Testimony of Healing December 29, 2003 Issue

A satisfying approach to physical fitness

Alexander Workman

While at school, I developed a love for sport—running, mountain biking, circuit training (calisthenics). I appreciated the mental refreshment, stimulation, and inspiration these activities gave me, which were especially useful at exam time. Although I didn't realize this until much later, the generally acknowledged benefits of exercise—reshaping one's body, and muscle conditioning in particular—became a god to me as time went on. The desire for an improved body was only accentuated when, during my first months at university in 1993, my eating habits caused my weight to jump 20 percent. Dissatisfied with my appearance, I found my self-confidence beginning to erode.

I had recently started studying Christian Science, and I searched Science and Health at first for a quick fix.

Over the next several years, I vacillated between regular intense workouts and prayer. In time, this seemed like a divided loyalty: On the one hand I was entirely focused on my perceived need to reshape my body through exercise, and on the other, I was regularly declaring that matter, in this case the physical body, had no power over me. Not surprisingly, the results were disappointing.

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