziness is condemned, using humour to make the point: "The sluggard buries his hand in the dish, but will not even bring it back to his mouth," (Proverbs 19:24). The Bible gives us another "S", which we can call spirituality, enabling us to be a well-rounded human being made in the image of its creator.

Here's a quick walk-through the four S's:

"Stamina" means staying power, it's the ability to endure or keep going. We need to take part in cardiovascular exercise to improve our ability to run, swim, cycle or walk long. There are several health benefits to be gained too.

"Strength" training, will improve the ability of our muscles to cope with life's everyday tasks. Pushing and pulling weights also develops ligaments and tendons, and helps to conserve bone density.

"Suppleness" helps us to maintain the range of motion of our muscles. Flexibility can decline if all we do is sit around. Everyday tasks often involve flexibility so having a degree of litheness is helpful.

"Spirituality" addresses our inner strength. We are told that "physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things."

I try to keep the spectrum of my physical training broad, but I wonder if spiritually I'm like the enthusiastic upper-bodybuilders who want massive arms and chests, but are not really bothered about their lower muscle groups.

Happily, I do have a personal trainer for my inner strength: the Paracletos (one who draws alongside to help). When I need work in a particular area, he seems willing to draw up a personal exercise plan for me to take part in. I know I need to have patience with people and at times I feel weak in this area, so my personal trainer provides me with some specific exercises during the day that will hone in on that exact area of weakness. I have to apply myself to the programme and put in some effort, but I find that after a few weeks of intensive training I am stronger as a result.

I don't want to be lopsided as a person, physically or spiritually, so having a personal trainer is helpful. I read about one personal trainer who works in the London area and achieves excellent results for her clients. She is known as a "scheming, smiling, evil torturer" who pretends she can't count, thereby squeezing a few more reps out of her clientele. But Barry (one of her customers) reports that she is "brilliant". A personal trainer can be perceived to be an extremely hard taskmaster, but if the correct results are forthcoming then we know the trainer has done their job well.

Sometimes I think I get a sneak-preview of my spiritual training programme and I believe that for the next few weeks my personal trainer and I are going to be working on improving my strength in the area of grace.