Have You Done Your
Spiritual Push-Ups Today?
Recovery is more than just being restored to sanity. It’s about being restored to a state of wholeness; mind, body and spirit. A deeper level of recovery is experienced when all three elements are treated as one cohesive unit and not as three separate parts.
Does this describe you in some way? You’ve been in recovery for some time now. You’re not a newcomer anymore, nor are you an old-timer. You have worked all 12 steps and sponsor several others in the program. You continue to be active in service and your prayer life and spiritual condition is strong. By all accounts you are regarded as a shinning example of someone working a great program of recovery. So why do you still have that nagging and annoying negative feeling about yourself when you look in the mirror? Well you may want to ask yourself, “Have you done your spiritual push-ups today?” Have you left out or neglected physical fitness from your recovery program? If so, you’re not alone because this described me to a tee.
The problem for me is that I not only have an “all or nothing” attitude when it comes to alcohol and drugs, but also when it comes to managing my own life. By myself, I tend to think in extremes. For example, if I’m not going to win an Olympic gold medal in the 2012 games; why even bother going to the gym. This may sound ridiculous to some but that really is the way I talk myself out of incorporating a new and unfamiliar discipline in my life. I was very much that way when it came to the discipline of daily prayer. I thought that when I prayed I was supposed to have a “burning bush experience” or what was the point? Well today I can tell you that I have never really had a “burning bush” experience while praying and yet my spiritual condition has never been stronger. As a result of consistent daily prayer, my conscious contact and spiritual awareness is a part of my entire day; not just something I experience when I am praying. Likewise, when I slack off on my daily prayer routine, I begin to feel spiritually flabby and out of sorts.
So what does any of this have to do with that nagging feeling you might be experiencing? Well, if you are anything like me, physical fitness was sorely lacking in my new way of life. I was one of the many that picked up an unwanted 15 lbs in treatment and after a year in recovery it was time to do something about it. Surprise, surprise, just wishing it away didn’t make it go away. To be honest, I wasn’t so hung up about the 15 lbs or what the scale said. All I knew was that I felt physically sluggish and that was noticeably affecting my mental and spiritual condition in a negative way.
The following 7 steps proved to be very helpful in beginning my fitness routine and sticking to it. As a result, I feel much better now and have actually incorporated my “spiritual push-ups” as a way of life:
1. Get a “fitness sponsor”. As in recovery, I needed to find someone to keep me honest and accountable. Together we set goals and communicate on a daily basis; either in person, by phone, or e-mail.
2. Join a gym. Just as I needed to join a home group, I joined a gym. Physically going to the gym helps me get out of myself. I feel a part of rather than alone in my thoughts. It is also reassuring to see others making it to the gym on a regular basis and most of them being happy about it.
3. “Meet me at the gym”. I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to skip my work out but didn’t because I told someone to meet me at the gym. Together we really can accomplish what I never could alone. So call someone and tell them to meet you at the gym.
4. Easy does it… but do it. Be careful to not let your enthusiasm push you to the point of injury. Don’t set yourself up for failure by running a marathon one day and do nothing the rest of the week. Regardless of your long term fitness goals, consistency is the key. Remember, we don’t recover overnight and we aren’t going to get in physical shape overnight either. 20 to 30 minutes a day is better than 5 hours one day a nothing the next.
5. “Upon waking in the morning… before we retire at night”. Try to begin and end your day with something physical. This is not a substitute for your going to the gym or your primary exercise program but rather a way to improve your physical consciousness. For example, a light stretching routine is so important for over all conditioning and can greatly reduce the risk of injuries. At night, you may want to get in the habit of walking after your dinner. What ever it is, consistency is the key.
6. Celebrate with others. Create a “chip system” of sorts or mark your calendar and include others that have helped you along the way in your celebration. Remember how those chips inspired and motivated your early recovery?
7. Move a muscle-Change a thought. Talking about getting into shape, or thinking about it only yields more talking and thinking. Pray for the courage to change the things you can and do it! Action is what brings about change and suddenly you will realize that nagging feeling you once felt has slipped away.
Today I see a direct parallel between my spiritual conditioning and my physical conditioning. I’ve been true to my exercise program for over six months now; and while I have no ambition of winning any Olympic gold medal, I have surpassed my original fitness goals and continue to set new ones. The miraculous thing is that I’m enjoying the process instead of staying stuck self centered apathy. These recovery principles really do apply in all our affairs. So, “Have you done your spiritual push-ups today?”
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