Can You Exercise on the Sabbath? Is It OK to Workout?

juneil said:

Hello, evryone!!

Every Sabbath i do fasting, meaning not eating my breakfast and lunch. So i cant go doing exercise. I do fasting for many reasons, 1st, I want to do diffirent in the sabbath day (i love eating so not eating would be hard for me) 2nd, I dont want to be late in church and other many reasons (thats between me and God).

Godbls all

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Juneil, my son was watching a tv program the other night and I guess it was in a Catholic school. I was in the other room so I didn't see it, but I heard the last part of it.

Anyway, the teacher was telling the kids about lent and that they needed to give up something they really, really love for 40 days.

One kid said "I really, really love going to church, so I'm giving that up!"

I thought that was so cute because most kids don't think church is very fun.

Kim, I'm glad you got some resolution to your question!!

bkimberli said:

I am new to the church, about two years or so now, and I am just starting to wonder about the health message and exercising and taking care of our bodies. I have never exercised on the Sabbath only because I thought of it as not resting, but then if it is a part of taking care of our bodies and just being healthy I was just wondering if you guys could help me have more insight into this. Just was curious and thought this would be a good place to ask Thanks for your answers in advance!

Kim

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I got no problems working out on the Sabbath, I just don't go to the gym on the Sabbath. Happy Stretching!

I agree with the general idea that we should keep from strenuous activities on the Sabbath, as they don't promote rest. All for walking, even swimming and such.

I have a question kind of related to this, though..so hope no one minds if i post it here. (The OP seems to be answered anyway)

My first impressions years ago of Sabbath observance was that showering/bathing/washing ones hair on the Sabbath was also work, and thusly should be avoided. (Kinda like preparing meals before the Sabbath, you should bathe before sundown).

What are your thoughts on this? (I'm really jsut curious, not looking for any arguements either way. Personal opinions, no debating of who's righr or wrong please)

There have been many times that the Sabbath is the only time I can really get a chance to have a nice, long, relaxing bath..but I've wondered about this before.

Thanks!

Good to see you again Sarah!

Taking a bath/shower and most other personal hygiene activities should be preformed as needed. Some of course could be done any time. While there are no prohibitions against doing these things on the Sabbath it is my personal choice to get as much out of the way before sundown Friday as possible. There are two main reasons for my choice. (1) I want to be ready for the Sabbath with the feeling of being clean, rested and relaxed as I enjoy this special time with our Creator. Rather like going out on a date. (2) If I do these activities during Sabbath hours it tends to make the Sabbath feel like anyother day in the week. I also tend to let my mind wander and forget that it is the Sabbath.

As I said, this is my personal choice. This is something that each person must decide for themselves. There are no ready made answers.

Your friend and brother in Christ,
Doc

Sarah I don't know how, or understand why, but my response to your post got inserted befor your post.

YBIC
Doc

The sabbath was made for man or humanity not humanity for the sabbath, as Adventists we are in danger of making the sabbath a burden just like the Pharisees....personally my nose would be offended if peopel chose not to bathe or shower on sabbaths and come to church. In the 19th century bathing was a labour intensive activity even up to the 1960's but now most people in our society have indoor plumbing all they have to do is turn on a tap, nothing strenous about that.

The sabbath was made for man or humanity not humanity for the sabbath, as Adventists we are in danger of making the sabbath a burden just like the Pharisees....personally my nose would be offended if peopel chose not to bathe or shower on sabbaths and come to church. In the 19th century bathing was a labour intensive activity even up to the 1960's but now most people in our society have indoor plumbing all they have to do is turn on a tap, nothing strenous about that.

Thanks for the replies, guys. (Weird about yours, Doc!)

Pretty much what I thought, but I wasn't sure if it was something more..official in the Adventist church or just an opinion I mistook as probably more important than it was at the time.

Thanks for the replies, guys. (Weird about yours, Doc!)

Pretty much what I thought, but I wasn't sure if it was something more..official in the Adventist church or just an opinion I mistook as probably more important than it was at the time.

Rofl..now mine's moving around into a weird order..

Rofl..now mine's moving around into a weird order..

JonMiller said:

What is wrong with sweating a bit? What is wrong with being tired? What is wrong with exercising the body God gave you? What is wrong with taking care of it just like you do by sleeping or eating?

I don't understand what your problem is with exercise. Show me one story in the Bible that even suggests that such a requirement was on us.

