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

[bkimberli]

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

 

[mva1985]

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

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.

 

[thecountrydoc]

Hi Kim,

Welcome!!! And thanks for a very good question. For the moment may I presume that by excersise you mean something more than a leasurly stroll? If you are refering a preplaned regimen of excersise that must be considered another matter.

Perhaps it would be well to consider some basic biblical principals that will help us to come to a correct conclusion.

The first thing to consider is why the Sabbath was created.

1.) The Sabbath was to be a day of rememberance. To remember anything we must use the mind.

2.) The Sabbath is intended to be a day of worship. With a concious choice we decide who we will worship.

3.) The Sabbath is intended to be a day of communion and communication with our Creator. Our attention is needed if we are to communicate.

4.) The Sabbath is a day of rest. That rest includes both the physical and the mental side of mankind, and is to be seperate from our daily activities.

While we could name many more reasons why the Sabbath was created for now lets consider just these four to see if they have anything in common.

As we look at these four reasons we can readly see that almost everything about the Sabbath requires concious thought. After all we have been told by God Himself to "Remember" the Sabbath. The reason for this is that when God created man He gave us a mind. With the gift of our minds comes the power of free will, the power of choice. The ability to think and excersise that God given gift of free will is what seperates man from all the rest of God's creation. It is with the mind that we can communicate with our Creator. We might call our mind our our communications center with heaven.

Now lets break this train of thought and think about how our mind works when we excersise. If we are excercising one of two things tend to happen. (1) We become preoccupied with the act of excercising. (2) We become distracted by everything around us. In both cases we have allowed our mind to, shall we say, shut down and be controled by our enviroment, not concious thought. We have in effect shut down our communications center with heaven.

Something else to think about is the fact that all too often people want a "thus saith the Lord" type command from the Scriptures for everything they do or don't do. They seem to forget that we are created in God's own image. If we are created in God's own image then He must expect us to use logic along with His commands. Why do I say this? Because the Creator of the universe must be a creature of logic. He did not build stairways going nowhere.

With the above in mind, I'm sure that you can reach your own conclusions about excercising on Sabbath.

Respectfully, your brother in Christ,
Doc

PS: I think you will also enjoy the New Adventist/Bible Study Sub-forum also. Come on by.

 

[TrustAndObey]

Hi Kim, welcome!

I recently started incorporating exercise back into my daily life as a stress reliever. I put on my "winter coat" this year just like every year--only I put it on top of my winter coat from last year this time. I could definitely stand to lose a few pounds (which is stress relief in itself, amen?).

I asked this same question of my dad and my older sister once and they said "of course you can exercise on Sabbath!" They're not Sabbath-keepers so I instantly thought, 'well, okay nevermind'.

What I did then and what I plan on doing now is changing it up a little bit, especially now that it's starting to be nicer outside. I have no desire to jump on my treadmill on the Sabbath and just stare at the wall, you know?

The plan today is to go to the walking park near our house and pack a picnic for me and the boys. The oldest one already expressed that this will be "lame", but I have a feeling he'll have the most fun out of all of us.

I try to get out into nature on the Sabbath, and now that Spring is starting to poke its head around the corner occasionally, I'm really looking forward to my Sabbath walks, and then those glorious Sabbath naps!

It is very possible to have Christ-centered exercise on Sabbath, and the best part is that it doesn't always FEEL like exercise!

God bless and welcome again!

 

[sentipente]

Could you please provide the biblical references that are directly associated with the "founding" of the Sabbath in which you found these biblical principles?

Hi Kim,

Perhaps it would be well to consider some basic biblical principals that will help us to come to a correct conclusion. ​

The first thing to consider is why the Sabbath was created. ​

 

[MidnightCry]

I think walking on the Sabbath and getting out in nature is a great thing to do. Now that it is getting warmer out, I plan on taking the kids and the dogs on nature walks every Sabbath I can.

It's a great time to have discussions with your children, just appreciate nature, and spend time together.

 

[Lebesgue]

I don't go to the gym or do the type of excercise I do on other days on Shabbat.

Nothing wrong though with a nature walk, enjoying G-d's creation, though.

