Sunday Special: should I care about my body?

I've recently come back to exercises. Jogging and swimming are becoming a part of my weekly routine. It's party due to medical reasons, partly because I want to look good. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has awaken and decided to finally move a bit. Is it appropriate, though, for me as a Christian, to do so?

"Remember, you are dust and to dust you will return." And yet I care about my body. I exercise, I take great care about my outfits, occasionally put some makeup on and have a stack of different cosmetic products that are supposed to keep me looking young and beautiful at least until I'm 90.

I've had different phases in terms of my attitude towards the looks. At present it would come down to something like this: it's important how you look. But you don't need to look in any particular ways. Canons of beauty can be done away with. But how cannot you take care of your body which is the temple of the Spirit? How can I not eat healthily? And exercise? And dress nicely?

True, the Church for centuries have undermined the importance of the body. But see the description of the creation in Genesis 2:7 "Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." The body was made first. It was important that it was fitted for the home of the soul. It wasn't as if God has created the spirit and then quickly put a body together so that there was something that could contain it.

It God has taken great care to form us, we should also take great care to keep it well. Even to keep it beautiful.