Theresa Rowe leads you through a series of Standing Pilates exercises designed to increase your energy, strength, flexibility and endurance. Each exercise has a prayerfully chosen scripture to help strengthen our spiritual foundation.

Welcome to shape by faith. A special series led by health and fitness expert Teresa Row get ready for an entertaining and spirit led adventure while learning ways you can become fit in your body, mind and spirit. Now here’s Teresa. Hi, I’m Theresa Rowe, Welcome to shape by Faith where we shape our bodies and hearts for God’s purposes. I hope you enjoy this leg and thigh workout that I put together in my home just for you. The muscles in our legs are the largest muscles in our body by working on the legs. It will boost our metabolism and help us burn more calories all day long. These exercises are some of the best and effective exercises that I found for toning and strengthening the body. Each exercise has a prayerfully chosen scripture verse to help strengthen our spiritual foundation. Let’s get started. We’re gonna start with a basic squat. So lower down in a squat and then come right back up. Let’s do that again. Lower down and lift now go ahead and bring your arms down at your side and reach them out in front of you, lower down and reach out in front. Now let’s add a knee lift one at a time. There you go. You’ve got it, your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Don’t you love that God is always lighting up our path in front of us. He’s always showing up his way to go, keep it moving lower down and lift back up. Now you can take the knee lifts out of this if you want it to you can just squat instead. I know that alternating definitely brings a balance challenge with it. So we’ve got to keep that core tight. One more opposite leg. Nice work go ahead and place your hands on your waist. What we’re gonna do is step forward and lunge and hold this and then step back, take your opposite leg forward and back. Let’s continue doing that. Now remember to modify, you can step out just a little bit, you don’t have to lunge real deep, commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will be successful, commit to the Lord this day, this exercise segment what you’re doing the rest of the day or tonight and you know, just lay your planes out before God, discuss him with him every single day and ask him about them. Alright, I can fill this in my legs already pretty strong in the front of the legs and the back of the legs keep up moving, keeping the belly pulled in, engaging your core one more each leg, you’ve got this, I know you do last one. Nice work. Now this is the basic squat, so we’re gonna do more of a narrow squat, we’re gonna squat down, come up and bring the leg out squat down opposite leg, bring it out. So the modification would be tap it out instead of lifting that leg out the Lord here’s his people’s strength right? The Lord is strengthening us right now, He’s strengthening us all day long. I couldn’t do this without the strength of the Lord. Believe me, there’s no way I could do this without his strength. And I’m so thankful that he strengthens me and that he is strengthening you. So are you feeling that through your core and your legs backside of those legs? You’re breathing deep from your diaphragm? Inhaling and exhaling a few more of these. One more. Each side, Last one. Nice, Okay, This next set is reverse lunges so step back, hold and then step back together. Opposite leg will step back and together. Oh Lord, you are so good. You are so ready to forgive. So full of unfailing love for all who asked for your help. I am so thankful that the Lord forgives us easily and quickly as we go to him many times during the day, I’ll go to him and say, Father, please forgive me that thought. I just had Father, please forgive me of those words. But I probably shouldn’t have spoken and please renew me. Lord. I need you to take me over from the top of my head into the soles of my feet. All right, I can feel this in my inner thighs. So this is so good That reverse lunge for the inner thighs. I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak of his praises, keep moving and breathing. We’re doing a lot of reverse lunges for the guys in the hip flexors, so I need you to hang out with me. You can do this if you need to rest, you just rest. Okay, keep moving through this. We’ve almost got this, we’re almost there. Step it back and hold, bring it back in and again, nice work. So the reverse lunge is definitely worth the thighs. Help us with balance and stabilization and they’re pretty easy on the knees. I mean, most people can do a reverse lunge so I just need you to pace yourself. Just do what you can do rest if you need to rest. That’s fine. Alright, one more. Whoa, okay, we’re going to combine the front and the reverse lunge together. Okay, so we’re gonna take the right leg, We’re gonna step it out front, lunge, step right in the middle and then step back. Let’s do that again. Front lunge and then tap in the middle and reverse. And again, we’re doing a lot of legs. This is a leg and thigh workout, right? So again, I need you to go at your pace if you need to rest, rest or praising God as we go through this. We’re praising him all the time, constantly speaking of his praises, right, he is good. Have you ever just said God you are so good, You’re a good good father, You watch over me. I’m so thankful that you’re with me all right, you’ve almost got this one more to the front and one more to the back good job. Alright, let’s go ahead and let’s switch legs. Front lunge step and then reverse lunge. Nice. You know, I love