THE BIG CHANGE

In 2005 they had begun asking questions like “Would you consider sleeping with someone on the first date?” Compared to 2005, in 2016 every single demographic group was more likely to say “no”. Heterosexual women were the statistical leaders with 25% being less likely to say yes. When they were asked, “Would you date someone just for sex?” again, every single demographic group said no more than in 2005. There was an overall drop of 10% in 11 years.

More evidence that agrees with this trend is a large US national research study of over 3000 young adults and high school students that was released in 2017 by Harvard University. Its findings were that a large majority of young adults are overestimating how many other young people are hooking up. This study also showed that 85% of young adults would prefer other options over hooking up, such as hanging out with friends or having sex within a committed relationship.

THE COLLEGE SCENE

From the hookup culture frontlines, the colleges, more evidence of women’s true desires surface. In a study of 832 college students, only 26% of women, but a full 50% of men reported feeling positive after hookup. Of the same 832 students 49% of women and 26% of men had a negative reaction after hooking up.

In research on specifically 152 college women only, 74% had either few or some regrets after a hookup; 61% had a few regrets 23% had no regrets, 13% had some regrets and 3% had many regrets. In a related study, college women’s, but not college men’s depression symptoms increased as their number of sexual partners in a year increased.

In yet another study focused on college students the authors found that 78% of college students overestimated others comfort with hookup behaviors, with men especially overestimating women’s comfort with hookups.

COLLATERAL DAMAGE

Moving our examination to the young adult bar scene, in a study of 169 sexually active women and men in singles bars, only 32% of men said that they would feel guilty about having intercourse with someone they had just met compared to 72% of women. Complicating matters further, in a study of 118 freshman female college students, participants shared that in 64% of cases hookups followed alcohol use. The average number of drinks in these encounters was three. This combination of binge drinking in order to numb the feelings of impersonal sex has become characteristic of many college campuses.

Most upsetting of all is the relationship of hookup culture with sexual assault. In a study of 178 college men and women, the participants revealed that most of their experiences with unwanted sex occurred while engaged in a hookup. As a matter of fact, 78% took place during a hookup, 14% during an ongoing relationship, and 8% on a date. It can be seen that in reality, hookup culture in many cases enables rape culture. No woman I’ve known or even heard of would ever choose to have to suffer through this!

So, the picture is pretty clear that this common sexual pattern that people are enduring in the Western world has many profound downsides, and that is particularly true for women. So, what do women really want? From both my personal experience and extensive research I have found that a large majority of women want to return to a world where there is commonly a relationship of love and respect between men and women. This entails returning to a culture where sex is reserved for his proper place: marriage.

BACK TO ROMANCE!

Women express to me that they like it when a man displays chivalry toward them. They like to be treated like a lady. This is why Jane Austen books and movies are so popular with women. They want to return to traditional courtship, traditional marriage, and traditional family. In other words, they want the kind of life that they see their great-grandparents and grandparents in many cases had. In a phrase, they want to get back to romance. That’s why there is a ROMANCE REVOLT taking shape across Western societies.

What is the foundation of this? Well, I believe it goes back to the beginning of human history. From the very start God made human females one-man women.

“Your desire will be for your husband”

Genesis 3:16 CSB

What do women really want this Valentine’s Day? Their God-given, innate nature compels them want to get back to romance!

The post WHAT DO WOMEN REALLY WANT? appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

ROMANCE LOWERS TESTOSTERONE

It is extremely important that most young people get on a pathway that is going to lead to a happy and a lifelong marriage, for their safety and well-being sake, and this is especially important for males. Excess testosterone is the root of many young men’s physical, emotional, and mental problems. When a man romantically commits to a woman his testosterone drops. If they get married, it drops further. If the couple then has children his testosterone will drop even further. In some research fathers have shown testosterone levels that are 50% lower than unmarried men with no children. As we learned in Part 1, constant high testosterone levels are bad for any species of God’s creation. An example cited was deer who only have high testosterone and antlers during the fall rut each year.

In the past 60 years there have been forces in our society that have tried to push us away from a culture where premarital chastity was honored and reinforced by societal norms. In 1960 for instance, in our 20 to 29-year-old population, there were three times more that were married. For that matter in 1960, 75% of all of those over 18 and older were married. One other telling statistic is that in 1960, 5% of children were born out of wedlock. By 2010, 40% of our children were being born without the benefit of their parents being married.

FATHER PRESENCE IS HUGE

This situation where more and more of our children are growing up in homes headed mostly by single mothers (many of whom are doing a heroic job) is helping to lead to many of the negative social situations in our society. Children need both parents as strong role models. Because of the explosion of testosterone at puberty, especially at ages 13–15, during which it increases 30 times their boyhood levels, the need of males for strong male role models in their father’s is imperative. If they don’t experience it, then often times they will look for it elsewhere. The females in the family, and especially sisters, also provide important lessons on what girls behavior is like in everyday life. Young men whose first experience with similar age females is dating often do not know how to relate to them and are scared to even try. The family is God’s relationship training ground.

MARVELOUS AND MAGNIFICENT MARRIAGE TO THE RESCUE!

For all of these and many more reasons Marvelous and Magnificent Marriage acts as excellent therapy for Testosterone Trap Trauma and provides safety for the Male Danger Zone. Marriage is Testosterone Trap Therapy for males. It protects them from the Male Danger Zone through the aforementioned lowering of their testosterone levels, but it also focuses them on good things. Marriage molds men into producers, providers, and savers. Married men are more committed to the workforce, they have fewer addictions, they commit less crime, and they are less likely to become crime victims themselves. They also have better health and are less prone to accidents.

