https://giphy.com/gifs/graph-nQnMObM1nltyE

The graph either rises or falls. Rarely, if ever, does it level off.

I come across people every day, who fall off the workout wagon and return to DDIP out of shape and unmotivated. They say things like, “Yeah, it has been a while…haven’t worked out in a couple years…used to be able to do that exercise no problem but now it’s not happening!”

This can really mess with one’s mind. It’s as if we’ve climbed the health and fitness mountain, only to tumble back down to base-camp, humbled. Looking back up, those craggy slopes can be very intimidating. We can’t imagine doing all that work again, so we psyche ourselves out and keep laying around, being nasty.

Here’s some good news, though: once you have climbed the mountain and are familiar with the route, all you need to do to get back to the peak (in peak shape) is to put one foot in front of the other. We have all heard of muscle memory. The fact is, patterns of thought and action within our body are preserved; we can tap into them even after long periods of dormancy. Everyone knows that soccer mom who can climb down from the bleachers at her kids’ practice and juggle the ball, or that dad – a former wrestler who can take to the mat and give the coach a run for his money. And the same can be said for intellectual capacity. We can call upon this information and apply it throughout our lives, at our will. Sometimes, we even get better with age, as our DDIP mascot, Sam, can attest. Never is it too late for us to train both body and mind, pushing the graph up into positive territory.

I know quite a few people right now who are in the process of making a comeback. This blog is for them. YOU CAN DO IT! You’ve stood atop that mountain before and know the route, blindfolded. The time has come for you to begin your ascent!