An inspiring, eye-opening
interview with Peggy Bowes, author of The Rosary Workout, on Catholic health
and wellness.
(What would you say is the most important benefit to exercise?
The “Catholic” answer may surprise you!)
1.
Give us a bit of
background about yourself and your experience in the world of health and
wellness.
First and foremost, I define
myself as a devout Catholic wife and mother. My primary goal in life is to get
to heaven and to help as many people as I can to do the same.
My career as a health and
wellness specialist began while I was in the Air Force. I proudly served my
country as an instructor pilot, but I became pregnant with my son and was no
longer able to fly. I was reassigned to the Health and Wellness Center due to
my experience as an aerobics instructor and personal trainer, and I truly
enjoyed counseling Air Force members and their families and inspiring them to
live a healthier lifestyle. I was blessed to be able to separate from the Air
Force to stay home with my children. When they started school, I established a business
administering metabolic and athletic performance (VO2) testing, with an
emphasis on weight loss counseling and exercise program design.
I was inspired to combine my
passion for exercise with my devotion to the Rosary by creating a unique
exercise program called The Rosary
Workout.Through this book and my other writings, I hope to lead more people
to heaven and to help them enjoy a healthy lifestyle so as to best carry out
their earthly vocations.
2.
Explain your own
philosophy and approach to health and wellness.
I believe that the best way to
live a healthy lifestyle is to incorporate healthy habits, one at a time, until
they become second nature. Too often people make the mistake of trying to make
dramatic changes and then become discouraged when they fail to meet unrealistic
expectations. Instead, focus on creating one new habit every month or so. Here
are a few ideas: If you don’t exercise, start with just 10 minutes, twice a
week. Do you drink a lot of soda? Substitute water as often as possible. Are
you trying to eat more fruits and vegetables? Make it a goal to add one more
serving each day. If you’re always tired, set a timer to ensure you get to bed
15 minutes early each night. By making small changes, one at a time, you will
set yourself up for success in the long run.
3.
What would you
say is the most important aspect of health and wellness?
Definitely commitment.I have counseled so many
people who want to live a healthier lifestyle but expect it to happen
magically, without any effort on their part. You have to first decide that you
are ready to make these changes, then you must set specific goals, create a
plan to meet them, and take action. If you state your goal as “I want to get in
shape and lose weight,” then you have not quantified your expectations, and it
will be difficult to meet them. A better goal would be “I want to lose 10
pounds in 8 weeks by exercising 3 days a week for 20 minutes and keeping a
journal to track my daily food intake.” This type of goal sets you up to
succeed because you have a time frame, a concrete goal, and tools to meet it.
4.
What do you see
as the most significant benefit of exercise?
It’s
hard to choose just one benefit! Exercise is the closest thing we have to a
“magic pill.” It builds and m healthy muscles, bones, and joints. It decreases anxiety
and depression and improves psychological well-being. Regular exercise enhances
work, recreation, and sport performance and improves the quality of sleep. It
reduces triglyceride levels (fat in the blood) and increases HDL levels (good
cholesterol). Exercise
is powerful preventative medicine. It reduces the risks of and helps prevent
heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cancer, and Type 2 diabetes
to name a few.
That
said, I think that the most significant benefit of exercise is that it helps a
person to best carry out his or her vocation, whether it be wife and mother,
priest or religious, business executive or custodian. If you take the time and
effort to exercise, you will be rewarded with more energy and enthusiasm to
meet the demands of your daily life.
5.
In your
experience, what are some of the hurdles that people face when approaching
their health and exercise pursuits?
I think the biggest complaint
that I hear is not having enough time to exercise. Yet most people take time to
watch TV, check Facebook, surf the web, shop and engage in other pursuits that
could easily be limited or avoided, at least occasionally. Exercise does not
have to be a long, drawn out process. Anyone can put on a comfortable pair of
shoes and walk for 10-15 minutes without having to purchase special equipment,
drive to a gym, or arrange for child care. If you have children, take them with
you! Certainly most people can find 10-15 minutes for exercise just 3-4 days a
week. Keep a journal of how you spend your time for a week, and I bet you will
be able to find several places where you can convert unproductive time into
time for exercise.
