The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan Calls On The Entire Black Nation To: Exercise To Stay Alive!
Walking: Complete exercise
[Editor’s note: The following article was first published in The Final Call newspaper, Vol. 10, No. 17, from August 19, 1991, as the third installation of a special five-part series on health penned by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. Below is the conclusion of the third installment.]
When a boxer is in training, one of the first steps toward conditioning him is to raise his metabolism so that he can reduce the fat content in his body. This is done in athletes by running and other forms of exercise.
However, Master Fard Muhammad, The Great Mahdi and Teacher of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, said that the best and most complete exercise is walking.
Some of you may say, “I am only eating one meal a day, but I am still gaining weight. Why?” Because, as we get older, if we are doing less physical work, our metabolism changes and we become sedentary, meaning we are less active.
Consequently, we begin to gain weight. However, the moment we begin to exercise, we raise our metabolism, allowing our bodies to start burning the fat.
However, many of our young people do not engage in physical exercise, so you are young in years but old in your body. You cannot run too far, you cannot walk too fast, you cannot lift too much weight.
Scientists are learning that even the very elderly would not lose the power of their muscles if they just took a 2-pound weight and did a few curls with it. Your muscles will continue to work for you if you will continue to work for them.
My dear brothers and sisters, when you get up in the morning, do some exercise. You say, “Well, I have to go to work. I have things to do. I don’t have any time.” You must take time for yourself or you will take time from yourself.
I am usually up every morning between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. I say my prayers, read my Holy Qur’an and Bible, and study my Lessons. Shortly after 5 a.m., I am ready to do my exercises. I have stopped taking all telephone calls during the hours that I have set aside for myself.
See fat as an opposer
Two months ago, I had a little stomach (much too big for me!—smile). But it is not there anymore and by the Help of Allah, it is never, ever going to be there again.
I am challenging all of you who are overweight to get that fat off of you. Anytime you see an ounce of fat that shouldn’t be there, I want you to see that excess fat as an opposer, an adversary, a devil, an enemy of God’s Gift of Life to us. ‘Work from this day forward to get the fat off of you and I guarantee you that you will feel better about yourself.’
