Live It Articles Ready? No! Set? No! Go anyway!

"...and as they went, they were healed." Luke 17:14

After speaking at a conference, a woman approached me and began talking about her weight problem. I spoke with her about beginning a walking program and she asked me this question, "When will I FEEL like walking?"

I immediately opened my Bible to Luke 17:11-14, and began to tell her about the ten lepers who came to Jesus. In verse 13, they lifted their voices and called unto Him, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." I knew this young woman could relate to the cry of the lepers because she told me she cried to the Lord every day to help her get her weight under control. In Verse 14, Jesus told them to go and show themselves to the priest. In the Old Testament there is a long list of tasks a leper must do to be proclaimed "healed or cleansed." One of the things on this list was to show themselves to the priest. There were many other things a leper had to do, but by calling out to the Master, they were able to bypass all of the tasks and go straight to the priest. The verse goes on to read, "...as they went, they were healed."

When they started walking away, they were still lepers, but as they began walking and were obedient to what the Lord Jesus had told them to do, they were healed. I told this woman her situation was very much like the lepers. She cried out to the Lord as many of us have cried out. When you begin walking and following the nutritional guidelines you have been given, you are still overweight, but as you keep going and are obedient to work out and follow the guidelines, you will notice the healing process beginning.

Her next question was, "How do I get started?" Let's get started walking with Jesus. He is an excellent walking partner and a top notch Personal Trainer. Here are some of the things He has taught me as we (Jesus and I) have walked 8,545 miles together.

Where to walk: Find a place to walk that is comfortable and safe. You may like a treadmill. I like being out in God's creation. If you have a cell phone, carry it with you. Always have some form of identification with you. Make sure someone knows your walking route.

What to wear: You will need good, comfortable shoes. If it is warm weather, please don't wear a sweat suit. You want your walking experience to be pleasant, so dress in something that is comfortable and will make your body feel good. If you are overweight, do not carry or wear extra weights. It is difficult enough to walk when you are overweight without carrying extra weight. When you get to maintenance or close to goal, then we'll talk about carrying weights. For now, be comfortable as you walk.

What Time is best: Anytime! Set yourself a time that will be your regular walking time. We want this to become a lifestyle. Exercise is not an option. It is like brushing your teeth; you have to do it every day. Make a plan every day. Here are some examples: I will walk _____ miles today. I will walk _____ minutes. I will walk _____ in _____minutes. When you start walking, don't talk yourself out of the plan you made. Make a commitment to a time or distance and make yourself stick to it.

How long should I walk: That is for you to determine. You may not be able to walk a mile. You may only be able to walk from one light pole to the next. If that is all you can do, give it all you have between those light poles. After you are comfortable and able to walk those poles, go to the next pole.

If you are able to walk a mile or more at a time, you need to walk 15- to 20-minute miles for optimal fat burn. When I began walking, I walked a 25 to 30 minute mile on a good day. That is slower than the book says, but it sure beats sitting at home in the Lazy boy recliner. There are excellent books on starting a walking program, and I will be glad to counsel you and adjust your workouts if you will email me.

READY! SET! GO!

• Walk with purpose. When I was almost 300 pounds, I noticed that I waddled side to side when I walked. I had to make myself put one foot in front of the other. By doing this you will tighten the muscles on the front and back of the leg. As a waddler, the muscles on the sides and insides of my legs were tight. Make yourself place one foot in front of the other. Stretch out your steps. Think about it as you go. Keep your hands up as much as possible for two reasons. One is that my fingers tend to swell, get tight, and are very uncomfortable. By keeping them up as you walk, it will keep the fluid from running down into them. The other reason is that by keeping them up, you will tend to swing more side-to-side as you walk and this will work your waist. I didn't have a waist when I started walking. Swing those arms; you'll get a waist as you go. Walk with purpose and strut! Put a little pep in your steps! Get a little hop in your get along! Good Health and Fitness is your inheritance!
• When I started walking, I didn't just have a double chin, I had a triple chin and had started working on one on the back of my neck. When I walked, it jiggled. I knew I needed to work on it so I began doing neck stretches as I walked. I stretched my chin upward for about 6 walking steps. I would relax and do it again when I thought about it. This will make your neck sore, but it does work! I still do these neck stretches when I walk and I have no signs of double chin skin.

Jesus, your walking partner, is waiting on you to come forth. Have you been looking for extra energy in your life? Have you asked God, "When are things going to change?" Have you been sold a bill of goods from the enemy that you are going to live the rest of your life just like you are today? Cry unto the Lord Jesus, "Have mercy on me."

You will find in the First Place materials all the information you need to get started. You just have to get up, put one foot in front of the other and take a few steps in the right direction. Luke 17:14 says, "...as they went, they were healed."

The ball is in your court. How bad do you want it? Do you want it bad enough to meet Jesus on the track and put one foot in front of the other?

Ready, Set, GO anyway!

Beverly Henson
Certified Personal Trainer


Beverly Henson is a conference and rally speaker for the First Place ministry. She is also a Bible teacher and certified personal trainer. Beverly joined First Place in July 1997 and has lost 147-1/2 pounds. First Place has given Beverly a powerful testimony. She is a First Place leader and Bible teacher at Northcrest Baptist Church in Meridian, Mississippi. Beverly has a genuine love of proclaiming the word of God to His people.