Faith fitness
This week I celebrated 14 years of teaching Jazzercise. Jazzercise is a dance-based fitness program that has been around since the 1960s. It’s evolved from classic jazz dance aerobics into a full body fitness program. As an instructor, my role is to guide, motivate, and support people in physical activity and wellness. My role goes beyond leading exercise — I’m there to help create an environment where people feel encouraged, safe, and capable.
As I reflect on my job as a fitness instructor, I thought about the emotions and feelings I have while on stage. My typical inner monologue goes something like this as we make our way up the aerobic curve:
Alright, this is great. We are warming up, moving our bodies, excited to be here!
Interesting, I didn’t know my hamstrings were so sore.
Wow, it’s a lot hotter in here than I thought. Long socks were a mistake.
Why in the world did I pick this routine?
This is terrible.
Are we going to make it?
I’m going to throw up.
This was a bad choice.
Are we done yet?
Finally, a stretch.
After it’s all said and done:
Okay, we made it. How did I even get through this? I am so thankful that I came. I feel so much better. How lucky am I that I have a body that can move?
What a mix of emotions. There are a lot of difficult parts in a workout, but in the end, the whole class is always glad we came.
I think that faith mirrors a hard workout in many ways. On our faith workout, we encounter times of hope, joy, and renewal. There are also times when we feel sick, weary, and wonder if all of this is even worth it. As an instructor, I always tell my class to keep going — that their resilience is going to pay off. Progress over perfection. And you know what? Every week we come back, ready to put one foot in front of the other. If we did it last week, we could do it again. Hard training teaches us that we can continue one step at a time.
Lucky for us, we have God as our faith fitness instructor. God takes center stage guiding us, encouraging us, and lifting us up even when we want to quit. And just like a good workout, faith does not always feel easy in the moment — but it strengthens us over time. God meets us in the struggle, celebrates our victories, and reminds us that we are capable of more than we think.
As it says in Isaiah 40:31:
“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.”
So, this week, keep showing up. Keep moving forward. One step, one prayer, one breath at a time. God is with you through every climb, every stretch, and every moment when you think you cannot keep going. And in the end, you may just find yourself saying, “I’m so thankful I came.”
