In a culture that has cheapened the gifts of our bodies and our sexuality by promoting promiscuous and problematic behaviors, Catholic parents need a way to teach their children the truth about their bodies even from a young age. 

The Theology of the Body (TOB) offers an integrated vision of the human person–a body and soul composite–that will serve as an unshakable foundation as your children grow up. And it’s never too early to introduce it to your kids. 

‍

‍

What is Theology of the Body?

Theology of the Body is a series of 126 talks presented by Pope John Paul II during his Wednesday audience in St. Peter’s Square from 1979-1984. These lectures presented the Church’s teachings on the human person, sexuality, and marriage.

It offers a profound reflection on the nature and dignity of the human person based on biblical and theological principles, and explains how our bodies communicate these invisible realities. 

‍

Why Theology of the Body for Kids Matters

Theology of the Body is an invaluable tool for parents to teach their children about the gift of our bodies.

While your children might be too young for “the talk,” Theology of the Body helps you create a foundation on which you can build upon as they get older.

Here’s what it can offer your kids:

‍

Understanding God's Plan for the Body: 

Our bodies aren’t accidental or insignificant, they are purposeful and beautiful. They are not just physical entities but have a spiritual and theological dimension. 

Theology of the Body reveals God's plan for our bodies and sexuality, and illuminates the ways in which human love can and should reflect God’s love in the Trinity.

‍

Respect for Human Dignity: 

Teaching your children about the Theology of the Body instills in them a profound respect for the dignity of every human being. It emphasizes that every person regardless of age, gender, or background, is a unique and precious creation of God.

‍

Formation of Healthy Relationships: 

The teachings of the Theology of the Body promote healthy and pure relationships. Kids who understand these principles are better equipped to build strong, loving, and lasting relationships based on mutual respect and self-giving love.

It helps children prepare for their future vocation as well. 

‍

Countering Cultural Messages: 

In today's culture, young people are bombarded with messages that often distort the meaning and purpose of human sexuality. 

Schools are introducing concepts about gender and sex earlier and earlier, normalizing behaviors not in line with biology or God’s plan for men and women. However, you can help your students go against the culture and stay true to the faith.  

Having a foundation in the teachings of Theology of the Body can help your children stand strong in the truth against harmful influences.

‍

‍

Introducing Pietra Kids! TOB Series

Children need an accessible and age-appropriate way to learn about the Theology of the Body, which is why Pietra Fitness has created a new series for children focused on this vital topic. 

‍

Introducing the new Pietra Kids! TOB series. 

We will offer two series one for grades K-5 and the other for 6-8 that introduce children to the important teachings of the Theology of the Body while also helping them to move and use their bodies for the glory of God. 

As in all of our Pietra Fitness classes, these series will combine strengthening exercises, sacred music, and Christian mediation–in this case, age-appropriate meditations on the foundational teachings of Pope St. John Paull II’s Theology of the Body including: 

• How each person is created out of love 
• the uniqueness and sacramentality of each body
• the complementarity of male and female bodies
• unconditional love
• self-mastery, 
• purity of heart and more! 

Login to the Pietra Kids! Studio or sign up for a free trial of our new Family Plan to get started.

‍

‍

‍

‍

Fertility Awareness is tracking a woman’s menstrual cycle by recognizing and interpreting the physical signs of fertility that accompany the hormonal changes her body goes through during that cycle. 

And it’s come a long way from the “Calendar Method” which perpetuates the myth that “every woman ovulates on Day 14 of her cycle.” 

The Fertility Awareness Methods available today empowers women to know and take care of their unique body. It’s safe, it’s effective, and it can be used to improve a woman’s overall health.

‍

‍

What does the Church Teach of Fertility Awareness?

‍

The Church promotes Fertility Awareness among married couples as an alternative to methods of contraceptives such as condoms and birth control. 

Contraception has no place in a Catholic marriage because it eliminates a person’s ability to love fully and fruitfully within a marriage

Despite the language that is often used by secular sources, Fertility Awareness is not birth control. It doesn’t seek to control a woman’s body; rather it allows a husband and wife to discern their family size in cooperation with God–remaining open to His plan for their life and family. 

