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I'm not buying this argument - use it or lose it isn't even true in physical sense - sure if you stop working out you lose muscles/strength - but once you start back up the rate of progression is like 5x.

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It is very true in a physical sense. "Use it" results in neural pathways being formed. What happens when you dont use them?

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S01602...

I meant in the physical sense of muscles/physical adaptations. I haven't read/written C++ in 10 years - it would take me a month to get back up to speed. If you never written C++ it would take you at least 6 months/year to get to the same level (depending on what we're comparing here).

Likewise for physical exercise - it took me a year to hit 100kg squat when I started getting into shape 10 years ago. I haven't been very physically active for years but I'd hit 100x5 in a month of starting gym again.

With exercise and cognition alike, the concern is motivational. If you let yourself get out of shape, it can be very difficult to rebuild the habits required to get back into shape. You get drawn into a bad local maximum (e.g. prompting everything, driving everywhere) and find you don't have the energy to get out.

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