Get stronger. Lose weight. Look better.
The mantras of exercise culture are plastered everywhere— in advertisements, movies, TV, and social media. American culture prizes physical fitness and health at idolatrous levels. Our social media feeds are inundated with quick fixes, whether it’s a new workout routine or weight loss drug like Ozempic.
According to a recent Gallup poll, 43% of American adults think they’re overweight, and 55% say they want to lose weight. Only 27% of those surveyed are actively working toward losing weight. Weight loss is listed as the #4 trend in the American College of Sports Medicine report for fitness trends of 2025.
Pastors and ministry leaders also see exercise as important, even if they don’t give it the time they feel it deserves. The Lifeway Research 2022 Greatest Needs of Pastors study found that 59% of pastors say consistently exercising is an aspect of self-care that they find challenging.
Growing up, I was immersed in various sports and activities. I played tennis and danced during my college years. As an adult, I prioritized staying active by finding a gym and continuing to play tennis and dance. I viewed exercise as something I must do.
After chasing physical fitness in my twenties, the Lord has transformed my perspective on my exercise habits, which were rooted in maintaining my fit external appearance instead of caring for my body. With the Lord’s help, my motivation shifted inward, and I see that caring for my body is something I get to do for my health and for God.
Practicing Gratitude for Our Bodies
Our physical health matters to God, and moving our bodies honors him. When we play sports, workout at the gym, or participate in any form of exercise, we’re honoring him through caring for our bodies. Although our bodies are tainted by the effects of sin, we can be grateful for the grace to pursue physical exercise. He made our bodies to move.
Exercise is vital for our mental, emotional, and physical health. As Christians, our perspective of exercise is grounded in principles of stewardship and worship. We offer our bodies to God as an act of worship (Romans 12:1), and physical exercise is one way we care for our bodies. We must remember the truth that whatever we do, we’re doing it for his glory (1 Corinthians 10:31, Colossians 3:17). This includes exercise.
Gratitude for our physical bodies compels us to care for them through exercise and wise food choices, not to beat them into submission or find metabolic hacks. Some fitness programs lure us with the promise of dropping 20 pounds in four weeks through high-intensity interval training workouts and strength training. Other programs sometimes promote popular fad diets like Keto, Whole30, low carb, or intermittent fasting. Many people also consider weight loss drugs like Ozempic and even weight loss surgery to lose weight.
These can be quick fixes that tempt us with empty promises of success. When we fail to lose weight or we lose motivation to finish the program, we attribute our failure to ourselves and not the program’s flawed system. We must resist the temptation of quick fixes and establish regular exercise habits that honor God. These habits will look different for both men and women in different seasons of life.
Exercise Habits that Honor God
Establishing God-honoring exercise habits takes effort and discipline. Different seasons of our lives require us to find ways to move our bodies that fit into our schedule, align with our hobbies, or are tailored to our abilities, especially as our bodies age. This may look like prioritizing workouts in the morning or after work at the gym or taking group fitness classes a few times a week. For families with small children, this might look like attending a gym with childcare or participating in activities with the kids (walking or running in the neighborhood as they ride their bikes). We can also move our bodies by enjoying outdoor activities and hobbies like walking, hiking, kayaking, or playing sports.
The Idol of Fitness
The world prizes exercise, but that perspective is often rooted in selfish motives and physical appearance. Our flesh urges us to seek our own glory, and the outward appearance of being fit can fuel this selfish motive within our hearts. The pursuit of fitness can sometimes morph into an unattainable obsession and lead to idolatry.
Jesus reminds us that “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). We can fight against idolatry by rooting ourselves in the Lord with a humble posture before him. He frees us from the unrealistic pursuit of bodily perfection that the world promises us. He transforms our motives by revealing our hearts and reorienting them with the truths of Scripture.
The Lord changed my perspective by showing me that pursuing fitness for the purposes of stewardship honors him. I now view my body as a temple (1 Corinthians 6:19) and want to honor him in all I do. We must strive to care for our bodies and pursue fitness out of our love for God by stewarding everything for his glory.
Kathryn Eckhardt is a freelance writer and works in communications at Wildwood Church (PCA) in Tallahassee, FL, where she serves in youth, women’s, and worship ministries. She’s currently pursuing a degree in theological studies at Reformed Theological Seminary.