Then the Lord God said, it is not good for man to be alone, I will make a helper corresponding to him. Genesis 2:18 CSB

In Genesis we read that God recognized that it is not good for man to be alone. Being married helps a man on so many different levels. Brides bring with them into the marriage a natural ability to create and maintain social networks. Husband’s benefit from this mightily. When divorce happens that network generally goes with the wife. The result of this and many other factors makes married men have better immune systems, have lower levels of depression and stress, less likely to commit suicide or murder. In fact, married men are 250% less likely to die prematurely then divorced men from all causes! This is a great example of Natural Lifestyle Matching because this pattern of young men and young women finding each other, falling in love, getting married and having a family has repeated itself for thousands of generations.

Even so, some young men having escaped the Testosterone Trap earlier, have a tendency over time to seek extramarital relationships. God’s wise design for Marvelous and Magnificent Marriage with all its benefits stands the test of time though. Males would do well to keep the wisdom of the Bible as their unfailing guide for their lives.

Let your fountain be blessed and take pleasure in the wife of your youth. A loving deer, a graceful doe-let her breasts always satisfy you; be lost in her love forever. Proverbs 5:18-19 CSB

As our Creator, God knows us, and especially our challenges, so well.

The post TESTOSTERONE TRAP THERAPY PART 2 appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

“The wide-ranging effects of hormonal birth control on women”

This professional told her that both the hormonal birth control pill and SSRI antidepressants can affect women’s sex drives. He advised her to consult with her physician to see what they would recommend. The doctor recommended that she go off the pill and see what happened. When she did, she found that her libido returned. (Don’t ever go off or on any medication without first consulting your physician).

A BITTER PILL TO SWALLLOW

Knowing about this incident led me to study the effects of hormonal birth control (the pill, IUD, patch etc.) I was shocked at much of what I learned. It turns out that hormonal forms of birth control can have wide ranging effects on women. Because it changes women’s hormones it can change their sense of who they are. This should not be surprising to many of us who have a fitness background because at some point we have probably seen the change in personality in men on anabolic steroids, which are versions of male hormones.

In class, when I taught about the importance of hormones, I would label the lesson on the board “Hormones R’ Us”. It is obvious that our bodies are strongly shaped by our hormones but is becoming more and more clear that our minds and personalities are strongly affected by them as well. They help create the usual way that we feel from day to day, without us realizing it consciously. The pill can literally change the structure and function of women’s brains.

LOSING ALL THEIR HIGHS AND LOWS

One particular change in the brain that hormonal birth control makes is that women who are on it don’t have the natural cortisol rise that people experience in response to stress. This sounds like it would be a good thing, but we have to remember that stress comes in both good and bad circumstances. It can be caused by positive, exciting things along with the customary aggravating things we typically think of as stressful.

DEPRESSING CIRCUMSTANCES

One other major area that the pill affects is who women find themselves attracted to. Research has shown that women on hormonal birth control find men with less masculine faces and bodies more attractive than do those who are naturally cycling. In our current sexualized culture this sets up the potential for disaster when a woman in an unmarried couple is on the pill, in a few years they get married and she goes off the pill in order to have children. She then discovers she is no longer .attracted to her husband!

This obviously can be catastrophic but there might even be worse effects of hormonal birth control. Other recent research is showing that hormonal birth control can greatly increase women’s risk of depression. This is particularly true for younger women aged 15 – 19. This is especially true with regard to non-oral hormonal birth control like the IUD, patch, and vaginal ring. This can lead to increased risk of women’s suicide. Research found that females on hormonal contraceptives were twice as likely to have attempted suicide, and three times as likely to have been successful.

With this many potential negative effects, I have to ask what percentage of US women are on hormonal birth control? The answer is that around 25% of women ages 15 – 49 are currently taking hormonal birth control of some type. Many times, I believe that the motivation of a woman to be on the pill is because she is not married or even in a committed relationship. Her desire to not become pregnant and possibly have no one to help her with the birth and the raising of the child is very understandable. So many young women these days find themselves in this situation!

BIBLICAL GUARDRAILS

What does God’s word the Bible teach us about all of this? To start with, the very first thing that God ever said to Adam and Eve in Genesis 1:28 was to “be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth”. From this we can see that reproductive-related sexuality is very important to Him. Whenever my earthly boss begins giving me instructions, I always pay close attention to the first thing he mentions and considers it job #1. As always though his words throughout the Bible provide guardrails for our lives. In 1st Corinthians 6:18 he says “Flee sexual immorality! Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the person who is sexually immoral sins against his own body.” So much human tragedy can be avoided if we will just live by his word! We will examine these wise and beneficial guardrails further in Part Two of She’s Quite the Pill.

QUESTIONS FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION AND GROUP DISCUSSION

1. Were you aware of these possible effects of hormonal birth control? If not, why do you think you were unaware?

2. What does the Bible say about premarital sex (fornication) and extramarital (adultery) sex? Do you think that hormonal birth control helps to enable these lifestyles?

3. Are there other options for married couples who want to limit the size of their family besides hormonal birth control?

