Father Dave is in the midst of his 30-Day Challenge to instill healthier habits, and he welcomes Michele Sotak and Father Lou Cameli to discuss the intersection of faith and fitness. Michele is a personal trainer in addition to her role as Director of Service Ministries at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago. She and Father Lou developed and launched a ministry called “Faith and Fitness” for the Archdiocese of Chicago, which is also found on YouTube.
Michele shares why they started this program. “Father Cameli and I share a deep passion for both fitness and our Catholic faith, and we notice that both of these two things obviously make us better versions of ourselves; They never fail us,” she says. “We wanted to share our experience of how the two are integrated.”
Father Lou explains why exercise should be important to Catholics. “We really are an incarnational, sacramental Church, and the body is important. It’s the vehicle and instrument that we have,” he says. “It’s a gift from God. You take it, you steward it, and then you use it responsibly.”
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They describe how prayer can be a basic way to combine faith and fitness. “Prayer can lead us and motivate us to take care of ourselves, so that we can take care of others. Linking prayer to mission is an important thing, and it can also be a prelude to exercise,” Father Lou says, also noting the benefits of prayer during exercise. “There is a rhythm, and that echoes in the rosary, for example. This rhythm of movement can also enhance a prayerful attitude and stance. Exercise itself can also be a prelude to prayer, a way of clearing the mind and relaxing the body [beforehand.]”
Michele adds, “I typically prefer to pray while I work out, I think that’s a very powerful combination. I’ll say a Rosary if I’m walking, running or in some sort of steady state cardio where I don’t have to count reps like I do in strength training. With strength training, maybe I’ll put on a [faith] podcast.”
As Father Dave journeys through his 30-day challenge, he asks Michele and Father Lou advice for those who struggle to exercise consistently. Michele responds, “You really want to just take it slow. It’s not about perfection, and it’s not all-or-nothing…you want to build a habit.”
Father Lou says, “I think identifying the core motivation is absolutely critical, even more than getting some technique for engaging in these different exercises. You have to keep going back to asking Why? Where is this leading?”
Brett shares how his 30-day challenge goals are motivated by becoming a stronger father for his newborn daughter. He says, “I don’t want to just be able to pick her up and put her on my shoulders for like a month. I want to get in good shape before she is born, and get in the habit of trying to find the time when it doesn’t seem like there is time.”
Michele advises, “Choose motivations that go beyond the aesthetics. That way you will be motivated on a day in the middle of winter where you don’t really care too much to lose the 5 or 10 pounds. You’ll still do it because you’re motivated intrinsically.”
