What Does God Have to Do With Your 2026 Workout Resolution?
- SJE
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
What if movement was meant to be part of prayer?
Staying Active
I’m someone who likes to stay physically active. I work out several times a week. I’m not great with nutrition, but I try to care for my body in other ways. I play pickleball, enjoy workout classes, and walk whenever I can. Movement has become part of my rhythm—something that grounds me, challenges me, and helps me feel alive.
And yet, every so often, a quiet question creeps in: Is my commitment to physical fitness somehow in competition with my faith?
I pray daily, go to Mass and Eucharistic Adoration several times a week, and frequent the confessional. But, am I giving more energy to a workout class than to prayer? More consistency to the pickleball court than to Scripture? More discipline to my body than to my soul?
As the New Year begins, these questions feel louder because January is the season of resolutions. We resolve to get healthier, to build better habits, and to be more disciplined. Sometimes we even resolve to pray more or reconnect with God. But quite often, these goals live in separate boxes—physical goals over here, spiritual goals over there.
When they stay separated, something always feels off.
We live in a world that praises fitness, grit, and productivity—but rarely tells us why we should pursue them. At the same time, faith can feel abstract, disconnected from our daily sweat and schedules. The result? We end up spiritually depleted and physically worn down, unsure how the two are supposed to work together.
Worse still, we can start to believe that success—real, tangible progress—exists apart from God’s plan for us.
Working it out
I am challenging that is not true! Instead, what if our 2026 workout resolutions have everything to do with our spiritual lives? What if setting “non-religious” goals could actually deepen our faith?
I believe it can. And more than that—I believe it’s meant to.
God doesn’t only care about our quiet moments. He cares about our whole life: our breath, our effort, our discipline, and even our fatigue. Scripture reminds us that our bodies matter—not as objects to perfect, but as gifts entrusted to us. Caring for them isn’t vanity; it’s stewardship.
So what if your workouts became prayerful?
What if every early alarm, every long walk, every class you didn’t feel like showing up for became an offering? Not a way to earn God’s approval—but a way to practice gratitude, humility, and perseverance.
What if discipline stopped being about control and started becoming a form of discipleship?
Discipline—following Jesus Christ, growing to be more like Him in character and action, and helping others do the same—at its core, is about showing up. It’s about consistency and choosing what’s life-giving even when it’s uncomfortable. And those are deeply spiritual practices.
Movement as Prayer
Prayer doesn’t always have to be still.
We often imagine prayer as kneeling quietly, hands folded, mind focused—and those moments are sacred. But prayer can also happen in motion. In fact, for many of us, movement is where our hearts finally quiet enough to listen.
I like to walk when I pray the rosary. A stretch can become a surrender, or a steady breath during a hard workout can become a simple prayer: Lord, I trust You. I often pray throughout my workouts and thank God at the end of them!
When words fail or distractions crowd in, movement can anchor us in the present moment with God. Our bodies already know how to pray—they rise, fall, breathe, and persevere. When we intentionally invite God into that movement, even the simplest physical acts become acts of worship. We don’t have to escape our bodies to encounter Him; we can meet Him right where we are—mid-stride, mid-rep, mid-breath.
In this way, movement doesn’t distract from prayer. It deepens it.
Journey of Faith and Fitness
Imagine approaching your health journey not as a quest for perfection, but as a daily invitation to walk with God. To listen. To reflect. To breathe prayers instead of rushing through reps. To thank Him for a body that moves, however imperfectly. To learn patience when progress is slow. To practice grace when you fall short. And all in God’s name.
Suddenly, the line between physical and spiritual begins to blur—in the best possible way.
Yes, resolutions are hard to keep. We all know that. We set goals with the best intentions, and somewhere between January and February, motivation fades. But perhaps the problem isn’t that we aim too high. Maybe it’s that we aim too narrowly.
When our goals are disconnected from meaning, they don’t last.When they’re rooted in purpose—in God—they should.
So as we begin 2026, don’t ask only what you want to change. Ask who you want to become.
Maybe our journey to better health is also a journey toward deeper faith. And let each step forward—physical or spiritual—be taken with God, not apart from Him!
Let's do this!
I think my resolution this year isn’t to do more, it’s to do all—including my workouts—with Him!
To that end, I encourage you to consider the same! join Fiat Fitness, an SJE workout group for women, or Ascent for men!
Each group meets once a month for about 50 minutes for exercise, faith, and fellowship.
The next Fiat Fitness meets January 10 in the school gym. Join us at 7 a.m. Look to the website for more information about Fiat Fitness or Ascent! https://www.stjohnparish.org/