Tracking a woman’s fertile time not only helps maintain the spiritual health of a marriage, it also benefits the physical health of the woman.

And the great news is that you don’t need to be engaged or married to use or benefit from Fertility Awareness; it can and should be used by women who want to better understand and take care of their bodies.

‍

Dispelling the Myths about Hormonal Contraception

‍

Hormonal Contraception wreaks havoc on a woman’s body and is completely contrary to women’s health.

Instead of offering wholeness to women, hormonal birth control suppresses a healthy body’s ability to function naturally, causing some dangerous side effects. Studies have shown that Hormonal Birth Control increases a person’s risk for heart attack, stroke, blood clots, liver tumors,  HPV, breast cancer, and cervical cancer. ¹

‍

Fertility is not a disease to be treated; it’s a valuable indicator of a woman's overall health. 

‍

‍

‍

Health Benefits of Fertility Awareness

‍

Firstly, fertility awareness can help women and their healthcare providers identify potential gynecological issues, such as irregular periods, hormonal imbalances, or conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Your cycle also impacts many other aspects of a woman’s health, including: 

‍

Bone health
‍

For many years, researchers have believed that post-menopausal bone loss is caused by the lack of estrogen that occurs after menopause; however, new research has shown that progesterone plays an active role in maintaining women’s bone and in osteoporosis prevention. ²

Normal ovulatory cycles are necessary for developing bone mass that will last you past your reproductive years. 

‍

Brain health
‍

Estrogen and Progesterone play a major role in brain development. Estrogen creates plasticity in the brain and improves cognitive function; progesterone regulates glial cells (also known as the “glue” of the central nervous system) and helps to stabilize mood. 

‍

Heart health
‍

Estrogen and Progesterone levels in a healthy cycle also affect your heart health. Estrogen helps prevent heart disease caused by coronary artery calcification.³ Progesterone helps decrease blood pressure. 

Other research suggests that “shorter total reproductive duration [defined as the time from menarche to menopause] was associated with a higher risk of incident total heart failure hospitalization in post menopausal women.”

Finally, fertility Awareness helps you work with your body, not against it. Reading your body’s fertility signs can help you make decisions that will enable you to make decisions more in line with your health and fitness goals. 

As a woman’s body goes through several hormonal changes over the course of her cycle, the needs of the body–from nutrition to exercise–change too. Knowing where you are in your cycle can help you make decisions that maximize your health. 

For instance, your follicular phase (or the weeks leading up to ovulation) when your hormones are at the lowest levels, is the perfect time for high intensity and strength training. During this phase, your body can better access stored carbs and more easily build/maintain muscle. 

Then during your luteal phase after ovulation, your hormones are much more in-flux so lower-intensity workouts with more recovery time are ideal during this phase. 

‍Adjusting your diet and fitness routine to your menstrual cycle can help you feel your best. 

‍

Resources to Get Started

‍

If you want to begin tracking your cycles using Fertility Awareness Methods, Natural Womanhood and Managing Your Fertility offer a plethora of resources to help you feel informed and to direct you on the next steps. 

‍

‍

‍

‍

Angel of God, my guardian dear, To whom God's love commits me here, Ever this day, be at my side, To light and guard, Rule and guide. Amen.

‍

Many children growing up in the Catholic faith learn this short prayer invoking their guardian angel; however, perhaps because of the cutesy depiction of angels in art or the misrepresentation of them in the media, very few believers give much thought to these powerful beings.

But you should.

The great saint Padre Pio implored others to pray that child-like prayer to their angel:

Oh, if only all men knew how to understand and appreciate this very great gift that God, in the excess of His love for men, has assigned to us this celestial spirit! Recall frequently his presence: you ought to fix your mind’s eye upon him. Thank him, pray to him…Repeat often [this] beautiful prayer…How great will be the consolation, when, at the hour of death, your soul will see this angel, who is so good, who has accompanied you throughout your life, who was so ample in his maternal care!

Today we celebrate the feast of the Guardian Angels, so let’s take some time getting to know them and building up a relationship that will last for your whole life.

‍

‍

Catholic Teaching on Guardian Angels

The modern, secular world often refers to loved ones who have passed as “guardian angels” but that’s not consistent with the Church’s teaching on our heavenly protectors.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that angels are “spiritual, non-corporeal beings…[who] are servants and messengers of God.  (CCC 328-329) that have existed since creation.