how God, he just brings the entire body together perfectly and we are the body of christ right? We are his body. So we need each other. I need you and you need me and we all need one another, right? For God’s plan? We’re not. Lone rangers were not out there on our own. Right, God is with us, He’s bringing us together. We need to surround ourselves with people that have different strengths and talents than us so that when we all come together they can all be used together for God’s glory. A few more of these. I’m getting a little winded. Are you working on these legs? one more to the front And one more to the back? Good job. Go ahead and place your legs in tabletop. So just stack your legs, your knees, and your ankles and your feet and let’s scoop that belly. We’re gonna go ahead and lift that top leg up and lower it down, engage your muscles in your legs so tighten up your legs right here and then your outer thighs. And breathe. Remember that, breathe deep from your diaphragm? We are more than conquerors. Through christ, jesus. Tell yourself that we are more than conquerors. Yes, we are as we lift the legs and strengthen this body and just give God all the glory and all the praise for what he’s doing, it’s really important to have really strong legs, we need them to do what God has called us to do every single day. So it’s important to strengthen them, to strengthen your hip flexors and your glutes and all those major muscles in the body. Let’s do that one more time. Nice job. Go ahead and fully extend your legs out. If you need to modify, just go ahead and bend that bottom leg. If not, keep the legs out, bend that one leg, you’re just basically kicking up and lowering back down, so kick up and lower. So you should be feeling this right there in that inner thigh, strengthen our feeble arms, Lord and are weak knees, you know, so many times my knees feel weak and I asked God to strengthen them, my legs feel weak, sometimes I just get up and I just don’t have it. But God has it for us, right, He will strengthen you even when you don’t feel good. Just place your mindset on him and say, Lord, I don’t have it today, but you do and he will help you regardless of your circumstance or situation, keep going. I know you’re doing great out there, let’s do that one more time lift nice work, bring the leg back out there now on this one, we’re going to simply lift the leg up and lower it down again, the modification bend that bottom leg. Okay, if you want to progress, just keep your legs out, lift the leg and lower. Don’t worry about how high the leg lifts, just lift it where you can and let’s focus on this next verse. It makes me happy. The joy of the Lord is my strength. God, you are my strength. You’re the one that brings me joy. You’re the one that strengthens my body, my emotions and you helped me every single day, especially as I’m lifting this leg because these are challenging. Keep it going, just lift and lower and so that deep breathing, remember that, that exhale and then inhale that goes with it, keeping the belly scoop, that’s a lot to remember. But you can do it one more time. Nice work. All right now on this one, stay lengthened out there. But if you need to modify bend that bottom leg, we’re gonna take the top leg up. And these are just little leg pulses, you can flex the foot, you can point the toes. Just focus in on this inner thigh and outer thigh area in front of your leg, back of the leg, even your feet, your ankles and your calves when I am afraid, I will trust you in God. I trust. I will not be afraid. I refuse to be afraid. Right. And when I start to go in that direction, I have to remind myself, I’m not going to be afraid. I’m just not going to do it. It’s a mindset like I have to tell myself, no, God’s with me, There is no fear and he’s gonna help me with everything. You’re doing great. So we’re doing these leg pulses to strengthen those legs. You’re engaging your core. Let’s do that one more time. Nice work. Now we’re going to transition. So bend the knees, extend your legs out from the hips. If that’s too much, I need you to bend that bottom leg. Now, these are challenging. Okay, we’re gonna lift and lower. This is a double leg lift and if you need to lie all the way down, I need you to lie all the way down. Okay, so you can come all the way down here. Good. I will praise the Lord at all times. So, wherever you’re at right now in your home, um, maybe you’re at work. Praise God Lord, thank you for this day. Thank you father for what you’re doing in my life. Thank you father. For the people you have placed in my life for your purposes. Lord and Lord, Show me your way. Show me father, your will, your desires, father, not mine. My desires are lacking. They don’t have the big vision like you do, father. So show me your way, one more. Nice. Let’s transition again. Bring the knees back to the front. Now I need you to extend out that top leg. This is a leg kick to the front belly is in, you’re going to kick to the front pulse for two and then bring that leg back and pulse for two. Let’s do that again. So it’s a kick check and then a kick back, delight yourself in the Lord. And he will give you the desires of your heart. So, as we delight ourselves in the Lord, you know, a lot of times he changes those desires, he reworks them, he transfers them into his likeness and his design. So the idea is there that he’s given you. But just ask him for the complete master plan and step by step, he will unfold it. I promise you that he will one more and bring it back Nice. Now this is an inner thigh lift so you can either take that top, play place it front or bring it