Today’s COREconnection: 7/6/2010

FITNESS FOCUS:  The Push-up  Now don’t get scared, push-ups are not impossible!  By using the breath and engaging the core, the push-up is a great way to strengthen your chest, shoulders and arms muscles.  Push-ups can be intimidating, but worth the effort to learn and perform properly. 

Here’s how:

Face down and kneel in the table top position:  hands under shoulders and knees under hips. Finger tips are facing forward, elbows are facing toward your knees. 

Slide your shoulders blades back and down to stabilize your shoulders.  No hunching!

Lengthen through the crown of the head.  Your gaze is at the floor.   Pull your navel to spine engaging the abdominals to stabilize the torso and lift the rib cage.

 You can stay in the table top position to complete the push-up OR, for an added challenge slowly move your knees away from your torso. Lengthen your spine and upper thighs like a plank. Keep the neck long and make sure the hips are not higher than the shoulders.

Inhale and bend your elbows (elbows should be bending toward your hips, not out to the sides) and lower your chest closer to the ground.  (By doing the push-up this way, you are working the triceps.   If your elbows are going out to the side, that will work the biceps)

Exhale and push your body back up.  Repeat 5-10 times, then press hips back to rest on the heels in prayer position.

FAITH FOCUS:  Sometimes we think we are incapable of something.  Maybe it’s a small task like doing push-ups or starting a new routine like a daily quiet time.  Maybe its something more like starting a new career or sharing your faith with someone who needs to know Jesus .  We often are too afraid of failure to try something difficult.  But just like with the push-up, the first step is to DO IT.  True, you can’t fail if you don’t try, but you also can’t reach the goal if you don’t start!  It may be difficult at first, but eventually you get better at it.  Soon what you thought you was impossible, becomes part of your regular life.  Remember though, as with everything else, proper form is key:  allow the Holy Spirit to engage your CORE in Christ as you attempt to press on and push up!

 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3: 12-14)

For nothing is impossible with God.  (Luke 1:37)