SOLID START
Focusing on life from God's perspective.
SOLID START
Taking The First Step
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This week on Solid Start, Greg and Brian are joined by AJ Edwards from the local YMCA to discuss why caring for our mental and physical health is an important part of honoring God. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, they explore simple, practical steps anyone can take to begin living healthier today. Whether it's joining your local YMCA or simply taking a walk, every step is a step toward better stewardship of the body God has given us.
Well, good morning, everyone, and welcome to another episode of Solid Start, a podcast designed to get your week off to a solid start by focusing on life from God's perspective. I'm Greg Reed, life coach at Merrill Bros up in Cochemu, Indiana, joined by my very young and fit and popular co-host, Brian Herzog. Brian, woo, good morning. Good morning. What's up, man? Well, you've been on the road.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I had a road again. Great trip to Florida. Got to spend some time with that great team down there. Um love the Florida folks. Yes. It was hot, man. That's what you that's what you said.
SPEAKER_02It was it was pretty hot. Yeah. So what kind of marketing things were you working on while you were down there?
SPEAKER_01Uh it's all secret, Greg. Okay. Never know. We've got a lot going on with our uh Florida Green Compost. Um we have an influencer, the Lawn Care Nut, who uh video just actually uh he released it last night, and we're already getting a big response from folks wanting to buy our compost, which is great. Uh, we had a lot of good discussion on our fertilizer bags as well, and so a lot is happening in Florida.
SPEAKER_02How exciting. So that's uh what we're making down there is gonna be sold and it's gonna be skyrocket to the top. Pretty quickly. Yes. That's what it sounds like. You know, hey, I was thinking over the weekend that uh we talk a lot about stewardship around here at Merrillbros. We maintain trucks, equipment, tools, buildings that are all entrusted to us so that we don't neglect those because it eventually will cost us. But I think there's one piece of equipment that we use every day that cannot be replaced, and that's the body that God has given us. So we uh decided that we wanted to develop a partnership with our local YMCA. So I'm I will have you introduce our uh guest to this morning so that we can uh have a conversation.
SPEAKER_01This morning we're joined by AJ Edwards. He's the Senior Director of Membership and Programs at our YMCA here in Kokomo. Welcome, good morning. Good morning. AJ, good to have you on the podcast.
SPEAKER_02How many podcasts have you done so far? Uh actually it's probably I think my second podcast I've ever been on. It's been a while, but second one. You're kind of a veteran, yeah. Once we do one, then we're pretty much pros after that. You know, our bodies carry us to work, they allow us to serve our families, they give us strength to help a neighbor, they enable us to fulfill our responsibilities. And so, as you know, I mean that's why you're doing what you're doing. Our physical health can easily become the spoke of life that we often neglect and often break down. So, so how did you get into this uh job at the Y? Why is taking care of your body important to you and to the people at the YMCA in Kokomo, Indiana?
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And across the country, right? Yeah, yeah. Yeah, we're not we're actually all over the world. Why I got into the job, I've worked for the Y for about 10 years. I was in high school when I started working at the Y. I was looking for an after-school job. The new facility had just opened downtown. Applied to work there, I got hired, and I never expected to still be there 10 years later, but here I am. Usually have that. Yeah. Yeah, I love it. It kind of gave me a sense of purpose. You know, when you work there, you get to see every day the benefits of the programming that we offer, the services we offer. You see positive impact every single day. It definitely makes you feel good coming to work every day. You leave work feeling good every day. So that's part of why I'm still there 10 years later. I love it. Yeah. The whole purpose of the why, if you actually break down at its simplest, our purpose is to strengthen our community. So that is our our cause, our official purpose of being is just to strengthen our community. And we do that through a few different ways. Our mission is to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all. So we're here to serve you, you know, for your physical health, your mental health, your spiritual health. We're here for the whole family in every way possible.
SPEAKER_01I love that. It's awesome.
SPEAKER_02So why don't you uh repeat that purpose again? I think that's worth us uh hearing a second time.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. At its core, we're here to strengthen our community. Um everything that we do, if it doesn't strengthen our community in some way, we won't do it. That's kind of the simplest way to see the YMCA. Okay.
SPEAKER_02So in terms of our community, what physical or health challenges do you see most often? Is there a way to say, hey, this one kind of comes to the top? I don't know if there's one that you say or or a group.
SPEAKER_00Do you say, yeah, that's that's what we see more and more. Aaron Ross Powell, Jr. Obesity and type 2 diabetes, those are on the rise, you know, all over the United States really, but they're on the rise in Howard County as well in Indiana. So we we see folks coming in quite regularly that have either been recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or they may be pre-diabetic. Their doctors recommending that they come in and do some sort of physical fitness. And quite truthfully, it's terrifying for some people. And we understand that. But yeah, those are probably the largest.
SPEAKER_02So for a person that walks in to the Y for the first time, they feel overwhelmed. Kind of what what's the first step? How do you how do you help people to move, take baby steps to get to where they want to go?