back here, whichever is comfortable for you with the belly in. That’s really important lift and lower that leg. Just lift and lower. So we’re working the inner thighs here. So you can flex or you can point the toes and here’s a verse to go along with this. Come close to God and he will come so close to you. So, as you draw close to him as you pray as you listen for him to speak to your heart as you surround yourself with people who love him. And your discussion is all about jesus, you’re drawing close to him and you’re pointing others towards him and he draws so close to you. Keep the inner thigh lifts going, you’re doing great. Just a few more of these. Let’s do two more last one, nice job. Okay, now you’re on the opposite side. So we’re working the other leg, make sure the belly scooped in, we’re in that tabletop position again where the legs are stacked, we’re just gonna lift and lower. Remember to engage your muscles in your legs. So, kind of makeup muscle right there in your top of your leg and the outside of the leg working the outer thighs in the front of the leg, the backside all through this leg and the hips and the glutes. The Lord directs the steps of the Godly he does. He delights in every detail of your life. He directs your steps as you delight in him. And as you go to him, God always shows you the way I know, I keep saying that, but it’s so true, you just need to understand that God is with you, he loves you and he cares about you every single detail. Even when you’re doing a leg lift, go ahead and extend your legs out, reach them out as far as you can remember to modify. You can bend this bottom leg or progression. Go ahead and keep it out. You’re gonna bend the top leg and kick it up and then bring it right back down. Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. I mean there’s so many scripture verses that talk about God directing us God showing us the way and so he will just go to him, keep moving and breathing, extending and reaching and I just need you to do what’s best for you today. If you need to stop and rest that’s fine and then go back to it. Just exhaling and inhaling, Oh my gosh, I can really feel this in my inner thighs and all throughout my legs as the belly scoop. That’s real important. One more of these nice work, fully extend your legs out. Now remember you can modify and bend that bottom leg or progress and keep the legs out, go ahead, lift the leg up and lower it down. Let’s do that again, lift and lower you. Just go where you need to go with this. Don’t worry about the height of the leg, Give thanks to the Lord for he is so good. His love endures forever praising God thanking him. Even when you don’t feel like it, when we get our minds off ourselves, when we get our eyes off ourselves and onto the Lord, he takes us over. There’s days where I just need the Lord to take me over all day long completely and I want him to do that every single day. But you know what I’m talking about. Some days are a little bit more challenging than others and we really need the strength of the Lord during those days. One more nice work. Now the next exercise again, you can bend the bottom leg to modify or keep it out, simply lift the top leg and pulse up. Alright, so in this one, I’m really feeling this in the outer thighs with the belly engaged, it’s contracted navel to the spine. See the core supports what this leg is doing. That’s why it’s so important to keep that core tight. It also protects that back. Remember the scripture verse when I am afraid I will trust you when I’m afraid I will trust you. I think fear tries to take us over so many different times and just recognize it for what it is. God does not bring fear upon us. So just go to him and say Lord, Honestly, I’m afraid right now I’m fearful and I need you. I need your strength. One more of these lower, back down, let’s transition from the legs out to the hips. Okay, so just bring them on out there. You’re gonna lift and lower. You can modify and just lift that top leg. But this double leg lift is definitely challenging. There’s a verse that talks about every good Yeah, is from God. Every single thing that’s good is from God. So just recognize that every good gift is from God, your families, right? Even the job that you have because it’s providing for you. That’s a gift from God lift and lower those legs. Oh my gosh, I can really feel this also through that waist, I can feel it pulling through the obliques, strengthening that area and strengthening my legs my core one more nice. Go ahead, bend the legs again, extend the legs out to the side, bend that bottom leg. You’re gonna take that top leg kick to the front and then bring it back. Nice control. Here’s where your abdominals are real important. So the abdominals will help keep you in position so you’re not rocking around, delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart Again, we need to remind ourselves about God’s desires and we have our own desires and I know I do and so many times I’m like Lord, I wanted to be like this. But you know what? He’s got different desires for me better desires. So he’ll change things up. I may not like it at the time, but when it finally comes to pass him like Lord, you’re so good. That was so right. Keep it going one more and last one. All right, This next exercise is an inner thigh lift. You can either bring the top leg to the front to modify or bring it back lift and lower that bottom leg again, We’re working the inner thighs right here. So I need you to lengthen, elongate that leg and make a muscle in your leg as you lift and draw close to God. Even through these inner thigh