Christian Paths to Health and Wellness

Christian Paths to Health and Wellness, Second Edition, offers a unique, faith-based perspective on the pursuit of wellness for body, mind, and spirit. Written for undergraduate students attending Christian universities, this updated edition also serves as a reference for anyone seeking God-pleasing guidance to make positive life changes.

Christian Paths to Health and Wellness will help you

• develop cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, and flexibility;

• apply principles of good nutrition;

• manage stress and better understand other issues affecting emotional wellness;

• learn the importance of regular, sound sleep; and

• understand how to develop and maintain healthy relationships.

In this new edition, you’ll find the latest research on nutrition and fitness woven into an engaging narrative complemented by true stories of personal empowerment. This inspiring book will help you take charge of your health, learn about the importance of physical wellness to the whole person, and apply aspects of behavior modification in reaching your goals.

Like the first edition, Christian Paths to Health and Wellness, Second Edition, draws on the expertise and perspective of a team of Christian academics engaged in teaching health and wellness courses with a Christian foundation. Learning features in the text, including chapter outcomes and review questions, offer guideposts for retaining and referencing information. Application activities help you reflect on chapter content as you consider, through exercises and written reflections, how to translate what you’ve learned to your own life. “Point/counterpoint” discussions give you a forum for discussing a topic from alternative perspectives. In addition, a glossary defines new terms, which are highlighted in bold type throughout the text and included in lists of key terms in each chapter. For instructors, free access to online ancillaries, including an instructor guide, presentation package with image bank, and test package, offer comprehensive support for course delivery and assessment.

Psalm 119 reminds us that God’s word “is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” In this way, the second edition of Christian Paths to Health and Wellness considers how scripture speaks about caring for your whole being and encourages you—through tools, information, and strategies—to live a focused life fixed on godly physical goals.

Peter Walters, PhD, is a professor in the department of applied health science at Wheaton College, a private, interdenominational Christian college in Illinois. Since 1996, he has directed the wellness program at the university level, during which he has evaluated the health and wellness behavior of more than 5,000 college students. He has taught health and wellness courses for almost two decades. Before his career in academics, Walters was actively involved in several parachurch organizations, including Campus Crusade for Christ, the Navigators, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. In addition to these ministry opportunities, he served as director of student ministries in three churches.

Walters has presented and published his wellness research at several national conferences and in peer-reviewed journals. He is certified as an educational trainer from the American Council on Exercise and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). He is a certified USA Olympic weightlifting club coach and an NSCA-certified strength and conditioning specialist. He also competes in weightlifting and triathlons.

Walters is a member of the NSCA and ACSM and is past president of the Christian Society for Kinesiology and Leisure Studies (CSKLS). In 2009, he received the Literary Award from CSKLS. Walters holds a doctorate in kinesiology and a master of science degree in physical education from Texas A&M University.

In his spare time, Walters enjoys strength training, cardiorespiratory exercise, and adventure trips, which have brought him to the summits of Mount Rainier and Mount Kilimanjaro. He resides in Wheaton, Illinois.

John Byl, PhD, is a professor of physical education at Redeemer University College in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada, where he teaches wellness courses. Byl is a member of the Christian Society for Kinesiology and Leisure Studies (CSKLS) and is the host of their listserv. He is also a host of the listserv for Church Sports and Recreation Ministers (CSRM), an organization that connects church recreation and sport.

Byl has been a professor since 1986 and has edited, authored, or coauthored 20 books, including Physical Education, Sports, and Wellness: Looking to God as we Look at Ourselves. He is a recipient of the CSKLS Presidential Award, which recognizes those who have displayed actions compatible with the mission of the CSKLS. In 2013, Byl was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his significant contribution to making physical activity a priority within his community and within the country.