Exercise Is Not the Enemy

There are two words that can clear a room faster than almost anything else.

Exercise.

The moment some people hear it, they picture pain, sweat, impossible workouts, and twenty-year-old fitness influencers doing things no normal human should attempt.

I've heard women my age say, "Honey, don't even start talking to me about exercise."

I understand.

For years, I thought exercise was punishment. Something I had to endure because I had eaten something I shouldn't have. I worked with three different personal trainers over the years. I loved the workouts. What I didn't love was changing how I ate. Every trainer patiently told me the same thing:

"You can't out-train a poor diet."

They were right.

But they also helped me discover something even bigger.

Exercise was never my enemy.

The real enemy was believing that aging meant slowing down, sitting down, and quietly accepting whatever happened next.

Retirement can become a dangerous chair.

One day becomes another. The television becomes your companion. The mailbox begins to feel farther away. Your knees get stiff. Your balance changes. Your confidence shrinks.

Then one day you say, "I guess this is just what happens when you get older."

No, sister.

Some things happen because we get older.

Many things happen because we stop moving.

Movement is one of God's greatest gifts to an aging body.

It doesn't have to be running marathons.

It may be walking around your neighborhood.

Dancing in your kitchen.

Water aerobics.

Chair exercises.

Stretching while you watch the evening news.

Playing with your grandchildren.

Walking through the grocery store instead of riding the scooter.

Every step is a declaration:

I am still alive.

I often tell women, "You don't have to become an athlete. Just become a mover."

Research consistently shows that regular physical activity helps lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes, dementia, depression, and falls. It strengthens muscles, protects bones, improves sleep, sharpens memory, and lifts our mood.

Imagine that.

God designed our bodies so that one of the best medicines doesn't come in a prescription bottle.

It comes with movement.

As a pastor, I also see exercise as an act of stewardship.

Scripture reminds us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. Temples deserve attention. They deserve care. Not because we're trying to look twenty-five again, but because we want to serve God with strength for as long as He gives us breath.

I'm 67 years old.

I still work out.

I still lift weights.

I still walk.

Not because I'm trying to outrun aging.

Because I'm determined to age well.

The goal isn't perfection.

The goal is participation.

So if you've been waiting for the perfect Monday...

The perfect shoes...

The perfect body...

Or the perfect amount of motivation...

Stop waiting.

Stand up.

Walk to the mailbox.

Walk around the block.

Walk around your house while talking to Jesus.

Because every journey toward healthy aging begins with one faithful step.

Exercise is not the enemy.

Giving up is.

And as long as God keeps waking us up...

We ain't dead yet.

Grace and good health,

Dr. Sheron C. Patterson

Helping women age with power, purpose, and praise.