The post She’s Quite The Pill appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

When I taught at a university, I had an eye-opening experience. I always encouraged students in my personal conditioning classes to exercise more than in the twice a week class. The classes alone were not enough time to accomplish the healthy fitness they desired. I would applaud them when I saw them working out at the student recreation center. Students need this type of encouragement, especially the female students. Their lives were so full of school, jobs, and social life, that it was challenging for them to fit in time for their wellness.

Applaud others when they fit wellness into a full schedule.

This pattern of getting them to know what they were doing in the fitness facility and then encouraging them to strike out on their own was successful semester after semester until one particular semester when our campus facility was being remodeled. Stephanie, Jade, and Ashley were a group of young women from my class I’d seen consistently exercise for weeks until the renovation started. I suddenly saw them no more.

MY STUDENTS GIVE ME A COLLEGE EDUCATION

After a couple of weeks, I asked them why I had not seen them over at “The Rec”. Were they busy with classes or social life? Their response was a big surprise.

They said it was none of that. The reason they were not coming to The Rec anymore was that due to the entrance being temporarily changed they now had to walk by the floor-to-ceiling glass windows of the strength training area to get to the aerobic machine area. The guys working out were really looking at them. I told them, “Everybody looking at everybody is kind of part of the gym scene.” They made it clear that regardless, they did not like male attention in that space. They said, “they didn’t like it, not in that place and in that way”. They were not persuaded by my explanation. I made a mental note of the unusual exchange.

FROM WELLNESS TO SEXUAL WELLNESS

This was a tremendous insight for my PhD. I had started my dissertation study and thus I was talking with young women for the research. The evidence was clear that it was a challenge for them to stay fit and practice healthy nutrition in the university environment, but that their relationship lives were an even bigger challenge.

As part of the dissertation study, I had created a women’s personal conditioning class to build a female-focused wellness environment where they could feel more comfortable. I conducted 10 focus groups with 10 different classes and 32 in-depth interviews. They shared with me something they called hookup culture – the 0 to 60 impersonal encounter that often results in casual sex.

I could immediately see that this was the most threatening part of their lives and to their well-being. I thought back to Stephanie, Jade, and Ashley and understood why they reacted the way they did to the entrance change to the fitness facility. I started to realize the kind of culture these young women were living in as 21^st-century college students.

Hookup culture goes against their God-given sexual nature, to look for a committed, love relationship. Instead, the culture told them that they needed to find love by having sex with many different males. As a matter of fact, the culture was emphasizing that sex should be very casual, without any emotional attachment at all.

They perceived the gym as a meat market – a place where hookup culture and casual sex were often emphasized.

The stories they shared with me about all of the heart ache and heartbreak they had experienced living that lifestyle made it clear that this postmodern campus culture is terribly wrong. I realized they were living in a kind of perpetual sexual harassment culture and had been hyper-sensitized and traumatized by any kind of aggressive male attention. They perceived the gym as a meat market and that’s why they liked our class so much— it was a safe place. This helped me better see the appeal of women only programs and facilities like Curves Inc.

“TO HELL WITH HOOKUP CULTURE”

The stories they shared and the traumas they relived were heartbreaking. The specialization of my PhD changed from overall college women’s wellness to young women’s sexual wellness. My wife and I founded the nonprofit Sex IQ  to educate and raise young people’s (especially young women’s) Sex IQs and thus be able to better navigate the difficult college life phase.

I also co-authored a book on the subject called Battles of the Sexes: Raising Sexual IQ to Lower Sexual Conflict and Empower Lasting Love. I wrote this with Sarah Harris, a former student who is now a Registered Dietitian. While writing the book, one sorority woman expressed how she felt about the whole situation with the phrase “To Hell With Hookup Culture!”. I had to agree with her because that’s where I think it comes from.

I’ve spoken at universities across the country about hookup culture versus lasting romance, my passion is to speak and teach on this crucial sexual wellness topic. My message: science supports traditional courtship and marriage. Women do not have to put up with being devalued and used as sexual objects in this sexualized culture. Whether on the college campus, in the gym, or anywhere else, they must be treated respectfully and given the cultural freedom to get back to romance!

QUESTIONS FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION AND GROUP DISCUSSION

1. Do you feel the same way when you work out in mixed gender gyms? If so, why? Do you think this is common among the women’s population?

2. Why do you think some women and some men view the gym environment differently? Do you think there are sex differences built in at the biological level that have an effect? What does the Bible say about the way the opposite sexes should look at each other?

3. Are there signs of hookup culture outside of the college campus? If so, is that a positive or negative condition for post-college single people? How might apps like Tinder and Bumble affect this?

The post Let’s Not MEATup At The Gym appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

Hi, I’m Kimber. I graduated with my Kinesiology degree in April of 2017 from William Jessup University. I wish I could say that I dreamed of studying kinesiology my whole life, but like many, my story is just a little more complicated than that. When I started my college career, I was not passionately in pursuit of a nursing degree. Although I’d like to say I made a strategic plan to switch to kinesiology, it was God who was ordering my steps.

Growing up I never had a dream career. But, I could kind of, sort of, see myself as a nurse. However, I had the personal goal of getting a bachelors degree. I decided to go for it. Four years, three schools, and a whole lot of college credits later, I was holding a rejection letter from nursing school with no degree in sight. I was just about… actually I was just plain ready to throw in the towel.

PRAYER – THE PATH TO THE PERFECT CAREER

So, starting at what felt like square one, I got on my knees and prayed. I prayed for answers, and I honestly prayed that school would just be over. See, at this point in my college experience I had a lot of life happen, both in academics and in my personal life. I felt like I had lived through enough trials to last me a lifetime.” I wanted out.

