Atrophy

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I was talking last week with a client who is on a college ski team and recovering from a bad injury. We’ve been working on finding hope amidst the setbacks of life and a strategy for getting back out there. In our conversations, she has taught me a lot about atrophy. 

She researched how quickly muscles atrophy to manage her expectations of building back her strength. Within 1-2 weeks of not using a muscle, it loses strength by 25%. Within 3-4 weeks of not using a muscle, it shrinks and loses over 50% of its strength. So an injury that causes multiple months of recovery will result in significant atrophy. This can be pretty discouraging after an athlete has trained for years to build those muscles. 

After our conversation I kept thinking about how we can atrophy in many areas of our lives. 

Atrophy can be defined as a gradual decline, wasting away, stagnation, or neglect. 

  • Our relationships atrophy over time if we don’t spend quality time with people.

  • Our courage will atrophy if we don’t push ourselves to do new things.

  • Our health can atrophy if we ignore our body’s needs and signals. 

  • Our faith may atrophy if we aren’t engaged in spiritual practices. 

  • Our hope will atrophy if we stop looking for good in the world.

Consider physical, mental, spiritual, social, professional, financial, and personal areas of atrophy in your life. We all have areas of atrophy. We can’t give 110% to everything, but let’s just pause today to set some intentions about what is important to you that deserves your attention. 

Atrophy will occur in areas that go unused or untended. 

What might be an area of atrophy in your life right now?

Where do you feel like you are losing strength and want to pay more attention to rebuilding strength?

What have you been neglecting?

As I watch my client recover and build physical strength, I can see her mental strength building too. She is determined to ski again and there is no doubt in my mind that she will accomplish that. This experience will help her always remain conscious of the power of atrophy and the power of revival.

Let’s follow her lead and revive an area of our own lives too. 

Reviving our strength,