SPEAKER_00Most people, on the first time they make it to the welcome center, our front desk. They make it there. Not everybody, and that's okay. Try again tomorrow. It is okay. But we have a lot of friendly folks that work at our welcome center. The smiling faces you see when you scan in, um, or if you're coming to join the why, they're the people that are gonna help get your membership activated. They're gonna give you a tour of the facility. They're there to get to know you. You know, we want to know your story, what brings you in? What can we do at the Y to assist you on your journey, whether it's physical, spiritual, um, your mental health, what can we do to best serve you? So our team will gather that information and they may give you guidance to meet with, you know, our wellness staff who can help show you how to use different machines and equipment upstairs, different workouts. We're grateful and blessed to partner with Community Higher Regional Health. They provide athletic trainers that are free of charge for our members. So our folks at our welcome center, they're they're the ones that can direct you to all the different teams to give you guidance and information. Okay.
SPEAKER_02Now, would you say there are some common misconceptions or excuses that maybe keep people from taking better care of themselves?
SPEAKER_00Absolutely, yeah. And some of them are a fair cost, can be prohibitive for some folks. I think a lot of people don't realize that the YMCA is a nonprofit organization. So, you know, we never turn anyone away for inability to pay. We have scholarships available thanks to the generosity of our community. That's so great. Yeah, you can stop by our welcome center or go to our website, cocomoyemca.org, and you can download financial assistance information there. So we never turn anyone away. And that's like one of the biggest things is we don't want people to be intimidated because of costs. That should never be a reason not to participate in a program or join. Other things are just people are intimidated. You know, anytime you go to any kind of fitness center, you know, there's people who are very fit and athletic, and you can think, well, I'll never be like that, or I don't want to be on a treadmill next to that.
SPEAKER_02Exactly. Yeah, and that that's intimidating because somebody as buff is Brian. Like, I don't that's embarrassing. I mean, come on. That that hurts when somebody that buff is next to me.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's intimidated to some folks. It truly is, and that's completely fair. Um, so what sometimes I think people don't realize is that everyone started somewhere. So, you know, the fittest person up there at the moment may have one day been, you know, obese or um suffer from some other kind of health condition. So as intimidating as it is, everyone started somewhere. And that's one thing to keep in mind is that it's everyone's journey. And I think another thing is people are afraid that people are judging them or looking at them, that kind of thing. Most people are not. They're they're in their own little world. Everyone's kind of focusing on what they're you know doing in that moment. So those are definitely some of the things that I think prohibit people from coming in.
SPEAKER_02Okay. So what uh I know we're developing a partnership with the YMCA here in Kokomo. So for someone that's living close enough in this area to use our local YMCA, what programs or what what's the next step for them?
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So yeah, stop by our welcome center, get a tour of the facility. Our team will be happy to show you all that we have to offer at our facility. You know, two saunas, one of them, our newer sauna, is the same sauna that the Colts players have in their locker room. So that's pretty cool. You know, we have two swimming pools, we have over 150 group exercise classes every week. We have, you know, great equipment, our cardio equipment we replace every three years because we made a commitment to our members that we will always give them the best of the best. Okay. So we make a point to do that, and you know, we have childcare for working families up to two hours per day, and that's all included in your membership. Um, the only thing that's not included in the membership is swim lessons and Pilates. Everything else that you see is included pickleball, racquetball.
SPEAKER_01That's awesome. Greg, Greg wants to know do you still offer sweating to the oldies?
SPEAKER_00Sweating to the oldies. I'm not familiar with that.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, sorry, Greg. Yeah, you shouldn't be familiar with that because Brian just is kind of doing a little bit of digging. Is that a suggestion? We take member feedback very seriously. I can pass that along to the team.
SPEAKER_01From Greg Reed. That is my suggestion from Greg. I'd be happy to hang out.
SPEAKER_02We ended up with two saunas of member feedback. I don't need to go to the why. Just waking up in the morning and getting dressed, Brian. That's sweating to the oldies right there. Well, I know that taking care of our body is not about chasing a certain image, it's about protecting our capacity. And so when our physical health is stronger, we generally have more energy to work well, more patience with the people we love, greater freedom to serve when someone needs us. And I think, Brian, that Paul's words, the Apostle Paul, his words in First Corinthians six really remind us that our bodies are not even our own.
SPEAKER_01You are not your own. You were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body.
SPEAKER_02So we're not talking about a dramatic transformation by next Monday. We're talking about faithful stewardship, usually begins with one wise choice repeated consistently. So God's not asking us to compare our bodies with someone else's. Uh, He's asking us to be faithful with our own. So, AJ, just to uh kind of wrap up, if someone is living outside of the Kokomo community and can't get to our local YMCA, does this really help them in particular? Because I think there's something we're entering a partnership where we have a 40% discount for people that are employed at Merrillbros, but does that apply to anyone else listening to this podcast that's living in another location?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so um our partnership with Merrillbros, you know, when you join one YMCA, you have access to almost every other YMCA in the country. 98% of them. There's a handful that don't participate in the program, but most do. So as you have access to any Y with that membership. Now you do have to join at the COCOMO Y, I will say. Okay. Um but you do have that access. You have to use the COCOMO Y 51% of the time or more. But beyond that, if you're traveling, um you have access to those other YMCAs. Aaron Powell, Jr.
