The gym is the new church

Every year, as the clock strikes midnight on 1 January, we are bombarded with familiar messages of ‘new year, new me.’

Self betterment has become an inevitable part of our culture, with methods of improving yourself ever increasing in both volume and popularity. 79% of New Year resolutions are centred on fitness, with half of those surveyed stating that their top resolution is to exercise. Yet just 31 days later, the gyms have quietened down, with 80% losing the motivation to stick to their goals. But as Christians, what if faith and fitness are more similar, and more important, than we previously imagined?

Declining Christianity

Christianity across the UK is declining with each passing year. On Sunday mornings, pews are emptying out as gyms swell with individuals looking for a ‘hit’ of endorphins, community, and fulfilment. Both are places where we search for something bigger than ourselves. Both are institutions where we are motivated and encouraged by our ‘teammates’ around us. Both provide opportunities to be challenged and to grow physically and spiritually. The question is, has the gym become the new church?

The bottom line is that fitness gives us something back. A better body, a clearer mind, a purpose, a social occasion, confidence, you name it. Gyms like Crossfit and Hyrox, built on the very premise of community, are attracting the masses because of their ability to create relationships and connections. Countless individuals see fitness as a way to deal with their mental battles, suffer together, offer support, and provide a shoulder to lean on in tough times. For many, when you strip it down, it’s a church.

I have been in the sporting and football world my whole life. But it was a relationship breakdown aged 24 that really spurred me on to take fitness to another level. Lifting weights and surmounting hardcore circuits gave me clarity. The power of discipline, measurement and targets revealed just how much physical fitness impacted my mental health, which later led me to launch my own enterprise, ‘BreakFit’.

The Biblical importance of fitness

Fitness is an essential facet of caring for our mind, body and soul ('Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your bodies' 1 Corinthians 6:19-20). What’s more the Bible, God’s living Word, affirms the value of physical training yet urges us to prioritise ‘godliness training’ - which is training to put God first in each and every area of life - for it has value for this life and the next (1 Timothy 4:8). As CS Lewis, the renowned twentieth-century theologian, spotlights in his signature book Mere Christianity, we must 'train the habit of faith.'

A gospel opportunity

In my years as a qualified fitness professional and a self-identified fitness fanatic, I’ve been amazed at the opportunities the fitness world offers us to share our faith in Christ. For every gym-goer who just wants to keep their head down and gain some headspace, there are ever more who are open and willing to have conversations. To learn, to grow, and to share their experiences, whether physical, mental or spiritual. I’ve had countless discussions over the years, and the consistent theme that crops up time and time again is this longing for something, a higher power to believe in.

As Christians, we are called to speak into this searching and yearning for something more. Where there are negative experiences of Christianity (and tragically this is not uncommon), I see this as a moment for me to listen, to hear and, when appropriate, offer my perspective on faith, life, and hope beyond these four walls.

A friend of mine who’s a fitness coach in Belfast, just recently came to faith in Christ. We were schoolmates and recently reconnected all these decades later. Unfortunately, he’s seen first-hand the negatives that can be found in the Church, which left a lasting imprint on his life. Yet, he was still open to having conversations, opening the Bible together over a cup of coffee in Café Nero. Remarkably, he later gave his life to Christ. While this isn’t a daily occurrence, there are opportunities every day where God wants to make Himself known through the power of the Holy Spirit.

My encouragement to Christians and the Church as a whole is to get out there, outside of a ‘Christian bubble,’ and go to where people and communities are at. This could be through a HIIT workout, a mums-and-bumps class, a rugby training session, or Pilates session – whatever helps you to build your physical and mental fitness.

As Christians, we can engage in this space, for our holistic health and well-being, but also for a greater purpose and mission. This year, let’s create a new years' resolution even more impactful; to be salt and light however we engage with fitness, to be intentional in our relationships, to always be ready to share the reason for our hope in Christ, and to create spaces for the Spirit to work by inviting people to look at the words of the gospel for themselves.

A calling – in the place of a resolution to simply do better – will have a far greater impact… both now and in eternity.