Well fast forward six months, every moment of which was spent praying and making countless pro/con lists, and I was, by God’s grace alone, walking into William Jessup University to meet with an admissions counselor about the kinesiology program. To be honest, going into that meeting I only had two questions: how many credits did I still need and how fast could I graduate.

I went in thinking Jessup was my back up plan. I knew friends that had gone there, it was close to home and I had already been accepted, so it seemed like a safe choice. But by the time I walked out of the building, I was enrolled in the program, set to graduate in three semesters and I started class three days later.

Before Jessup, my academics had been about performing; studying the most hours, getting the highest grade, striving to meet an unrealistic standard. At a Christian university like Jessup I was given the space to fall in love with the subject I was studying and the God that created it.

Looking back, my road to Jessup was anything but normal or even close to what I had planned, but I have never been more certain that I was on the path Jesus had planned all along. It was through those trials, that discomfort and those friendships, that I fell more deeply in love with Jesus and who He created me to be than ever before.

EVERYTHING WE STUDIED PROVED SCIENCE AND FAITH GO TOGETHER

When you spend as much time as we did studying the physiology of the human body, it becomes clear that none of it is an accident. We spent a lot of time in our program studying and defining what it means to be holistically fit. Our research led us to the conclusion that the way to live a life holistically healthy and fit is through a life that is rooted in relationship with Jesus. Everything we studied proved that you can’t be fully healthy in just one area, mind, body OR soul, but that it has to happen simultaneously, mind, body AND soul.

Through my time at Jessup, the Lord showed me that true fitness is so much more than getting your body to look a certain way. He showed me that true fitness begins only when you surrender your soul to the Creator. Without a soul anchored in Jesus, you will always see your body as the world does: never “fit” enough. But when you see it through the eyes of the One who created it, you start to see your body as He does: the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19). A temple that should be deeply treasured and immensely cared for.

VOCATION, VULNERABILITY, AND THE VALUE OF TRANSFORMATION

I’ve now been working in the health and fitness industry for over two years. As I meet with more and more people, I’ve started noticing that my job is really just helping bring people to that same conclusion. I currently work in corporate fitness as a Health Fitness Specialist. The best part of my job is getting to be a part of the beginning steps of someone’s life transformation.

Our first meeting together usually starts with them asking for a work out routine that will help them lose weight and without fail about three follow ups into training, they realize their goals require more than just cardio and strength training. By the end of our time together, their program consists of not just exercise, but diet, self care, relaxation and a balance of all the above.

There is something about being a health professional in the exercise and fitness field that allows a unique vulnerability in people. Vulnerability does not come naturally to most, especially in a corporate environment, and it goes against human nature to let someone see our weaknesses. But the more I work with people in this field, the more I find that they actually long to let someone into those insecurities, they just need someone that’s willing to listen.

So often their struggles go so much deeper than their weight loss goals, they have just never been given an opportunity to express that. Creating the environment for them to do that becomes far more valuable than simply handing them a workout routine.

FOLLOW HARD AFTER CHRIST FOR A BETTER CAREER FOCUS

When I started the road to my career it was paved with uncertainty and a longing to mold my path to fit everyone else’s vision: same college for four years, graduate and get your dream job. I think we so often get caught up in desiring the patterns of the world that we forget to include God in our path choice. We become so focused on having the college experience that looks the best on Instagram or choosing a career that is valued highly in society, we actually forget what it truly means to be a follower of Christ.

Being a christian often means taking the road less traveled or picking the career that doesn’t necessarily carry the highest status. As human’s we chase the feeling of contentment, always wanting to feel fulfilled in what we are doing. But we have to remember that the path to true contentment is only found in complete surrender to the Lord’s will. Whether it’s concerning our bodies or our life’s work, the Lord’s path is the only one that leads to the “abundant life” He promised us in John 10:1.

Although my path didn’t turn out anything like I had planned, it led me to a career that allows me to pour out his love to others in such a unique way. That requires complete dependence on Him.

5 WAYS GRADUATES CAN BE LIFE

Publisher’s Note:

I do Faith & Fitness Magazine’s Redefined Conference every year to support church leaders, business owners, entrepreneurs, club managers and others in the fitness industry to help them make their business and services more faith-centered and thus more effective and results driven for their clients.

There are two big conversations we have. The first is about the importance of hiring employees who are equally competent (perhaps even holding two degrees) in both kinesiology/wellness skills AND ministry skills. When they ask, “Where can I find someone like that?”, I reply – from a Christian university. We then proceed to the second conversation. These growth-minded businesses must be willing to empower these distinctly trained employees to innovate and do faith-centered fitness.

Today many universities throughout America are increasingly non-supportive and even hostile toward conservative values and the Christian faith. That means graduates from these schools are less equipped to understand the faith needs and cultural mindset of many customers that they’ll serve thus impeding business success by delivering a disconnected customer experience.

One big reason why the magazine has a College Fitness department is because I believe Christian universities hold tremendous potential for preparing a new generation of graduates who are skilled and able to do their vocation both technically with excellence and with the ministry impact that customers need AND want. Yet there is much to do among Christian universities to better engineer courses, degree programs, employment and ministry preparedness and student/graduate expectations and vision. There’s a lot of work to be done to catch up with the opportunity before us. That work begins with prayer and real investment in some big changes.

