I was doing a crossword puzzle the other day, and it clued STOP with “Detraining site.” It turns out the clue meant “Where do you get off of a train (de-train)?” Before I thought of that, I was researching “detraining,” and I discovered that detraining is a concept related to yesterday’s blog, A Case for 7.

Just like we wrote yesterday, the effect of not training is not zero progress, it’s negative progress, or…detraining. Here’s the official definition:

Detraining (often referred to as ‘reversibility’) reflects the fact that if a training stimulus is insufficient, or removed entirely, then the aspect of physiological conditioning to which it relates begins to decline. In other words, the individual begins to lose ‘fitness’. – a detailed article in Sports Performance Bulletin

For example, “With detraining of endurance-trained athletes blood volume is reduced by 5-12% within the first two days.” (emphasis mine)

So with respect to our Christian walk, let’s not detrain. It’s daily.

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9.23, ESV, emphasis mine)