FitSpirit: Running is my religion
FitSpirit explores the mind-body connection and the intangible benefits we gain from our efforts to stay physically fit.A few years ago, I was in a grief support group for people who'd lost their parents. The discussion naturally weaved in and out of the topics of spirituality and religion. My father's religion was running, said one girl. His church was the outdoors: a wooded path on a cool morning, a open field bathed in warm sunlight. I've never forgotten it.
I'm a spiritual person, but organized religion hasn't taken a big role in my life. This is a religion I can see myself being a part of. Running is the cure for what ails me: A heavy heart, a nagging conscience, a gut feeling that doesn't sit well. When I have a problem I can't figure out, I run. When something's stressing me out, I run. When I feel tired or lethargic, I run. And it's never let me down: I always feel better afterwards. No exceptions. It's not that I've found God in pounding my feet on the treadmill, but it helps me find balance, and it helps me find peace.
What activity helps you find your spiritual side?
Yogis seem to a separate group of people -- calm, sensitive, new-agey vegetarian types who wear hemp and shop at health food stores and rescue bugs rather than killing them. But yoga takes all types, and it can benefit you. 


If you went around and asked people why they exercised, or why they should exercise, I bet you'd get hundreds of different answers. I think it's good that there are so many motivations available, especially since sometimes what works for you one day doesn't work for you the next. So if you're currently in need of some renewed inspiration here's a list of 
March is finally here, and as far as I'm concerned it's now spring! We had a big blizzard here in the Midwest last week, and are just beginning to dig out of about a foot of snow, but it still feels different outside. And even if you're a real stickler, the first official day of spring is just a couple of weeks away on March 21st.
Living in this day and age, people have information at their fingertips to help them live longer and healthier. But apart from all the nutritional factoids, aged individuals can tell you what the Holy Grail of Longevity is.
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