They continuously behold God face to face and we believe that at Mass, we join in their endless adoration and worship of Him.

Human life, from its beginning until death, is surrounded by their prayer and care. Sacred Scripture offers many examples of angels as the “mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word” (Psalm 103).

They are heralds and servants in God’s plan for salvation– “they closed the earthly paradise; protected Lot; saved Hagar and her child; stayed Abraham's hand; communicated the law by their ministry; led the People of God; announced births and callings; and assisted the prophets…” (CCC 332)

While the theology of angels is primarily shrouded in mystery, Catholic tradition also holds that an angel stands beside each believer providing both physical and spiritual protection and leading him to eternal life. We call these beings “Guardian Angels.”

‍

Growing in Friendship with Your Guardian Angel

See, I am sending an angel before you, to guard you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared. Be attentive to him and heed his voice. Do not rebel against him, for he will not forgive your sin. My authority resides in him. If you heed his voice and carry out all I tell you, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foe (Ex 23:20-22).

‍

So how can you keep your angelic friend close? How can you hear and follow his guidance and allow him to lead your home?

Firstly, don’t try to name your Guardian Angel.

According to the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy: “The practice of assigning names to the Holy Angels should be discouraged, except in the cases of Gabriel, Raphael and Michael whose names are contained in Holy Scripture.”

Naming something denotes authority over it, which humans certainly do not have over the angels. Many experts also discourage you from trying to learn the name of your guardian angels for fear of unknowingly and accidentally opening yourself to the influence of fallen angels.

Secondly, pray to him every day; the little prayer at the beginning of this post is a perfect way to invite him into your day and the habit of praying it will attune your heart and mind to his presence.

Your Guardian Angels, like God, respect your free will so they can’t fight your battle against sin and evil for you, but they can fight alongside you–protecting you from bodily harm, guiding you away from temptation, shielding your mind and heart from spiritually dangerous situations.

Ask for his intercession for particular intentions or people in your life; talk to them as you would your dearest friend about your day, your thoughts, your fears, your joy. Ask for their help before an important conversation, in resolving disagreements, or in finding a parking spot.

Acknowledge his presence when you go to Mass or adoration, or when you pray. Invite him to help you pray and worship as you ought.

He is there to help you.

‍

Everyone has heard of the importance of friendship, but did you know that meaningful relationships aren’t just good for your soul but for your body too?

‍

‍

Several scientific studies show that engaging in meaningful social relationships have short and long-term effects on your physical and mental health.

For instance, while studying mortality across industrialized nations, researchers found that “...individuals with the lowest level of involvement in social relationships are more likely to die than those with greater involvement.”¹ Researchers also found that social involvement also reduced mortality risk among adults who had documented medical issues. 

Even among more formal social involvement, such in the case of actively participating in a faith community, is also associated with living a long and healthy life.²

There’s several reasons why this is the case:

‍

Meaningful Relationships Can Enforce Healthy Behaviors

For better or for worse, your relationships play a major role in your health behaviors–or personal actions that influence health, disability, and mortality. Some behaviors such as smoking or heavy alcohol consumption can undermine health, while others like eating healthy and exercising will promote it. 

Engaging in friendships that encourage positive behaviors will help you develop and encourage your own healthy habits.³

‍

Related: Working Out as a Couple: How to Strengthen Your Relationship Through Exercise

‍

Meaningful Relationships Improve Mental Health 

Strong social connections are associated with lower rates of depression and anxiety because quality friendships contribute to one’s overall feeling of being loved and cared for.

This sense of social support and purpose reduces the impact of stress and the physiological effects associated with stress such as high blood pressure, heart rate, and stress hormones.

Engaging relationships can also help maintain cognitive function as we age. Meaningful conversations and social interactions stimulate the brain and may lower the risk of cognitive decline.

‍

Meaningful Relationships Improve Bodily Functions

Furthermore, studies have found that “...supportive interactions with others benefit immune, endocrine, and cardiovascular functions…”⁴  and have encouraged faster recoveries from surgeries or illness.

