Theresa Rowe leads you through a series of Back and Shoulder 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 and welcome to shape by faith where we shape our bodies and hearts for God’s purposes. I hope you enjoy this back and shoulders workout along with scriptures on encouragement, you will only need a light to medium set of weights. Let’s go ahead and get started, go ahead and pick up your weights. We’re gonna start with a really good stretch for the hamstring muscles in the back and the shoulders place your arms in front of you and slowly lower down. Take your time, just hold that stretch and then come on back up, let the arms stay straight. Okay, encourage one another and build each other up. Are we doing this? We need to encourage one another and build each other up, come alongside of someone and say hey you’re doing a great job, I appreciate what you’re doing, feel that stretch alright, one more of these, inhale lower and then exhale, lift up. Alright now I’m gonna angle this so you can see this better so we’re gonna bend the legs, stay back in the hips, hinge forward, just bring the elbow straight back and then down. Okay, just let’s work on the shoulders and the mid back and feel that it’s strengthening. It’s also giving them a great stretch. Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength Alright, that’s God’s promise. Are you hoping and trusting in the Lord today. Those who hope in the Lord, God promises to renew your strength again. Bringing those elbows straight back, feel that through your mid back and through your shoulders and across the chest legs are just holding strong And one more good. Alright? This next one. Bring your palms in front of you facing you and separate your feet about hip distance apart. Keep the navel to the spine. Take an inhale, hold right to your exhale. Simply bring those arms up and back a little bit and then bring them back to the front. We’re working through the shoulders. If this weight is too much then just put the weights down. Just work with your arms. You don’t have to hold weight. We need to pass through the waters. The Lord promises that he will be with you. Whatever you’re going through God promises he’s right there with you. You’re not going it alone, you may feel alone but you’re not. So just look to the Lord and say Lord, I need you to help me through this time father. It’s like go through these waters, waves may come up high but you’ve got to know that God will calm the storm. He will he will comment. Alright? one More of these Exhale and inhale, bring them back down. Okay so this next exercise, it’s a front raise so bring those weights out front, take your time and then bring them out to your side. You know God promises that he will never leave you nor forsake you, he says do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. God is with you. Alright? So here’s the thing and I’ve talked about this many times. It’s in our mindset, it’s what you believe and what you choose to believe. Do you trust God? Do you trust his word? Do you believe his word is the truth? Well if you do, he is with you and he will calm the sea and he will heal you and he will grant every need that you have alright? Feel that laterally through your shoulders again. You don’t have to use weights if you don’t want to then back to the front. So the exhale of course as we lift and then inhale as you lower. Now keep that belly pulled in so the navel is always towards that spine and again working through the shoulders in front of the shoulders right there and then the size of the shoulders as you lift out laterally. Alright keep moving we’re almost there. Exhale that breathing feels good. Just deep breathing as you move your body. Let’s do that one more time to the front and then out to the side we’re going to split our stance just a little bit. Just bring one leg back and take one weight over your shoulder, simply press it up and then bring it back down. You can also bring it out instead of the elbow to the front. The word says to be strong the Lord says be strong and be courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged for God is with you wherever you go he is tell yourself that Lord you were with me. The Lord is with me as I’m driving my car, the Lord is with me as I go into work, the Lord is with me in my home, right, you should feel secure that God is with you. He sees it all one more and bring that arm down, switch out your legs, check your core again, make sure it’s nice and tight. Bring the opposite arm above that shoulder and again you can leave your elbow to the front and press straight up just like that. Or you can bring your elbow out whichever one is more comfortable for you. Okay praise be to God the father of our Lord, jesus christ who is the father of compassion and the God of all comfort and God comforts us in all of our troubles. Again. Exhale on that press So we’re working through the shoulders, that upper body praising God. We’re focused in on his word, we know that God is with us, he’s right here with us as we’re pressing this. Wait up, let’s do that two more times and one more. Now stand with your feet beside one another about shoulder distance apart, bring your weights in front, We’re gonna alternate one arm at a time. Just bring it up, bring those elbows up, lead with your elbows, okay try to keep the wrist nice and straight, come to me all you who are weary, anybody out there weary, tired or burdened and I will give you rest and I believe part of that rest is peace. God will give you peace in your heart and in your life, regardless of circumstances or situations, God will grant you his peace and his rest and he will sustain you in a very strong way. You won’t feel weak going through it when you trust God and depend upon him last one. All right now on this one, you can split your stance or just stand just the way we were. We’re going to bring both weights up above the shoulders easy, just press one at a time. We’re not in a hurry here again, we’re strengthening the shoulders, we’re making sure that everything’s feeling good, feels alright. My help comes from the Lord, right, the maker of heaven and earth are help comes from the Lord. Alright, so do you feel that in your shoulders, Do you feel that I can feel that you’re doing a lot of repetitions? You’re doing fantastic or strengthening the shoulders in the back? We’re checking on our posture and we’re praising God and we’re speaking his word and it’s going out to do what he has purposed it to do right, last one, okay, this next one, What we’re gonna do is go back into a bent position. I’m going to switch out my weights here and go a little bit lighter. And again, you don’t even have to use weights for this one if you don’t want to so sit back down. Okay, press back into your hips. And what we’re gonna do is bring those arms out easy. Now we don’t want to do this forcefully. Just nice and easy. Reverse fly. Feel that mid back and shoulders. And you can also feel that in your chest. Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your labor in the Lord, it’s not pain. Not at all. You know, God sees your work in the Lord alright. And he may be the only one that sees it right now, but he sees it. He sees that you love him and that you’re working for him. All right. And one day, if he’s not already done this one day, he’s going to elevate you. He will and say well done, well done. So you keep doing what you’re doing, Do it unto the Lord, not for anyone else. I think sometimes we get caught up in what people say what people do, how they act towards us, whether it’s good, bad or ugly. And we really just need to place our confidence in the Lord because after all, we’re working for him and not anyone else. Right? So, Lord help us in our mindset to keep a mindset that is focused on you, to do everything in our life to please you and to ask you about everything Lord Lord. Sometimes I forget to ask you and I just go about my day and I think why didn’t I ask God about that? I should have Checked in with him 1st. Alright, keep moving through this one, reverse fly is so good for the shoulders and that mid back, keep that head in nice neutral alignment with the rest of your spine. And of course there’s that exhale as we fly out there, keep going. You’re doing great sitting back in your hips, pulling that belly in tight, thinking about the Lord working for him. An exercise for the Lord. Have you thought about that? Do it for him? Not for yourself even. And let’s stay in the back up. Okay, this one I like. It’s called the y rays. You can split your stance or stand with your feet beside one another. And what I’m gonna do is just lift one arm out at a time with my thumb up. You can also live both arms out at the same time if you want. So just basic y rays, just angle that arm out so it’s not to the front and it’s not all the way out to the side there. Let’s lift out. Let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds? Do you ever consider that? Like how can I encourage that person today, what should I say to that person, what can I do to make their day better Lord. What do you want me to say to them today or how should I pray for them today, father? I mean we should be doing that on a daily basis, not just some of the time, but all the time. Just thinking how we can spur each other on, tell someone good job wow, I’m so glad you’re doing that. Or look what God’s doing in your life wow. Isn’t he awesome what he’s doing through you Alright now I’m gonna lift both arms up and out at the same time. All right, so again just lift out, hold just a few seconds up there. Just hold and then lower down, just slowing this one down, hold right there. How are your shoulders feeling? Mhm. How’s your body feeling today? Just lift it up before the Lord breathe and thank him because it’s a beautiful day in the Lord. Keep it moving one More. Just hold right here a few seconds and then lower down great job. So coming up next we will continue to work on our back and shoulders on shaped by faith. Go ahead and split your stance, bring one leg back and just hold your position one arms to the front and with the opposite arm we’re just gonna pull it right back now if you wanted to you could rotate back here with it through the core if you wanted to do that more or if you wanted to you could just bring it straight back for a single row. Now the word says I will instruct you and I will teach you in the way that you should go and I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. I mean isn’t that an awesome word? That’s how the book of psalms so receive that today Lord we need your counsel father. We need you to keep your eyes on us into direct us Lord. Oh father thank you for your direction, thank you for your council, thank you for your love. Last one. Now go ahead and switch your legs out. Same thing opposite arm comes front and this arm goes back again. If you want to go straight back you can or rotate back with it may the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that christ jesus had I mean I want that don’t you? I’m gonna love each other just the way christ loves us and sometimes I don’t have that and that’s my own fault and I confess it is sin but I want to love others the way the Lord loves us each and every one of us. Alright feeling that through the shoulders, you can also keep that one arm lower if you want it to rotating around there or bringing it straight back with a tight core one more, we’re going into another bent position so go into that smaller squat, we’re gonna start with one arm and just stay on that arm okay and then we’ll switch to the other so we’re just gonna bring that arm out. Alright bring it out, I’m gonna show you to the front here, bring it out now if it bothers you, you do not have to bring it all the way out there, okay you can bring it right there just so you feel this in the shoulder and if this stance bothers you just bring it out just stand up and bring it out okay beyond guard, can stand firm in the faith and be courageous and be strong God is with you, he’s gonna help you, he will be strong and bold, be courageous and stand strong in your faith alright, one more. If you need a little break here you can stand it up and then go back down. Ok opposite arm, just bring it out laterally, just nice and gentle. We’re working on the shoulders here and we’re also working on the back, exhale as you lift out there and inhale as you lower you know in the world it says we will have trouble but then it says take heart for I have overcome the world, thank you Lord, take heart God has overcome the world and you know when we do have those troubles, God is there for us. His holy spirit is with us. We can trust him and depend upon him. Alright? Again, filling this through our shoulders and filling that through your spine and your breathing. It’s nice and controlled. One more. This next one we’re transitioning down to the floor. But if you would rather you can just stand up, go into a bent position and do a single row, okay? But I’m going to show you something that you can do on the floor and you’re gonna just use one weight and you’re gonna use your opposite leg. So we’re going to involve that opposite leg. Okay? So it’s a single row and you’re just gonna lift and lower that back leg. You can flex your foot to engage those muscles, bring that elbow straight back. You know, work brings profit, we know that, but just talking about it leads to poverty. So we do need to take action right and not just talk, but we need to take action in what we’re doing. So we do need to work okay? Um And people need to work for a living, we know that and you need to work at maintaining peace in your heart. Let’s switch out to the opposite leg. All right, go ahead and lift and lower and again feeling this. I feel this like in the mid back area and that thoracic spine area and also feel that in the shoulder area and of course the leg. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Okay? Don’t be afraid. And just tell yourself that heart, don’t be troubled. Don’t be afraid, flex the foot. There’s just something about saying the word of the Lord out loud, not just knowing it in your mind, okay? But actually saying it out loud. It’s just does something to the atmosphere you’re in and it does something to your physical body. One more. Very nice. We’re gonna set these weights aside unless you want to use them and that’s fine too. We’re gonna bring one leg back and the opposite arm in front. So we’re gonna lift and lower. This is an amazing stretch for the back and the spine. Take your time doing it okay? We’re not in a rush here. Exhale as you lift, inhale as you lower to stay engaged with your muscles. Okay? If God is for us who can be against us, you know God works out all things for our good and for his glory, right? You keep doing the right thing. You keep choosing to do what is. Right, okay? Even if the whole world is turned upside down. You keep being faithful to the Lord one more. All right, go ahead and switch opposite arm and opposite leg just lift and lower. Then you’re gonna reach and extend and feel that stretching through the spine keep going. Just be strong and take heart all you who trusts in the Lord let your body receive that today. Be strong, be strong, take heart and trust in the Lord. And I talked to myself, I’ll say body. Did you hear that? Be strong in the Lord? Take heart and I’ll say be bold, be courageous in the Lord and then I’ll say okay, be humble, be kind, be loving Theresa. Where’s your patience? Be patient? I’ll say things like that to help me out. Alright, continuing and last one. Okay, this next one, it’s called the superman. So we’re gonna make our way all the way down to the floor first. Let’s just give that low back a gentle stretch. You should feel this in your low back. You’re just holding on the forearms, okay your breathing and you may think, well what does this do? What does a lot? Just hold the stretch, fill it through your low back and through your core. Alright, we’re next going to go into the superman or we could call it the superwoman. Right, we’re gonna lower all the way down. Alright? Use your muscles slide your arms out there, place your head down, lift up and then lower down. Let’s take our time, exhale and inhale. Feel that stretch. Reach and extend. May the favor of the Lord rest upon you in the name of jesus and breathe. Keep the neck in good alignment with your spine. A few more of these one more and hold up, just hold that stretch and breathe and extend lower down. Go back to those forearms and feel that stretch. You should feel a little bit better through that low back right here. Just holding that. It’s breathing shoulders down. Let your shoulders glide down your back side. Okay, Easy with the hands, make sure the head is not like sinking in between your shoulders. Good, Okay. You know, each of us should please our neighbors, every single one of us should be doing that for their good and to build them up. Do we even know our neighbors? Do we? I mean, it could be in your own neighborhood, Do you know your next door neighbor? Do you know the person across the street when we were kids? We used to know everyone in the neighborhood down the street, the next two blocks over even three blocks, probably in that mile radius of our home, we knew everyone and everyone sort of looked out for each other. That’s probably why the parents didn’t worry so much because all the neighbors knew what all the other kids were doing. So I’m sure the parents communicated that back and forth, shoulders down. But our neighbor could be someone at work, you know, do you know the person at work? Uh do you know the people at church, things like that and we should be looking out for them and praying for them. All right, You’re holding the stretch nice, okay. We’re gonna use our muscles to come up. So place your hands under the shoulders and then as we go back until the stretch, you’re gonna take one arm, thread it through and hope and break and then come up and switch opposite arm. Just going to go through and hold good. Be encouraged in your heart, right? Be encouraged by the word of the Lord. Let’s switch again and be united in love and hold and breathe and then gently come up and again thread the needle through. Hold right there, breathe and then up good. Let’s go to the hands and we’re going to arch our spine here, reverse that one and hold and then let’s go into a seated position. Now if the hips bother you at all instead of crossing the legs like this, what you can do is bring both your legs out in front of you. Okay? But if you’re okay to cross the legs because it’s great for the hip flexors as well. Go ahead and cross them sit up tall. We’re gonna take one arm across and just gently bring it across and hold for his shoulder stretch. Just breathe. You know when we get together we should be an encouragement to someone encourage them in your faith. Right? When you get together with people just hold and pray that engage, let’s go ahead and switch opposite shoulder, just hold right here, take a deep inhale and exhale and again just calming the body down, stretching the shoulders, having great posture for the spine in the back and a few more deep breaths. You’re doing fantastic. I hope you enjoyed the workout today. It was good for the back and shoulders. So thank you so much for allowing me in your home and I hope you’re motivated to continue preparing yourself to be the best you can be as we continue stretching and exercising and praising God together, he blesses our bodies and hearts for his purposes. It’s God who made us and he breathed his spirit in us so we can encourage others to live for him Until next time. Friends may the Lord bless you, keep you safe healthy, filled with joy and strong in your spirit. Mind and body 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.