This much I know, the multi-billion dollar fitness business is constantly looking for ways to deliver better results and grow. The industry is open to the expanded role faith can have in the fitness business.

The post Fall In Love With Your Career – And The God Who Created It appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

By Scott Roberts, Chair of Kinesiology at William Jessup University

Many people exercise because they want to change something about who they are.  It may be their physical appearance, their health, improvements in attitude or sleep, and simply feeling physically, emotionally and mentally better. While exercise is great it takes more. Take a look at these seven spiritual concepts that are fundamental to achieving life transformation.

1. Follow Jesus in his footsteps.

“Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me. For I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matt. 11:29). As followers of Jesus, we should all be inspired and encouraged to follow Jesus in His footsteps, walking with Him in our journey of faith and fitness.

2. Endurance training becomes living by faith.

Faith makes discovering health and fitness possible, not necessarily easy, but possible. Growing in faith is a journey, a daily decision and responsibility, as are the daily choices we make regarding our endurance training. The pursuit of fitness is an exercise in faith.

3. Seek Jesus for all the guidance we need in life.

The greater our faith, the great things God can and will do with our lives. “Faith is not the belief that God will do what you want. It is the belief that God will do what is right” (Lucado, 1999). We need to seek Jesus for all the guidance we need in life. Jesus, through His presence and power within us, transforms us in such a way that we begin to live, love and move toward being whole and holy.

4. Discipleship becomes submitting your will to God.

In Matthew 6:33, Jesus tells His followers to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you.” Seeking God first, above all else, is what Jesus commanded us to do. The kingdom of God Jesus speaks about is referring to His reign in our personal lives, in our health and fitness goals as well.

5. Invite Jesus into your health and fitness goals.

When you invite Jesus into your health and fitness goals and challenges then He will begin to grow your faith in these areas. He will help you overcome any real or perceived barriers to change.

6. Draw on God’s power to renew your thinking.

A good way to begin your journey of fitness through faith is to first realize what Jesus commands of us. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom. 12:2), and “with God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26). If we truly believe we are spirit filled, Christ-empowered people that are walking out and living in His power, then we can accomplish His purposes by His power.

7. Good form becomes being an example to others. Realize that your body is not your own, as a Christian, it belongs to Jesus Christ. “I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service of worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:1-2). Our identity in Christ gives us the strength, courage and discipline to live a Christlike lifestyle. Seek Jesus in all you do, in fitness and in life!

Read, Fall In Love With Your Career – And The God Who Created It.  This story by William Jessup Graduate Kimber Otis illustrates how these seven spiritual concepts have shaped her life and fitness career.

Publisher’s Note:

I do Faith & Fitness Magazine’s Redefined Conference every year to support church leaders, business owners, entrepreneurs, club managers and others in the fitness industry to help them make their business and services more faith-centered and thus more effective and results driven for their clients.

There are two big conversations we have. The first is about the importance of hiring employees who are equally competent (perhaps even holding two degrees) in both kinesiology/wellness skills AND ministry skills. When they ask, “Where can I find someone like that?”, I reply – from a Christian university. We then proceed to the second conversation. These growth-minded businesses must be willing to empower these distinctly trained employees to innovate and do faith-centered fitness.

Today many universities throughout America are increasingly non-supportive and even hostile toward conservative values and the Christian faith. That means graduates from these schools are less equipped to understand the faith needs and cultural mindset of many customers that they’ll serve thus impeding business success by delivering a disconnected customer experience.

One big reason why the magazine has a College Fitness department is because I believe Christian universities hold tremendous potential for preparing a new generation of graduates who are skilled and able to do their vocation both technically with excellence and with the ministry impact that customers need AND want. Yet there is much to do among Christian universities to better engineer courses, degree programs, employment and ministry preparedness and student/graduate expectations and vision. There’s a lot of work to be done to catch up with the opportunity before us. That work begins with prayer and real investment in some big changes.

This much I know, the multi-billion dollar fitness business is constantly looking for ways to deliver better results and grow. The industry is open to the expanded role faith can have in the fitness business.

The post Beyond Physical Fitness – 7 Ways To Achieve Life Transformations appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

By Daniel Flahie, MSEd, CSCS. Assistant Professor of Exercise Science & Health, Mount Marty College

When the word “leader” is mentioned, flashes of glory, success, and winning are often what come to mind. Perhaps you envision Tom Brady or Lebron James hoisting a giant trophy and being carried by teammates. True heros, right? While both of these men are great leaders, it’s not the winning that makes them great. Exceptional athletic success isn’t a necessary pre-requisite for excellence in leadership.

Some of the best leaders I have witnessed, both as a player and as a coach, are also some of the least talented members of the team. The statistics that really matter will never be found in the box score or on the record wall. They are the little day-to-day things that go unnoticed. However, when you reflect on them, they are so big you wonder how you could have missed them in the first place.

In order to be a true leader, you must first serve those you wish to lead. In other words, you’ve got to put in your dues. The oft-quoted cliché attributed to the great Teddy Roosevelt, “no one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care” is truer than anyone would care to realize. A hopeful leader cannot start barking orders without any sweat shed on behalf of the team. A leader must have skin in the game if she or he is to be trusted, respected, and listened to by the team. A leader must be invested in everyone else.

LEAD BY SERVING

One of the best sprinters on our team, at Mount Marty College never yells, orders people around, or dictates what others should do. In fact he rarely says a word. Instead you’ll see him leading by serving. He always carries a box or cooler full of food to and from track meets. He spends time at the end of lifting sessions to put away equipment he didn’t even use. During one early morning autumn lifting session he took time after everyone had left to fix a light in the weight room. That may not seem important in the grand scheme of things but it is. He is a servant to his team and that is why he is a leader.