Shabbat is a special day, and set aside to remember G-d.


Shalom,


Lebesgue

 

[thecountrydoc]

Hi midnightcry & TrustandObey,

I agree completly with what you have posted in this thread. However perhaps you didn't read by prior post completly. Please note this line from my opening remarks:

...may I presume that by excersise you mean something more than a leasurly stroll? If you are refering a preplaned regimen of excersise that must be considered another matter.

Please also note the highlighted portion. I hope that you do understand what I'm saying here. Activities such as taking a walk, eating an outdoor meal, enjoying being out in natuer ect., are all excellent things to be enjoied on Sabbath. The excersise that I was reffering to is the kind that many particiapte in that leaves you tired, hot, and sweaty.

Respectfully, your brother in Christ,
Doc

 

[TrustAndObey]

Hi midnightcry & TrustandObey,

I agree completly with what you have posted in this thread. However perhaps you didn't read by prior post completly. Please note this line from my opening remarks:Please also note the highlighted portion. I hope that you do understand what I'm saying here. Activities such as taking a walk, eating an outdoor meal, enjoying being out in natuer ect., are all excellent things to be enjoied on Sabbath. The excersise that I was reffering to is the kind that many particiapte in that leaves you tired, hot, and sweaty.

Respectfully, your brother in Christ,
Doc

I understood ya Doc! Fact is, I don't do ANYTHING that leaves me tired, hot, and sweaty M-F, so I definitely don't do it on Sabbath.

I wasn't suggesting that she do that either. Leisurely strolls! PERFECT!

Stop and smell the roses I say!

 

[JonMiller]

I exercise on the Sabbath quite often. No one questions eating on the sabbath, no one questions sleeping on the sabbath. It is an obvious thing to do, and the people who argue against it make no sense even on the most stringent of requirements for the Sabbath.

You can choose not to go to the gym on the Sabbath though, as often you are presented with secular music there.

Jon Miller

 

[JonMiller]

I agree completly with what you have posted in this thread. However perhaps you didn't read by prior post completly. Please note this line from my opening remarks:Please also note the highlighted portion. I hope that you do understand what I'm saying here. Activities such as taking a walk, eating an outdoor meal, enjoying being out in natuer ect., are all excellent things to be enjoied on Sabbath. The excersise that I was reffering to is the kind that many particiapte in that leaves you tired, hot, and sweaty.

Respectfully, your brother in Christ,
Doc

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

 

[moicherie]

It is ironic for a church that believes the health message is the right arm of the gospel some of us are discouraging exercise on Sabbaths. lol
What is healthier burning off that Sabbath meal or falling asleep and practising lay activites?

 

[JonMiller]

I see nothing wrong with saying that the Sabbath should be a day where you take off work.

I see nothing wrong with saying that you should do good on the Sabbath.

I see nothing wrong with saying that you should worship God on the Sabbath.

I see nothing wrong with saying that you should try to decrease the secular pursuits that we have in our lives (and there isn't anything wrong with secular pursuits, and the only people who get close to escaping from all of it is those who hide in a hut on the mountain top). Although all of us allow some of them to enter into our lives, if we are to live outside of a padded room on the Sabbath.

But even this last, most stringent, source for argument about what is right or wrong to do on the Sabbath provides no argument against exercise.

JM

 

[JonMiller]

It is ironic for a church that believes the health message is the right arm of the gospel some of us are discouraging exercise on Sabbaths. lol
What is healthier burning off that Sabbath meal or falling asleep and practising lay activites?

There are lots of fat people on the church. We don't really focus on our health message, even many of us who consider eating meat to be sinning.

And I remember the Sabbath nap. It was because no one had anything they wanted to do and so they had no choice but to sleep. The only times in my life where I have naturally wanted to live like that is when I slept only a couple of hours a night over the week, and then would sleep 20 hours on Saturday.

Pointless.

Jon Miller

 

[thecountrydoc]

Jon you 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.

