One of the most important and long-lasting relationships we must cultivate is with the earth suits God has entrusted to us for a limited time. Depending upon the condition in which we maintain them, our bodies can be warmly comforting, a source of pleasure, a vehicle for adventure, or a painfully restrictive straitjacket.
The Bible says our bodies are God’s temple (2 Corinthians 6:16). As temple caretakers, we must fortify our living edifices to withstand battering gales and relentless enemy attacks. Knowledge and prevention of the forces assaulting our temple structures are our best defense.
Stress is one of those destructive forces that does a wicked number on our bodies over time. Whether a result of repetitive physical strain, endless hours at a tedious desk job, long-distance driving, or everyday wear and tear in caring for our families and homes, stress can take its toll in the form of recurrent pain, tight-as-a-tick muscles, limited movement, and debilitating tension headaches (not to mention the lengthy list of internal stress-related maladies, but we’ll save those for another post).
During my 36-years working in physical therapy clinics, I was considered a stress management specialist, serving the myriad of patients referred to me by orthopedic physicians. One of the most effective stress management tools I developed was what I call the Decom-Stressing 6-Pack. They’re relaxation stretches that can be performed anywhere, anytime you feel your overworked neck and shoulder muscles screaming for relief.
Remember, your poor little neck has to hold up that 10-pound bowling ball that is your head all day. Just heave one (a bowling ball, not a head) up in the air with one arm and maneuver it left and right, down and up, simulating what your neck and shoulder muscles do all day every day. You won’t last 3 minutes.
So c’mon, give your weary muscles a break; try the 6-Pack. And bear in mind, stretching should not be painful. Adjust the tension you’re applying so that you feel gentle pulling, not pain. (And don’t be surprised if you experience some muscle soreness the following day; this will resolve when you perform the 6-Pack daily and your tightness morphs into elasticity.)
For your general health and earth suit maintenance, I recommend a five-minute stress buster stretch break every two hours throughout the day. Stop thinking; get physical! Roll, bend, trot laps around your desk, do jumping jacks in the bathroom, stretch with the 6-Pack. Stand if you’ve been sitting; sit if you’ve been standing.
Our Creator didn’t intend for our bodies to stay in the same position hour after hour or to perform the same functions repeatedly without resting. Sitting incessantly at a desk only gets you cauliflower buns. So move. Pump that reinvigorating blood through your body tissues.
None of us wants our temples to fall into ruins. With a sturdy foundation of prevention and a daily slap of maintenance mortar, our flesh and blood cathedrals can glorify God for decades to come without one brick crumbling from neglect.
*Adapted from Debora Coty’s bestselling Too Blessed to be Stressed books. Used with permission of Barbour Publishing.