If he wasn’t a genuinely good person, the success he has experienced on the conference and national level would mean very little to me. I would much rather coach a team full of high character individuals who don’t always place in a race, rather than have a team with questionable ethics win a championship. Don’t get me wrong, I am as fiery a competitor as you will ever find, but success without morals never matters.

During an indoor meet this year, one of our very talented freshman runners accidently clipped another runner with his spike during a tightly congested turn. He immediately came over to the head coach and me after the race and apologized for doing so, even though it was a complete accident. That is the kind of athlete I love to coach; someone who is a hard worker, incredibly passionate and has a strong moral compass.

I believe leaders are both born and created. There is no better place than collegiate athletics to help shape a world full of virtuous servant leaders. These athletes have a positive impact with their teammates. More importantly, during and after their playing careers, they impact their families, friends and communities.

LEADERSHIP IN ATHLETICS       

The concept of creating and developing strong leadership skills from athletics is nothing new. However, what I aim to talk about is usually not the first concept that comes to mind when talking about leadership in athletics. Leadership is not created when the game is on the line in the fourth quarter, or the bottom of the ninth inning, it is merely put on display during these crucial and exciting times. Leadership, instead, is developed, nurtured, and honed in the countless hours leading up to these climatic moments. There is no magic button to press to suddenly gain the leadership skills necessary to guide your team through victory or rally them from a devastating defeat.

“How you do anything is how you do everything”

–T. Harv Eker

This quote has stuck to me ever since I came across it a few years ago, and once I finally started living my life with this mantra in mind everything became easier. Those tasks I used to dread became just as enjoyable as what I am most passionate about, which is writing, playing baseball, and helping others. If you approach everything in life with one hundred percent effort and focus in the present moment, dread of the task begins to melt away. Reflect on what you love doing the most, what makes time seem to disappear, then apply that same level of effort to everything in your life; especially the tasks you don’t enjoy.

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

Perhaps you’ve heard a coach say, “You play like you practice”. Unfortunately when I was in sports I quickly dismissed that advice, but since finishing college athletics I’ve learned it’s so incredibly true. Practice is not only where the physical skills needed to perform at a high level are honed, but it is where leadership skills are honed as well.

Attend Faith & Fitness Magazine’s Redefined Conference

What happens to the work ethic of a team if the team captain never hustles in practice or doesn’t listen attentively and respectfully to the coach? Like a cancer, this behavior spreads. On the flip side, if the rest of the team notices the captains showing up to practice early, always hustling and giving their full effort, that too will spread throughout the team. True leaders practice what they preach and lead by example. An athlete will spend far more time practicing than she or he ever will playing a game. How you lead in practice will determine how you lead during a game, competition or performance.

LIFTING IS HARD WORK

Another area that is incredibly vital to the success of a team is the weight-room. Of course, I am partial to this because I am a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. The weight room is where I interact the most with athletes. Eker’s quote doesn’t stop on the practice court, but for many athletes, the intensity does. I cannot begin to count how many times I have witnessed athletes simply go through the motions in the weight room with zero tenacity or heart and very little effort. This is very unfortunate, because the weight room is the perfect analogy for life and the transfer of lifting skills is limitless.

Just like the heavy weights will bog you down in the weight room, so too will the heaviness of life. At the bottom of the squat, just like at the points of rock bottom in our life we have two choices; let the weight push us to the floor, or dig deep and stand. I know exactly who will be most reliable when things get tough in competition just by watching how the athletes respond to the discomfort of the weight room. Lifting weights is never easy and sometimes not very fun, but neither is leadership. Leading is not about having special privileges and being exempt from things we don’t like to do. Leading is about actively doing the right thing, especially when it is the hard thing to do.

HOW TO BE AN INCREDIBLY STRONG LEADER

Team captains aren’t the only ones who must do everything with their fullest effort. It is the role of every player – even those who get no playing time at all. There is no rule that says the best player has to be the most inspirational leader. Many times it’s not the best player who is the best leader. We must quit assuming that the highest performing or most gifted athlete is naturally going to be the most inspirational leader. Many times a team member with less athletic skill who doesn’t score as many points, go as fast or lift as heavy turns out to be an incredibly strong leader for the team.

Last fall after a bucket was scored someone took a snapshot of a player on the bench from the Mount Marty women’s basketball team. Since she was on the sidelines you might expect the picture to show a look of disengagement, a half-hearted clap, or even a frown. However, this young lady was airborne with a look of pure joy and happiness that her teammate was having success. That is leadership. That is putting the team first. That is service over self. And that is the only way to truly be a leader. It is wonderful to witness incredible skills and athletic talent, but witnessing servant leadership in action is far more beautiful.

LEADERSHIP ON CAMPUS AND IN THE CLASSROOM

Leading doesn’t stop when you leave your physical training or sport practice, or at least it shouldn’t. Remember, how you do anything is how you do everything. The leader on the court should be the leader in the classroom too.

What does this mean? Sit in front. Ask questions. Stay off of your cell phone. Pay attention. Students tend to think teachers don’t know when you aren’t paying attention. I can promise you we do and we take note of it. Leadership in the classroom is about respect. Athletes need to approach their academics with as much fervor as they hopefully do their sport, because chances are high it is the academics that will lead to a successful career, not the athletics.