‍

‍

The Book of Psalms found in the Wisdom Books of the Old Testament, is a book not meant to be read, but rather prayed. In fact, Pope Benedict XVI called the Psalms: “the ‘prayerbook’ par excellence.”¹

‍

‍

‍

​​The Psalter is a collection of 150 hymns originally used in Temple worship by the Jewish people. Over time they have become a vital part of Christian prayer and worship as well, being recited daily at Mass and in the Liturgy of the Hours.  

Tradition attributes 73 Psalms to David, twelve to Asaph, eleven to the sons of Korah, two to Solomon, one to Moses, and others to Heman and Ethan.

The Psalms express the wide range of human emotions: joy, sorrow, gratitude, desire for God, despair, hope. For this reason, it resonates with people across time and place. Again, Benedict XVI said that the Psalms are given to us “...so that we might learn to address ourselves to God, to communicate with Him, to talk to Him about ourselves with His words, to find language for an encounter with Him.”

Christ Himself also prayed the Psalms; we see in the Gospels that the Psalms were 

constantly on his lips, reciting them in his prayer and teaching. 

If you wish to pray as Christ did you must pray with the Psalms. 

‍

How do you pray the Psalms?

‍

In the first centuries of the Church, the Psalms were the most common form of personal prayer and people often prayed all 150 psalms every week. (This was actually the basis for the 150 Hail Marys of the Rosary–until the recent addition of the Luminous Mysteries– which is why the Rosary has often been called the Little Psalter).

Farmers and workmen used to pray the psalms from memory while working out in the field or their shops, while women prayed them as they performed their domestic duties.

However, while the Church has maintained that priests and religious should pray with the Psalms in the Liturgy of the Hours, it is not emphasized among the laity as it once was. 

So how can the faithful today use it to express our interior life? 

‍

Pray the Liturgy of the Hours

‍

The Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office, is the daily prayer of the Church, imbuing your day with prayer. The USCCB writes that “The Hours are a meditative dialogue on the mystery of Christ, using scripture and prayer” and much of it is repeating the Psalms. 

This repetition allows us to take to heart the words, so that their language becomes part of our language of prayer. 

Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer are the most “important” of the hours so consider starting with one or both of these. You can find the full prayers for each day here or listen to them chanted here.

‍

Lectio Divina 

‍

Lectio Divina or “Divine Reading” is an ancient spiritual discipline involving a slow, thoughtful reading of the Scriptures. Read through the Psalm, meditate on its words and its meaning for your life. 

You can read through a new Psalm each day or find a Psalm that expresses whatever emotions you bring to prayer and meditate on it. 

‍

Spontaneous Prayer

‍

Make the Psalms a part of your life. 

‍Listen to them sung. Print out a few psalms and leave them around your home where you might see them as you go about your day. Text one to a friend or memorize one with your kids. 

You can even pray with them during your workout with the Pietra Fitness’ collection “Lord Make Haste to Help Me”  to help make the Psalms your words, your expression of love to God. Log in (or sign up) today to begin. 

‍

For many people, consistency in exercise can prove challenging. Carving out time for it each day can feel impossible when you’re overwhelmed with work, chores, caring for children, and everything else to which you’ve already committed, especially when so many workouts take between 25-40 minutes.

Micro-workouts offer an effective workout and are an excellent option to help you maintain (or build) your fitness habit even during busy seasons of life.

‍

‍

Micro workouts are brief exercises that you can do in 10 minutes or less. Performing these workouts 2-3 times a day can give you the weekly recommended amount of exercise (two and a half hours of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of intense aerobic fitness weekly according to the American Heart Association).

Micro-workouts can give you all the benefits of a traditional workout–improved heart health, boosted endurance, weight loss, stronger muscles, more effective insulin absorption, improved mental health–but provide the flexibility that many people need to succeed in their health journey.

In addition to our full workout classes, Pietra Fitness offers many micro-workouts for you to use alone or alongside our other routines.

Please note, you must be logged into the Online Studio to view these classes. If you are not yet a member, click here to sign up for your 14-day free trial and get started!

‍

Pietra Fitness’ 10 Minute Workouts

‍

10 Minute Lower Body Strength

Much of your daily movement depends on a strong lower body. This short workout focuses on strengthening these important muscles in the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. Modifications are offered by the Instructor to accommodate all skill levels.