lifts, draw close to him and he will draw close to you, keep moving and breathing. You’re doing great. I know you are, I know you’re doing these with me, we’re getting strong together, we’re encouraging one another, right? Keep it going. If you need to rest, that’s fine, take a rest break. But we’ve only got a few more repetitions together, come on, you can do this, we can do all things through christ who strengthens us. Let’s do that one more time. Nice work ahead and position your hands directly underneath your shoulders. Or you could go down to the forum position with your elbows under your shoulders. Now, I’m gonna tell you this is going to be a challenging segment, but you can do this with me. Go ahead and lift one leg I P and then lower it down, just like you’re gonna tap that floor. So I need you to focus on your deep breathing, okay all the way through this, and also focus on the Lord be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power, right? You’re strong, be strong in your legs, be strong in the Lord, know that God is going to help you right? And a lot of times I need his help. Even when I don’t realize it. Sometimes I just kind of go off on my own little tangent and the Lord reels me back in because he loves us so much. He reels this in and says, come to me, come to me, let me speak to your daughter. All right now on this next set, I’m gonna go down to the forum position, we’re gonna bring the leg up and just do little pulses up. Just inhale and exhale. Let’s praise God, I need to praise God. Here be exalted. O God above the heavens, Let your glory be all over the earth, be exalted O God, Father, You are so mighty! You are so worthy of our praise. Lord, I love you. God, you are so beautiful. Keep going, pulsing that leg breathing through this. Keep your belly scooped, inhaling and exhaling again. Keep that body upright through your torso and your spine. You’re doing great. I mean, I can really, really feel this in the back of the leg, do the hamstring muscles and the glutes and last one. Alright, let’s go back up to that position with the hands directly underneath the shoulders, let’s extend the leg out and then bring it up, flex that foot and just curl the leg, just bring it back towards you and then point, bring it away, let’s do that again. So, exhale right there and inhale on the extension, humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up, humble yourself before him, you know, a long time ago, I asked the Lord to keep me humble. Maybe I shouldn’t have prayed that, but I did. And God keeps me humble again. He reels me back in. He says Theresa. This isn’t about you, This is all about me and my love. Go out there and shine my light and be nice to people, Be courteous, be kind love, others, help each other out, right? That’s what it’s all about. Loving God and loving others one more right there. Nice. Okay, let’s transition to the opposite leg. So remember, we’re gonna lift and lower, keep that back as straight as you can. Keep that belly pulled in. You should be feeling that really strong in your legs and in your glutes and in your hips. All of us definitely need to strengthen the legs. Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Right, We all need strong legs to do what God has called us to do. And we need strong hip flexors, strong upper body, a real strong core. Notice your core is stabilizing the rest of your body as his leg is moving just up and down. And I’m telling you, I can feel this, I hope you can feel this to keep it moving. Just a few more of these. Let’s do one more good job. Now let’s go down to that form position, Bring the leg up. Start to pulse up, Just pulse up beyond guard. That’s what the Lord says. Stand firm in your faith and be courageous, be strong, so speak that to yourself, declare it over your life, declare it over your family before you go into a meeting the Lord is with me, I’m going to be strong. Things are going to work out the way the Lord wants him to work out. All right, you’re feeling this pack the leg and in those glutes and in the hips and again, deep breathing. I always talk about breathing because we want a lot of oxygen delivered to our muscles as we’re working out a few more of these. You’ve got it, you’re almost there one more and lower down. Let’s transition back up to the hands and place them under the shoulders, extend that one leg back and then lift it up, simply bring the leg towards you and then bring it away. So exhale right there and inhale keep moving. Oh my gosh! I can feel this in the upper back the leg, those hamstring muscles in the lower leg, I can also feel this strengthening my knees and my hip flexors as God is strengthening us together. Remember to be humble. Just humble yourself before God and in his timing he’s gonna lift you up, I promise you he will alright keep moving that leg goodness gracious! This is a lot of legs but they are so good for us, we only have a few more of these right just a few more let’s do one more and hold Oh wow, I’m so glad I had you to work out with me today. You did awesome, Thank you for allowing me in your home today. I hope you’re motivated to continue preparing yourself to be the best you can be as we continue exercising and praising God. Together he will bless our bodies and hearts for his purposes. It is God who made us and breathed his spirit in us so we can encourage others to live for him. Until next time. Friends may the Lord bless you and keep you safe, healthy and strong in your body. Mind and spirit. Tune in next time as we continue shaping bodies and hearts for God’s purposes with Teresa Row as we all become shaped by faith.