What you do in the classroom, around campus, and in the community not only reflects on you, but on your teammates, coaches, parents, and institution. If you do something illegal regardless of whether you are wearing your team’s shirt that affects everyone involved. Representing your team does not stop once the practice is done or the game is over. As long as you are a member of the team, you act as an extension of that team everywhere you go. Before doing something questionable ask yourself is it worth it? The team is not only bigger than the individual during a game, but during every hour outside of competition as well.

THE HABIT OF BUILDING EVERYONE AROUND YOU

To Lead, you must first Serve and Follow. Servant leadership is one of the mottos of Mount Marty College, and it should be a motto for anyone in a leadership position. The point of leadership is to build everyone around you up as much as possible, and as a result you will be built up as well. However, if you approach leadership with a “me first” attitude, you will quickly find yourself out of a leadership role. So, what can you do to put servant leadership into action? Borrowing from the great President, John F. Kennedy, “ask not what your team can do for you, but what you can do for your team.”

You can replace “team” with anything you are affiliated with; church, friend, mother, work, etc. It looks like this:

It is the culmination of seemingly meaningless daily habits such as the few mentioned above that result in leadership when difficult tasks or situations arise. Will Durant sums up Aristotle when he said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

What do you repeatedly do? Is it forming excellence in leadership or something else? Most people find that life happens fast. College will pass like the blink of an eye. Do you want to spend your time only focusing on what benefits you? Or do you want to spend your time helping as many people as possible? Leadership isn’t about fame and fortune or being better than those around you. It is about building up as many people as possible while embracing humility and demonstrating the character of Christ. Leaders charge first into the fray, but they are the last ones to finish.

The post Servant Leadership- How Students Learn And Practice Character Strength At College appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

Reeling from his mother’s death and his father’s abandonment, Zach, an All-State athlete, finds glory on the football field, working to earn a college scholarship and the brothers’ ticket out of town.

When a devastating injury puts Zach—and his dreams—on the sidelines, David laces up his track cleats to salvage their future and point Zach toward hope.

With themes of forgiveness, family and unconditional love, RUN THE RACE is the perfect film to engage your church, ministry, family, training partners or organization.

CHRIS DOWLING INTERVIEW

Troy Ismir’s podcast interview with RUN THE RACE Director/Co-Writer Chris Dowling.

TRAINING TIPS FOR RUNNERS

MORE TO READ FROM OUR MAGAZINES

Run For A Brilliant Cause

There’s Power In The Mud

Reclaim Your Inner Warrior (also by Troy Ismir)

Shouts Of Victory

Choice Management

Challenging Impossible

The post Run The Race appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

Go to YOUR PICTURES  |  Go to FREE GIVEAWAY  |  Go to ARTICLES

Dream Big Live Faithfully

The BMW Summer On Sale commercial says it well, “ninety-three longer days, ninety-three warmer nights, 134,000 minutes of windows down and music up, eight million seconds of summer on!”

We want to join with you to celebrate a season that God has given all of us to dream big and live faithfully. We know some of you are in peek condition to compete in major national fitness events. Others have already traveled to other parts of the world: Kenya, Mexico, Europe and beyond for adventure, service and fellowship. Families, couples and individuals are putting their physical fitness to good use as they  max out the vacation of a lifetime. 

Summer for others may look quite different. Your plans may be to simply stay close to home. Some with disabilities, injuries or sickness will go through the season at something much less than full-throttle. Everyone by God’s grace will define summer differently.

Here at Faith & Fitness Magazine we want to encourage you to live life fully in Christ and get in on everything. This summer be filled with God’s Spirit, dream big and then watch to see God go beyond your wildest dreams. Don’t stress about making  your summer super or simple. Instead, live faithfully each day and use each moment to be #atrophyforgood Honor God with your body, your time and your relationships with others.

SUMMER 2018 – LOADED FOR YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS

Bookmark this page and keep returning for the latest in summer fun, fitness, fashion, content, offers and more. Were brining you free giveaways, cool events and inspiring media (like the song Dreamin’ below). Tell your friends and family to join you. Be sure to CONTACT US and send us your favorite summer picture or short video for possible inclusion.

Shoot a short phone video and share what it means to you to Dream Big and Live Faithfully.

YOUR PICTURES  (CONTACT US to submit your picture today!)

 Go to FREE GIVEAWAY  |  Go to ARTICLES

FREE GIVEAWAY  (Be watching for the next free giveaway!)

Go to YOUR PICTURES   |  Go to ARTICLES

   We recently did a giveaway with Armed With Truth

Armed With Truth is a temporary tattoo company that highlights biblical truths and verses. I liked their verse packs that center around different subjects or areas of life that we need to pray on. Each pack consists of ten verses and by the end of the month you could memorize those truths. For example, the Live Intentional pack, includes scripture that focuses on purpose, living with joy, and adventure. There is also an Athlete pack that would be great for pushing yourself during your workout or during outdoor activities. Check them out and enjoy taking scripture with you in a unique way.

We enjoyed taking our AWT tattoos on the paddle board. Thank you Paddle757 for taking us out and letting us experience paddle yoga. If you haven’t done paddle yoga, it is something you definitely should try soon. It takes yoga up a notch and in a fun way.