If you don't understand the biblical principals involved in the keeping of the Sabbath as a SDA I feel very sorry for you. It is clear that you want a "thus saith the Lord" statement to spell out the requirements just like the Jews of old did. Sorry, but I will not make a laundry list of dos and don'ts. If you feel the need for a direct command from God on every point that could possibly come up involving the Sabbath, and the keeping of it, you are displaying the same attitude that the Pharisee's of old did.

As for me putting "pharisee burdens on others" please note that I have made no request of others or made indictments against others. It would be my hope that everyone will reach a conclusion that will be acceptable to God because this is only between the individual and God.

Moicherie you said:

It is ironic for a church that believes the health message is the right arm of the gospel some of us are discouraging exercise on Sabbaths. lol

What is healthier burning off that Sabbath meal or falling asleep and practising lay activites?

Two wrongs don't make a right. It is never right to over eat on the Sabbath or anyother day for that matter. From your statement and question it sounds like you also want a list of dos and don'ts for Sabbath observance. To make such a list for others is far beyond my ability or authority.

Next you said Jon:

I see nothing wrong with saying that the Sabbath should be a day where you take off work.

I see nothing wrong with saying that you should do good on the Sabbath.

I see nothing wrong with saying that you should worship God on the Sabbath.

I see nothing wrong with saying that you should try to decrease the secular pursuits that we have in our lives (and there isn't anything wrong with secular pursuits, and the only people who get close to escaping from all of it is those who hide in a hut on the mountain top). Although all of us allow some of them to enter into our lives, if we are to live outside of a padded room on the Sabbath.

But even this last, most stringent, source for argument about what is right or wrong to do on the Sabbath provides no argument against exercise.

You are quite correct in your first three statements. However I must disagree with your forth statement. Please notice the highlighted words. It is not a matter of trying but a matter of doing with the help of the Holy Spirit. By the way, I do not live in a "hut on a mountain top nor do I "live in a padded room."

With your last statement, you are in fact, asking for a "thus saith the Lord" command. That is something that you will have to take up with the Lord.

Next you said:

There are lots of fat people on the church. We don't really focus on our health message, even many of us who consider eating meat to be sinning.

And I remember the Sabbath nap. It was because no one had anything they wanted to do and so they had no choice but to sleep. The only times in my life where I have naturally wanted to live like that is when I slept only a couple of hours a night over the week, and then would sleep 20 hours on Saturday.

Again, one wrong doesn't justify another. Your last statement begs for comment but I do not wish to make comment on your personal behavior. Your personal behavior is solely between you and God.

Respectfully, your brother in Christ,
Doc


Now for everyone who has read, or posted to, this thread, we need to stop this debate. This is not a debate forum. The original poster ask a forthright question and is deserving of a forthright answer. Please do not question other posters and the statements made. If you wish to argue the point please take it to the Debate Sub-forum.

Respectfully,
Doc, SDA Forum Moderator

 

[JonMiller]

Unless you live on the mountain top, you will be involved on secular things on the Sabbath. When you walk (or drive, even more so) to church, you are involved in the secular. Every house I have ever been in, has been inundated by the secular (and a lot of my extended family, and many people I know, would fall under the conservative/traditional camps).

God can keep your mind on Him, yes. Whether you are driving your car to church, or jogging around the lake. I am saying what we can try to do... for example, jogging around the lake rather then jogging on the treadmill at the gym.

Jon Miller

 

[TrustAndObey]

Jon, please do not debate in our Main forum. A new Adventist is asking for suggestions about exercise so instead of attacking what someone else has suggested, why not just give a suggestion of your own?

 

[thecountrydoc]

ONE LAST TIME! THIS IS NOT A DEBATE FORUM! DO NOT POST HERE UNLESS YOU ARE ADDRESSING THE OP.

 

[juneil]

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

 

[bkimberli]

Thank you guys for the answers. I think I got my answer already. I was thinking just basic, not deep into it, just that how we get up in the morning and have a healthy breakfast to be healthy and maybe go walking/running for exercise, shower and start the day and that just being part of taking care of the body is why I asked if it was different on Sabbath just to take care of the body as usual. But I feel that taking rest and not doing a routine exercise on Sabbath is the right thing and I got lots of good answers. Thanks so much for your replies Hope you guys have a great Sabbath!
Kim