The same time crunch problem
prevents most people from eating a healthy diet. It seems easier to grab a
pizza or go through the drive-through, but those types of foods actually sap
energy and contribute to weight gain. Instead, use some down time to research
recipes that are easy to put together and use ingredients you can keep on hand.
I call these recipes my “911 dinners” because they are simple and usually
involve just a can opener or frozen vegetables, enabling me to cook a healthy
meal in the same time it would take to wait for a pizza. Also, a crock pot or
slow cooker and a few good recipes can ensure that you come home to a healthy
meal at the end of a busy day. I find time on the weekend to plan a week’s
worth of meals and shop for the ingredients. This ends up saving me time in the
long run, and my family can look forward to spending our evenings eating a
healthy meal and connecting at the end of a busy day.
6.
What have been
some of your own obstacles in your personal goals towards health and wellness?
Oh, I do get lazy now and then
and decide I’d rather sit on the couch and eat ice cream than go for a run. I
definitely have a sweet tooth! I fall into the same traps as everyone else when
it comes to finding time to exercise and eat healthy foods. What gets me back
on track is that I truly miss exercising and find that my body just doesn’t feel
right when I skip my workouts. My muscles ache, my energy level drops, and I
don’t sleep as well. This motivates me to make the effort to fit exercise back in
my schedule.
My husband and I joke about
having a “veggie low light” that comes on when we have been indulging too much
in unhealthy food choices. Even my children will complain if we’re on vacation
and have been eating out too much. They once asked me, “Can we just go home so
you can make some oatmeal and stir fry with lots of vegetables?” A lifelong
commitment to a healthy lifestyle certainly involves a few detours, but you
will find that you truly miss the benefits of your efforts and will take the
time to re-establish your healthy habits.
7.
What have been
some of your biggest personal achievements in your own exercise program?
I admit that I’m proud of my
participation in triathlons, adventure races, circus performances, etc., as
well as my sense of adventure in trying new sports and activities.Yet I receive
the most satisfaction from the fact that my teenage son and daughter both
exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet and understand the importance of a
healthy lifestyle. I am glad that my husband and I took the time and effort to
educate our children and to provide positive role models for healthy living.
8.
What sort of
dreams do you have for the Catholic health and wellness arena?
I am really excited that more
Catholics are writing about the combination of prayer and exercise. Dr. Kevin
Vost is a dear friend and author of a great book on combining virtue and weight
training called Fit For Eternal Life.
In fact, Dr. Vost and I, along with Shane Kapler, wrote a unique devotional
combining saint biographies and daily exercises to grow “fit in faith” in a
book called Tending the Temple. Another
informative book on this topic is Ten
Commandments of Lifting Weights by Jared Zimmer.
I would love to see retreats and
seminars focused on helping Catholics care for their “Temples of the Holy
Spirit” through regular exercise in a way that emphasizes that our bodies are
gifts from God that require an effort on our part to maintain. Taking time to
care for the body God gave you is not selfish or vain unless taken to an
extreme. Unfortunately, many Catholics avoid exercise because of the way it is
sexualized and promoted in the media. Additionally, some Catholics seek out New
Age exercises like yoga and Tai Chi, which focus on self and emptying the mind.
My dream is for Catholics to learn to use the rhythm of exercise to help fill
their minds with Truth by meditating on the Gospels. We can then be better equipped to carry out our vocations on earth with
fit and healthy bodies.
9.
If there was one
piece of advice you would give, what would it be?
Don’t be so hard on yourself! I
have seen many otherwise confident and self-assured adults break down in tears
over their perceived failures in maintaining an exercise routine or healthy
diet. Rome wasn’t built in a day, as they say. Instead, focus on your success
and keep a journal to discover what helps you to stay on track as well as what
takes you off course. Don’t forget to harness the power of prayer. There are a
number of athletic saints to serve as patrons and intercessors such as St.
Gianna, St. Teresa of the Andes, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, and Pope
Blessed John Paul II. Ask them to help and inspire you.
10. How can you be contacted for speaking events and
presentations on Catholic health and wellness?
I can also be contacted through
my email, peggybowes@gmail.com. I always enjoy
meeting new people and inspiring others to share my passion for combining
fitness and faith. The Rosary Workout is available in Kindle and in Paperback
and really can be used as a personal exercise program or one to do with a few
friends!