And quit being a pharisee and putting your pharisee burdens on others.

JM

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Jeez, too often these forums start out looking awesome, and then lead to angry teenager talk. Come on Christians... play nice. Jesus spoke directly about how we communicate! Teach by example, not just your theology. anyway... I am a younger guy, in his later-20's, who loves getting to the gym. If I'm transparent, I can say that my pursuit of the gym contains the goals of furthering myself both in performance and appearance (among other goals of various depth). I think those goal are totally okay thing to pursue to a healthy degree. I don't agree that those goals fit into a healthy long term following on having a specific day for rest and communion with God. Now I don't want to hyper-spiritualize or under-spiritualize what that looks like, but I do feel that just as not working toward my financial goals on the sabbath is right, then not working on my personal performance/physical goals should be held for the other 6 days as well. And literally, no body got all pharisee on here. Haha, I read through the thread and it was some legit respectable offers on how to best observe the sabbath and get out of it what God intended. So thank you to all those people who were caring and respectful in that way.

bkimberli said:

I am new to the church, about two years or so now, and I am just starting to wonder about the health message and exercising and taking care of our bodies. I have never exercised on the Sabbath only because I thought of it as not resting, but then if it is a part of taking care of our bodies and just being healthy I was just wondering if you guys could help me have more insight into this. Just was curious and thought this would be a good place to ask Thanks for your answers in advance!

Kim

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A 5 hour hike... a "work out" etc - are all healthy for your body - but they are not rest or worship or evangelism or Bible study. And they can all be done the other six days where they take up "your time" but not sanctified holy time. Fasting can also be healthy for your body but it is also something that we do not recommend for Sabbath since that often places the mind on 'food" and when-can-I-eat rather than a free undisturbed focus on evangelism, or prayer, or fellowship or studying the Bible etc.

Jordan Suckstorf said:

Jeez, too often these forums start out looking awesome, and then lead to angry teenager talk. Come on Christians... play nice. Jesus spoke directly about how we communicate! Teach by example, not just your theology. anyway... I am a younger guy, in his later-20's, who loves getting to the gym

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And I like racket ball and sawing on trees. I like working on the landscaping I enjoy a lot of things that are not Bible study, or prayer, or evangelism, or worship service, or all the normal things we are supposed to be doing on God's Sabbath. I also enjoy doing those Sabbath activities - but I don't think the criteria for what is blessed activity on Sabbath is stated in the Bible as "are you having fun doing it? Well then it must be good to do on God's Sanctified, set-apart, Holy Day".

Which is why Isaiah 58:13-14 reads the way it does.

mva1985 said:

Kim,

This is a great question. I for one do not believe in exercising on the Sabbath just for the sake of exercising. If that is something I am going to do I feel I should make time during the week for that.

I certainly see no harm in getting out on the Sabbath and enjoying nature and getting fresh air, with good company.

Just my two cents.

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mva1985 said:

Kim,

This is a great question. I for one do not believe in exercising on the Sabbath just for the sake of exercising. If that is something I am going to do I feel I should make time during the week for that.

I certainly see no harm in getting out on the Sabbath and enjoying nature and getting fresh air, with good company.

Just my two cents.

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I have read quite a number of the replies concerning exercising on the Lord's Sabbath day ,,this should not even be a debate ,the Saddath is a day specifically made for us to worship the Most High ,not for us to exercise,nature walk ,and all other desires of men heart ,God gave us 6 days to do just that, all your pleasures and work,the Lord's Sabbath day is suppose to be free of distractions ,and self pleasures,what happen to the man Moses people found picking up sticks on the Sabbath ?
He was Stoned to death ,

this should be an example for us of how serious the Lord is about his Sabbath day ,

( Isaiah 58:13-14 ) If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
[14] Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places s of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken

It even states that our taughts is not even our own on the Sabbath ,because we as people will always try to do that whitch feels good to us
( Proverbs 21:2 ) Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.
( Proverbs 3:5-7) Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
[6] In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. [7] Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord , and depart from evil.
THE scriptures even teach us about men that trust in their own heart
( Proverbs 28:26 ) He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.
So ,Brothers and Sisters in the faith ,all these extra activities on the LORD'S Sabbath is not of the God of the bible ,it is of our own heart and it is also not Godly ,it is against the commandments of God concerning his sacrid day .
Thank you for your time.