‍

10 Minute Arms & shoulders (Intermediate)

You need strong arms to perform many movements and functions in your day to day. This 10 minute upper body class builds strength and muscular endurance without the need for extra equipment.

‍

10 Minute Stability Ball Core (Advanced)

A stability ball helps you get more out of your workout by challenging more muscles with a single exercise, or deepening a stretch. This advanced class uses a stability ball to work out your core in new and fun ways.

‍

10 Minute Upper Body

Strength training, especially of the upper body, has a place in every well-rounded fitness routine and now you can exercise these necessary muscles in 10 minutes. This short but powerful class will strengthen your upper body without any extra equipment.

‍

10 Minute Cardio

Get your heart pumping with a 10 minute cardio workout. This short class will improve your strength, endurance, and heart health. Gentle and Intermediate level classes available.

‍

10 Minute Legs

Build strength and power in your lower body by exercising all of the major muscle groups in your legs. Classes available for all skill levels: Beginner/Gentle and Intermediate/Advanced.

‍

10 Minute Core  

A strong core is vital to your posture, your balance and stability, every day movement so you should include it in your weekly routine. Use this 10 minute class to strengthen and tone your core with planks, reverse plank, side crunches, slow mountain climbers, forearm planks, and more!

Available for Beginner/Gentle and Intermediate/Advanced skill levels.

‍

Resistance: Arms

Resistance training offers the same health benefits as strength training, but requires the use of less weight (you can read more about it here).  This 10-minute class uses light weights to tone and lengthen the muscles and increase the endurance of your arms and shoulders.

‍

Resistance: Back

Your back provides the main structure of support for your whole body; working out these muscles is a must for every good fitness routine. These muscles help stabilize your spine and help make achieving your fitness goals easier. This 8-10 minute class helps you strengthen your back muscles and is available for all skill levels: Gentle/Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced.

‍

After God made the heavens and the earth and everything within them, the Book of Genesis says that God rested.

Unlike us, God didn’t need to rest after his busy week of work, so why did he?

God’s decision to bless the seventh day in this way holds incredible significance for us, His people, and we would do well to take note.

‍

Let’s go back to the creation of man for a second.

Scripture tells that God said “Let us make* human beings in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the earth” (Genesis 1:26).

The words “image and likeness” don’t just acknowledge humanity’s resemblance to God with our rationality and immortal soul, they also imply something greater. This phrase is also used in Genesis 5 to describe Seth’s relationship to Adam; it is a phrase that indicates sonship.

Right from the beginning, Scripture makes it clear that we are not merely God’s creations but His children.

God seals the covenant between himself and his creation, specifically with his children Adam and Eve, by setting apart the seventh day. (A covenant is made by swearing an oath, and in Hebrew, “to swear an oath” literally means “to seven oneself.”

The Sabbath acts as a sign of this covenant in which God promises himself to man, and man promises himself to God in return.

God sets aside a day for rest, not for His own need, but for ours, to remind us of our identity as His sons and daughters.

‍

The New Sabbath

Although God remained faithful in upholding His side of the covenant, humanity quickly broke the covenant through sin.

Our relationship and communion with God no longer maintained the effortlessness it once had, but needed a bridge. A bridge which God Himself provided for us.

God sent His only Son Jesus to repair the relationship between God and man through his death and resurrection.

Sunday, the day Christians remember the Resurrection and the new creation, becomes a fulfillment of the original covenant and the sign of the new covenant established by Christ.

Living in a world that treats the human person like a machine — valuable because of what we can produce — has twisted our understanding of rest.

Most people understand leisure to mean scrolling on social media for hours or binge-watching the newest Netflix show–zoning out and shutting down. Rest, most of us have come to believe, is good only insofar as it allows us to produce more.

God sets aside a day to remind us that we were made for something even greater than having “dominion over the earth,” that our dignity does not come from anything we do, say, or produce. We are not slaves, but children.

Resting on Sundays helps us remember that we were made for a relationship with our heavenly Father, a relationship made possible through Jesus.

‍

So how do we reclaim the Sabbath?