Dream Big Live Faithfully 

ARTICLES

Go to YOUR PICTURES  |  Go to FREE GIVEAWAY

The post Summer 2018 Dream Big Live Faithfully appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

College is full of stressful exams, deadlines and pressure and often can push students to the edge of their mental health. According to the Association for University and College Counseling Center directors, over 36% of college students reported some level of depression in 2013. It is the number one reason students drop out of school.  The National Alliance on Mental illness (NAMI) in 2012 reported:

– One in four college students have a diagnosable mental illness

– 40% do not seek help

– 80% feel overwhelmed by their responsibilities

– 50% have been so anxious they struggled in school

And, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America in 2011nearly 75% of those affected by an anxiety disorder will experience their first episode before the age of 22.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS

In my own college experience I didn’t even know I was suffering from depression. In fact, from the outside looking inward, others saw a type “a”, ambitious and successful college student. I was a double major and a scholarship volleyball player.

However, the churning of internal storms began brewing for me while in college. Outside of the classroom and off the court I continuously retreated away from social activities and friends. Interaction with others was replaced with solemn solitude and heightened anxiety.

I never sought treatment. I didn’t even know I was starting down the road of a life with depression. If I had acknowledged my need I don’t know if I would have sought help or known where to go or what to say. Like the 40% of students with a diagnosable mental illness who do not seek help I probably would have avoided the stigma and remained silent while suffering.

Instead I continued being confused. It wasn’t until my grandfather died from suicide just weeks after I graduated that I started to understand what I was going through was a diagnosable mental illness. Many years later I confronted my own issues and got help.

Stigma surrounding mental illness is still prevalent and college students continue to not get the help they desperately need and deserve. However, colleges are taking steps in the right direction.

UNIVERSITIES PROVIDE ASSISTANCE AND A RESPONSIVE ENVIRONMENT

The best college mental health programs focus on two segments; prevention and treatment.  They address issues such as eliminating stigma across campus, reducing long wait times, counseling resources and re-enrollment for students.

Harding University has multiple programs administered through its University Counseling Center. Their Relational Health Initiative (RHI) is focused on providing information and presentations on anxiety, depression and other mental health topics to the entire student body. Lew Moore PhD, is the director.  He says, “Since there is high reporting of anxiety and depression, one needs good habits of rest, exercise and relaxation. Additionally, diversification of non-academic activities is a must. There is little doubt that isolation, significant time allocated to electronic gaming and insignificant sleep perpetuate symptoms leading to anxiety and depression. The fatigue factor plays a significant role in academics, personal well-being and capacity/durability to address life struggles that arise.”

Resources for individual needs are often met through counseling and small groups. Lew explains, “These resources along with engaged faculty and spiritual focus provide a rich and responsive environment for students with emotional and mental concerns to seek assistance during tenure at Harding.”

Southwest Baptist University’s Counseling Services Coordinator, Debbie Walker, PsyD stated, “Often new students experience home sickness and adjustment disorders at the beginning of a school year that can increase the number of students suffering from a mental illness.”

Their department emphasizes their services at the beginning of the year to create awareness for both new and returning students.  They also organize a mental health awareness campaign during Mental Health Awareness month in October to aid in their efforts.

Walker believes SBU’s student body echoes the national average of 1 in 4 people suffering from depression. “Even with the high numbers, stigma is still an issue on campus and we strive to combat it by creating an open community.”

They offer several less formal opportunities through “dorm talks” and “coffee talks” to create an environment where people are more willing to participate. And, they strive to cover many topics and illnesses from dating violence to depression.

FROM SOLEMN SOLITUDE TO SOLEMN SOLITUDE

Juggling classes, working and busy social schedules all contribute to a hectic college lifestyle. Like me when I was in college, students struggling with mental illness may retreat from friends and others into an unhealthy solemn solitude that is filled with heightened anxiety. Instead, students should spend regular time in positive forms of solemn solitude that strengthen the spirit.  Intentionally creating time for quiet reflection and prayer can bring powerful healing and peace. Taking time to meditate on the Bible can help students lead mentally healthy lives.

Retreats, like Faith & Fitness Magazine’s Worship Weekend, are thoughtfully organized to combine gentle fellowship, opportunities for spiritually restoring physical activity, practical easy-to-use tools and participant-shaped agendas in tranquil natural destinations.

Mental illness is a very significant concern on campus. While colleges are taking steps in the right direction to better serve those in need, stigma still prevails and many students who need help fail to receive it.

During the fall semester there are several tips students can put into action to prepare themselves for the mental health challenges they may face.

Mental/Social Care

• Reach out early and often to your university resources.
• Form a support circle of friends in whom you can trust and confide.
• Don’t turn to alcohol, drugs, cigarettes or other unhealthy addictions.
• Keep balance in your life between classes, work and social activities. Make some time just for you.

Fitness

• Be active. Consistently use the university fitness center. If there isn’t one, find the right space to put your workout in place.
• Join a recreational sports team, participate in intramural sports or find a group exercise class that is right for you.
• Don’t be shy about working out instead have confidence.
• Keep your nutrition in check and make sure you are eating healthy.
• Don’t forget to consistently get a proper night’s sleep.

Faith

• Reach out to campus Christian fraternities and groups.
• Spend time in solemn solitude and prayer. Find a chapel or church sanctuary or create a space where you can go for daily alter time.
• Make friends and connections with people who care for you, hold you accountable and strengthen you in your faith.
• Most importantly remember God created you so treat yourself with the value he bestowed upon you as a child of God.

The post Winning the Battle of Back to School Mental Wellness appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.