If you're thinking about how to stay in shape, why not take it a step further and consider what you can do to improve your spiritual fitness.
Sometimes we can become so concerned with our physical fitness, that we find ourselves neglecting other aspects of our health – mental, emotional and spiritual. When it comes to spiritual fitness, it's not as easy to measure, and we often only realise we're in need to a spiritual shape up when we're spiritually anaemic.
The journey to spiritual fitness is a marathon, not a sprint. Here are five ways that you can improve your spiritual fitness.
Consider your consumption
Just as when you're working on improving your physical health you focus on which foods are the most nourishing, so too do you need to pay attention to what you're feeding your soul when you're trying to improve your spiritual health. Like foods high in sugar, you don't want a spiritual diet full of things which provide you with a temporary boost but are devoid of lasting nourishment. While church is a great source of spiritual sustenance, a varied diet is important too. Try to regularly incorporate some other faith related activities – a prayer group, morning quiet time, a book club, serving the community – into your schedule.
Get active
Some people make the mistake that because they go to church every Sunday, attend a weekly Bible study group and host a small group each month that they are spiritually fit. But just as marathon runners "carb up" before a race so too should you look at these instances of building up spiritually as the pretext to converting spiritual gains into outward works of faith. After all, what is faith without works?
Don't forget to stretch
Fitness isn't about maintaining the status-quo, but about identifying areas of weakness and working to improve them. Stretching yourself spiritually by committing to an act of service that you rarely do, have never done or avoid doing is one way to stretch your spiritual muscles. Maybe you can offer to lead prayer, tell someone about Jesus or volunteer at your local old people's home or homeless shelter. Whatever you decide, it should be a display of service that forces you to step outside your comfort zone.
Monitor your progress
It's not about ticking boxes or becoming obsessive about progress, but you need to be honest with yourself. If you're pledging to do something but not holding yourself accountable, then there's no knowing whether you need to adapt your plan or address any issues that might be an obstacle to achieving your goals. Set reminders that will help you determine if you're on track, and ask yourself constructive questions: Have I been spending an hour a day in prayer? Did I read around the verses explored in church on Sunday?
Repetition, repetition, repetition
In fitness terminology, reps refers to the repetition of a particular exercise. They're useful for structuring workouts, aiding the realisation of fitness goals and reducing delayed onset muscle soreness. If you approach improving your spiritual fitness by trying to do everything at once, you risk burning out, not gaining much and becoming disillusioned. Take note of the athlete's approach and use repetition of spiritual exercises to inject some structure into your routine. In most cases, you have to do something more than once to achieve change. Some things like reading Bible verses or praying require repetition to be effective.
