Tech Tools to Help Your Body and Soul Goals

by Lisa Hendey | January 16, 2012 12:01 am

Photography © by Paul Johnson

As we turn the page on another new calendar year, many of us have the desired goal of “getting in shape” for the New Year. This is definitely the case in my own life, but the more I ponder my motivations, the more I find that I’m not simply looking for physical changes in my life this year. The truth is, I’ve come to accept some of the changes in my aging body over the past few years. My experience with treatment for non-invasive breast cancer made me more aware than ever of the need to care for the gift of my physical self, but also to treasure strength over size.

So my decision to pay closer attention to my weight and fitness level in 2012 is directly related to this goal. I’m not aiming for a certain dress size, but rather for the power and stamina to do the work God calls me to each day. My vocation as a wife and mom of one teen and one young adult means rising before dawn, toting laundry, cooking (and cooking, and cooking), keeping our home in proper maintenance, and lots and lots of prayer. My work for CatholicMom.com has me traveling quite a lot, keeping erratic hours in front of the computer, writing (and writing, and writing…) and keeping the New Evangelization as my greatest priority in my work. Both of these dual aspects of my vocation require physical stamina, good health, and a great deal of energy. So fueling my body properly and keeping myself fit for the tasks in front of me becomes more than a body concern — it’s a matter of spiritual importance too.

Thanks to so many of my great friends around the Internet, I’ve been discovering a whole new set of tools this New Year to help me keep on track and enjoy the process of getting fit. I’ll share some links below, but before doing that, I want to share a few thoughts on why I’m blogging here about these goals and sharing them in places like Facebook[1] and Twitter[2]. The truth of the matter is that accountability helps me to keep on track. By sharing the fact that I’m trying to get in shape, I have friends praying with and for me, but also perhaps joining me in the challenge. My online contacts have shared so many helpful tips and tools, but most importantly I know that we are urging one another along — and for me, this helps in moments when I feel weak, tempted, or frustrated. The additional gift of knowing that any physical sacrifices I may be making can be offered as a gift to the God who has blessed me so greatly is the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae (that I won’t be eating any time soon).

And now for a few suggested (and free!) tools you may enjoy checking out:

A few rules of thumb that are helping me to use technology to achieve my spiritual health and fitness goals are:

Perhaps you too feel the need to recommit yourself to the physical care of your body. If it will help you to stay accountable, please drop a note in the comments below and feel free to do so anonymously. I will be praying for you, and ask your prayerful support for me and our other friends journeying towards good health this year.


Lisa Hendey, Catholic wife and mom, is the founder and webmaster of www.CatholicMom.com[12] and the author of A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms: 52 Companions for Your Heart, Mind, Body and Soul[13] and The Handbook for Catholic Moms: Nurturing Your Heart, Mind, Body and Soul[14]. Lisa writes for several online and print publications, enjoys speaking around the country and hosts the Catholic Moments Podcast[15]. Visit her at LisaHendey.com[16].

Like Lisa’s Facebook Page at: http://www.facebook.com/lisamhendey[17]



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Endnotes:
  1. Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lisahendey
  2. Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LisaHendey
  3. My Fitness Pal: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/
  4. Fitocracy: http://www.fitocracy.com/
  5. Gym Pact: http://www.gym-pact.com/
  6. Runkeeper: http://runkeeper.com/
  7. Couch to 5K: http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
  8. Sparkpeople: http://www.sparkpeople.com/
  9. Lose It: http://www.loseit.com/index.jsp
  10. Health and Holiness Podcast: http://health.sqpn.com/
  11. Rosary Workout: http://www.rosaryworkout.com/resources.html
  12. www.CatholicMom.com: http://www.catholicmom.com/
  13. A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms: 52 Companions for Your Heart, Mind, Body and Soul: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594712735/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=catholicmomcom&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1594712735
  14. The Handbook for Catholic Moms: Nurturing Your Heart, Mind, Body and Soul: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/159471228X?ie=UTF8&tag=catholicmomcom&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=159471228X
  15. Catholic Moments Podcast: http://www.catholicmoments.com/
  16. LisaHendey.com: http://www.lisahendey.com/
  17. http://www.facebook.com/lisamhendey: http://www.facebook.com/lisamhendey

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