Lent Day 4, Saturday, February 21, 2026

15 Minutes of Exercise

Do you know anyone who does not need at least fifteen minutes of exercise today? The only candidates I can think of are Olympic athletes who have just finished their events. If anyone has earned a rest day, it is them.  The rest of us probably need fifteen minutes.

Exercise today does not have to be dramatic. Your exercise could be a walk along the beach,  a bike ride around the neighborhood, or fifteen minutes of stretching in your living room. No one needs to witness your heroic effort. This is not about impressing anyone. It is about caring for what God has entrusted to you.

Some who exercise regularly may wonder why this appears as a Lenten challenge. They might assume everyone wants to exercise, but that is not always the case. Many people fall out of the habit. Some are busy. Some are distracted. Some are simply tired.

Still, fifteen minutes is manageable. Even with good reasons, we can carve out a small window of time. Try to do it today. If today is impossible, schedule it for tomorrow. Put it on the calendar. Make it intentional.

This challenge is not about vanity. It is about gratitude. Scripture reminds us that we are wonderfully made.  Show God that you are thankful for the life and body you have been given.  Your body is not an afterthought. God paid attention to every detail when creating you. 

If you are not thrilled with how you feel physically, today is not about shame. It is about action. Fifteen minutes. Move. Stretch. Breathe deeply. 

Get some exercise today!  Enjoy the life that God has given you!

“Don’t you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.”  (1 Corinthians 16:19-20, The Message)