Unlike the Jews who were forbidden to work in any capacity on the Sabbath, the Church recognizes that you might not have the ability to completely forgo work on Sundays. However, the Church still invites us to set Sunday apart.

You’ll soon find that making this a priority in your life will inevitably shift your whole week, as you’ll need to orient your day-to-day life toward the goal of true worship and communion with God.

‍

Go to Mass

This one may seem obvious if you’ve been a Catholic for any amount of time as it is our first obligation to keep the Sabbath holy.

Worship is the most perfect way for humanity to exercise the freedom God has given us as His sons and daughters and to enter into communion with God. And Mass is the highest form of worship.

‍

Prioritize Prayer

Mass allows us to rejoice in the New Covenant by remembering the Paschal Mystery, or the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, but this prayerful remembrance should extend throughout your day.

Praying the Liturgy of the Hours, saying the Rosary, or using Ignatian meditation with the Scriptures can help center your day (and week) on the Lord.

‍

Make time for Holy Leisure

Veggin’ out on the couch is not the right way to reclaim the holy rest of Sunday.

In his book, Leisure: The Basis of Culture, Catholic German philosopher Josef Pieper writes that leisure is like “the stillness in the conversation of lovers, which is fed by their oneness… And as it is written in the Scriptures. God saw, when ‘He rested from all the works that He had made’ that everything was good, very good, just so the leisure of man includes within itself a celebratory, approving, lingering gaze of the inner eye on the reality of creation.”

True, holy leisure is not a state of inactivity, but of an active, contemplative stillness and wonder.

Choose activities that fill you with life and life your heart toward God. Read a good book, take a hike in nature. Listen to music, or make something beautiful.

Follow God’s lead; look at the works of His hands and delight in them.

‍

Feast!

Every Sunday is a weekly remembrance of the Resurrection, or a little Easter in a sense so the Church invites us to celebrate accordingly.

Invite your family and friends over for a big dinner or start a potluck at your parish. Break out the special dishware and your drink of choice. Make Sundays a day of good food and good people.

‍

Regular physical activity is vital to maintaining (or improving) your health, but that can feel impossible if you already struggle with mobility or other health issues. 

Seated exercises provide a modified fitness routine with many of the same benefits as a traditional workout that you can do from the comfort of your chair. Chair exercises are safe and easy to do, and can be performed by people of all ages and skill levels anywhere!

‍

‍

Chair exercises provide needed comfort and support while also offering the following benefits, especially for people with limited mobility:

‍

Increased strength

Chair workouts include strength exercises that focus on each of the major muscle groups. Strength training helps to build muscle mass, which begins to decrease as you get older. It also helps slow bone loss which may ward off  osteoporosis, and helps reduce the risk of injury. 

‍

Increased flexibility

Chair exercises help you achieve a full range of motion by stretching your muscles and lubricating your joints. This will help ease joint pain and stiffness and could help improve your mobility.

‍

Improved heart health and circulation

People with mobility issues are at greater risk for developing cardiovascular or circulatory problems; however, gentle chair exercises get your heart pumping, helping your body effectively move blood and oxygen to the rest of the body. 

Since your body functions more efficiently when given appropriate oxygen, this can also help reduce fatigue and boost your overall energy. 

‍

Improves Mental Health

Exercising releases endorphins, one of your body’s happy hormones, which can help reduce feelings of anxiety and improve your overall mental health. A 2021 study found that chair workouts similarly improved participants’ mental well-being and decreased feelings of stress. ¹

Exercising can also improve your concentration and memory, and lowers your risk for developing Alzeheimers.²

‍

Reduces risk of falls

Balance is important, especially as you get older. Falls are especially common among adults over the age of 65, and can result in serious injuries or even death. 

Chair exercises will also help improve your balance, stability, and your posture by strengthening the core muscles in your abdomen, pelvis, lower back, and hips–reducing your risk of falls and their resulting injuries. 

‍

The Pietra Fitness Chair collection offers six fitness classes each between 30-40 minutes that provide a full body workout using a chair. It also includes a mediation on living in the here and now with an excerpt of Interior Freedom by Fr. Jacques Philippe. Head over to the Online Studio or sign up for your 14-day free trial today!

‍

‍