A study examined the effects that allowing a person's physical fitness to deteriorate have on their overall health. The study was conducted with identical twins—one lived a more active lifestyle, the other a more sedentary life. The results revealed a few obvious results, such as body fat comparison, but the shocker was the effect that a sedentary lifestyle had on the brain. "The athletic twins had more gray matter (the information processing part of the brain), particularly in areas that controlled balance and motor function."

The study was small, but the takeaway is clear: "Quitting your fitness routine can trigger body and brain changes that mess with your cardio fitness and strength and set you up for chronic conditions such as diabetes. A sports medicine physician concluded, "Muscles begin to atrophy after just a few days of being sedentary."

Possible Preaching Angle:

You have to wonder: Does the same thing happen in our souls? Do our spiritual muscles start to atrophy after a few days or week without activity? Does our spiritual "gray matter" start to shrink? It's never too late to get back in the gym and start exercising your faith.