{"id":31026,"date":"2022-09-10T15:13:55","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:13:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/4-health-hacks-for-ministry-couples\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T15:13:55","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:13:55","slug":"4-health-hacks-for-ministry-couples","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/4-health-hacks-for-ministry-couples\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Health Hacks for Ministry Couples"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content\"> Comstock Images &#8211; Getty <\/p>\n<p><em>By Mark Dance<\/em><\/p>\n<p>A pastor recently asked me for advice on staying physically healthy. Unfortunately, many pastors need some help in this area.<\/p>\n<p>Jayson Byassee, a former pastor and co-author of&nbsp;<em>Faithful and Fractured: Responding to the Clergy Health Crisis<\/em>, says \u201cI\u2019ve been going around saying that clergy&nbsp;are&nbsp;in worse health than the average American\u2014which is hard to do because the average American is not in great health.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy Atwood, a pastor in Kentucky who lost 240 pounds after years of unchecked eating, said, \u201cOur pastors are digging their graves with their teeth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As I thought about my pastor friend looking for advice, these principles, or health hacks, came to mind. They are transferable to any adult at any stage of life.<\/p>\n<p>I asked my wife Janet to help write this post, as she was a registered dietitian  and college professor. Here are four health hacks that we have found helpful over the last three decades.<\/p>\n<div class='code-block code-block-1' style='margin: 8px 0;clear: both'> <\/div>\n<h3 class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>1. Get focused<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Let\u2019s start with the <em>why<\/em>. The disciplines Janet and I practice are rooted in a desire to \u201cglorify God with our body\u201d and \u201cto love the LORD \u2026 with all of our strength\u201d (1 Cor. 6:20; Mark 12:30).<\/p>\n<p> We should desire to be healthy so we can \u201cglorify God with our body\u201d and \u201cto love the LORD \u2026 with all of our strength.\u201d Click To Tweet <\/p>\n<p>I won\u2019t pretend that we are not additionally motivated by a desire to look and feel as good as possible, but these motives are insufficient for the long haul.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>For those who still need further motivation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says regular physical activity promises a lower risk of:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&nbsp;Heart disease&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>&nbsp;Stroke&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>&nbsp;High blood pressure&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>&nbsp;High cholesterol or triglycerides&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>&nbsp;Type 2 diabetes&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>&nbsp;Metabolic syndrome&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>&nbsp;Colon cancer&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>&nbsp;Breast cancer<\/li>\n<li>&nbsp;Depression<\/li>\n<li>&nbsp;Falls&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>2. Eat healthy<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Specifically, the pastor I spoke with said, \u201cIn one of our last conversations you said, \u2018You can\u2019t exercise your way out of a bad diet.\u2019 This is my challenge. Is it also true that you can\u2019t eat yourself into healthy muscles, joints, and fitness?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Despite all you might read in fad diets, real science points to simply doing what you learned in elementary school: eat whole foods from all of the food groups and limit processed foods as much as possible. Janet sometimes asks, \u201cCan you name it\u2019s mama?\u201d (e.g., apples come from an apple tree, eggs come from a chicken, Twinkies come from \u2026 ?).&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Know how many calories are in the food you eat. Janet and I often read menus online before we go to restaurants. This helps us order appropriately. Portion sizes are typically so large that we usually split an entree and order an extra side salad or vegetable.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"clear:both;margin-top:0em;margin-bottom:1em\">\n<div class=\"centered-text-area\">\n<div class=\"centered-text\" style=\"float: left\">\n<div class=\"u823d28ef4bd82754daceee5a2627946f-content\">See also&nbsp; 4 Changes I&#8217;d Make If I Could Start Ministry Over<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ctaButton\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>We have both found the MyFitnessPal app to be helpful, though there are countless alternatives.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>3. Exercise consistently<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The pastor also shared how he and his wife struggled to get into exercising and wanted to know some tips for how &#8220;we can get the habit going and then build to an increasing intensity.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cardio<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Janet recommends walking because it is easy and sustainable. It\u2019s like asking the dentist what the best toothpaste is. The typical answer is, \u201cThe one you use.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The CDC recommends doing at least 75 minutes of cardio per week if it\u2019s vigorous (you can talk but too out of breath to sing), or 150 minutes per week if mild\/moderate. Janet and I run three miles, every other day, at a moderate pace.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Strength Training<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The pastor also shared their horrors of working with a young personal trainer several years ago. They often lack empathy (or sympathy), but that doesn&#8217;t mean it&#8217;s impossible to add strength training to your healthy habits.<\/p>\n<p>Janet recommends strength exercises at least two days a week, starting with the plank<strong> <\/strong>because it works almost every muscle in the body at the same time. You can do it anywhere without special equipment, and it takes less than 10 minutes to finish. Stretch and practice balance because we lose balance as we age.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>4. Commit together<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Although it is sometimes more convenient to fly solo, your chances of achieving your exercise and eating goals are exponentially greater with a partner\u2014preferably your spouse. Who else will see and celebrate the results of your fitness more than your spouse? (The right answer is \u201cnobody.\u201d)<\/p>\n<p> Although it is sometimes more convenient to fly solo, your chances of achieving your exercise and eating goals are exponentially greater with a partner\u2014preferably your spouse. \u2014\u00a0@markdance Click To Tweet <\/p>\n<p>A healthy lifestyle requires some type of rhythm for consistency. Start by committing 20-30 minutes of exercise every other day. Intensity can increase gradually over time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Janet has been a constant source of encouragement to me, and I try to reciprocate. We only get one body, so let\u2019s take care of it for God\u2019s sake, for our family\u2019s sake, for our ministry&#8217;s sake and for our own sake.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color:#f2f2f2;color:#32373c\" class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-profile-box square gb-has-avatar gb-font-size-18 gb-block-profile gb-profile-columns\">\n<div class=\"gb-profile-column gb-profile-avatar-wrap\">\n<div class=\"gb-profile-image-wrap\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"gb-profile-column gb-profile-content-wrap\">\n<h2 class=\"gb-profile-name\" style=\"color:#32373c\">Mark Dance<\/h2>\n<p class=\"gb-profile-title\" style=\"color:#32373c\"><strong>@markdance<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"gb-profile-text\">\n<p>After serving as a pastor for 28 years, Mark is now the director of pastoral wellness for Guidestone Financial Resources. He frequently speaks at churches, conferences, and retreats\u2014often with his wife Janet. Read more from him at\u00a0MarkDance.net.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<ul class=\"gb-social-links\"><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class='yarpp yarpp-related yarpp-related-website yarpp-template-thumbnails'>\n<h3>Related posts:<\/h3>\n<div class=\"yarpp-thumbnails-horizontal\">  What Do Pastors Believe About the End Times?  What Do Pastors Believe About the Book of Revelation?  3 Ways to Reach Non-Religious People in Your Community  5 Signs a Pastor Is Emotionally Unhealthy <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Comstock Images &#8211; Getty By Mark Dance A pastor recently asked me for advice on staying physically healthy. Unfortunately, many pastors need some help in this area. Jayson Byassee, a former pastor and co-author of&nbsp;Faithful and Fractured: Responding to the Clergy Health Crisis, says \u201cI\u2019ve been going around saying that clergy&nbsp;are&nbsp;in worse health than the &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/4-health-hacks-for-ministry-couples\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;4 Health Hacks for Ministry Couples&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31026","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31026","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31026"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31026\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31026"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31026"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31026"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}