SPEAKER_02So it would really be somebody that was here locally who could utilize it. Otherwise, if they're in Florida, it doesn't, it's not going to be an option for them. Although they could still you know talk they could still talk to their YMCA there, right? I mean it's still a partnership that's important.
SPEAKER_00Trevor Burrus, Jr. Absolutely. I I think again, one of those misconceptions is the YMCA is here for everyone, no matter where you are. I you know, people would be surprised just having conversations with their local YMCA, what they may be willing to do for you if you explain your circumstance and that kind of thing. Okay. And even if you're not at a YMCA and you don't have a YMCA near you or even any kind of fitness center near you, just commit to walking more every day. Yeah. Just moving more. That helps so much. There's a there's a variety of things that you can do.
SPEAKER_02And that's kind of as I was thinking about a practice. We usually try to have a practice assignment on our podcast. So I was thinking just what you were saying, that it's to choose this week, to choose one physical habit and practice it at least three times. So it could be a 20-minute walk uh three times a week. It could drink drink more water instead of sugary drinks. That one's for me. Thanks, Brian. Stretch for 10 minutes, go to bed 30 minutes early, just something that you would repeat at least three times. Because physical health is not mainly about appearance, it's about preserving our capacity to work, to love, and to serve.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and there's you know one misconception, just for example, just really quick, is people think that you have to hit 10,000 steps a day. Let's say your average is three thousand steps a day. Just commit to making four thousand steps a day. It doesn't have to be monumental, just anything more than what you're just doing.
SPEAKER_02Take a next step uh this week. Okay. Brian, what else uh do we need to focus on for today? Anything else uh in order to get you ready for the uh Mr. Indiana contest that I know you're wanting to you're thinking about entering that bodybuilding contest. Well, I I won that last week. That's why I was in the full.
SPEAKER_01I knew there was a reason you were gone more than just compost. No, I I would say um yeah, just be active, right? And go see your doctor to get a get a good checkup and he can start you on that path of physical fitness and just uh just stay active. Just stay active.
SPEAKER_02Well Brian, why don't we uh why don't we pray today? And uh I think I will uh I'll have you pray for um just the people in our company to that we might stay focused on our capacity to work, to love, and to serve through how we take care of our bodies. And then uh I want to uh I want to pray for our local YMCA and for all the YMCAs around the country that are doing everything possible to help people honor God with their bodies. How's that?
SPEAKER_01Okay. Father, we just thank you for this day. We thank you for just this podcast and uh everyone that is listening. And God, I just want to pray for our Merrill Bros family and their families. Uh I just thank you for how you've provided for each one of us. I thank you for uh just how you are a part of our lives. And God, we just want to honor you with our bodies and just staying physically fit, and that may not mean that we're running marathons, God, but at least we're trying to do what we can uh in order to just make each day better and improve each day. And God, I just want to pray for those who may be struggling with uh mental health as well. That's uh also very important. God, I know there are a lot of folks here and uh that even in our own families that struggle with uh mental health, and so I just I'm praying, God, that uh you would just come alongside them in that struggle and uh help them with with that uh and just try to find some some help there, God. And I know a lot of times when we work on our physical health, that also improves our mental health. So, God, just pray for those who might be struggling. I pray for those who may uh just be afraid to take that next step to get just do something, and as AJ said, just get out and walk more, do something like that. God, get outside and enjoy what you have created and just have good conversations with you while we're out walking. And so, God, I pray that uh each one of us would just take that next step, take that next step, God, to uh do more uh and care more about ourselves, both physically and mentally.
SPEAKER_02Father, we're grateful for AJ and our local YMCA and all the YMCAs around the world that are working hard to help people in uh every aspect of life. And so uh thank you that uh this journey is not primarily about appearance, uh it's about preserving our capacity to love, to work, and to serve. So thank you for the bodies you've given us. You even tell us in your word, they're not our own. Uh that they were bought with a price, and so we're to honor God with our bodies. So thanks for the opportunity to do that in tangible ways starting this week in Jesus' name. Amen.
SPEAKER_01Amen.
SPEAKER_02Well, AJ, thank you very much for uh coming to be a part of our podcast, your second podcast. So way to go.
SPEAKER_00Thank you for having me. I it was great to be here.
SPEAKER_02Almost a veteran. And Brian, if somebody wants to get a hold of us, maybe they want to get help with taking a next step, uh, need prayer about a physical area, mental, emotional, relational, how can they do that?
SPEAKER_01Just go to Merrillbros.com, click on the prayer tab at the top of the page, and get in touch with us. Okay. And what's the website for Kokomo?
SPEAKER_00Kokomo YMCA.org. There you go.
SPEAKER_02Well, thanks everyone for joining us uh for solid start. Take care of yourself, take care of your team, and go make today a great day.