LOS ANGELES, CA (ANS) -- Since first appearing on ASSIST News in December of 2009, PrayFit's social network has expanded to include over 1,400 members on Facebook and 250 followers on Twitter.

"PrayFit: Your Guide to A Healthy Body and A Stronger Faith in 28 Days" by Regal Books will be in stores this December and will be available for preorder online in the coming weeks.

In an e-mail to ASSIST News, Eric Velazquez, PrayFit VP/Editorial Director, said the article ANS published about Prayfit (www.assistnews.net/Stories/2009/s09120092.htm  ) was "a very big deal, and earned us a week-long, dramatic spike in traffic to our website!"

Velazquez said: "Since then, big things have happened. We found a publisher for our first book, 'Prayfit: Your Guide to A Healthy Body and A Stronger Faith in 28 Days'. It was picked up by Regal Books and will be heading to bookstores in December of this year. We just had a meeting with the publishers yesterday to discuss our marketing plan. It's actually very exciting."

Velazquez added: "I can guarantee you that nothing on the bookshelves will be quite so unique. The practicality of our fitness program combined with daily, inspirational, bible-based devotionals make it a one-of-a-kind book."

Though the book has yet to be published, PrayFit has already received endorsements from Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton, former NFL running back Curtis Martin and, most recently, Peace Officers for Christ International. Hollywood players like Mario Lopez and Tyler Perry are also lending support to PrayFit in other ways.

The book will include two, 28-day devotionals, each day featuring prescriptive exercise and/or nutritional tips. One program is dedicated exclusively to the first-time exerciser while the second is catered to those with more workout experience but the programs can be combined into one, progressive 56-day routine. The book also features a detailed meal plan, exercise instruction and a call to church leaders to help change our collective health from the pulpit.

The book is a collaboration between exercise physiologist Jimmy Pena, MS, CSCS, pastor Jimmy Page, vice president of field ministry and the national director of the health & fitness ministry for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and Jim Stoppani, PhD, senior science editor for Muscle & Fitness, FLEX and Muscle & Fitness Hers magazines.

PrayFit founder Jimmy Pena told ANS: "The idea that Prayfit is about to be published seems too good to be true. I am so thankful to the Lord for allowing it all to happen and for bringing the people at Gospel Light (Regal Books) into our lives.

"I will forever be in their debt for stepping into our corner. I am also so grateful to co-authors Jimmy Page of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for anchoring the faith portion of this first book and Jim Stoppani, Ph.D for carving out the nutritional foundation and strategy. I consider both of them to be true mentors. And finally, I am eternally grateful to Eric Velazquez, Prayfit's VP and Editorial Director for working shoulder-to-shoulder with me since the first day we launched Prayfit online as a daily fitness devotional."

He added: "The message of PrayFit is simply a call to change the way we approach or lives in the area of faith and fitness. Prayfit is a tool to help create habits to spend time reading and praying while also making smart, healthy and obedient decisions for our bodies. As Christians, I believe we should be the healthiest people on the planet, yet we're far from it. Our goal at PrayFit is to help create a paradigm shift in how believers perceive their health. It's only after we view health as an act of obedience and as a means of praise that we'll see people leading healthier, fitter lives. And we're going to spend the rest of ours pursuing that goal and spreading that message."

PrayFit, which will soon allow visitors to receive its daily devotionals via e-mail, can be found on the web at www.prayfit.com  .

_______________________________________________

For more information, contact:
Eric Velazquez
PrayFit
VP/Editorial Director
714-478-1108 cell
eric@prayfit.com  

** Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent of ANS, is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649,at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can donate online to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Chief Reporter