I've been practicing since 1999 and if there's one thing I know it's this: the great majority of patients don't do their spinal exercises. Over the years I've learned that if I ask how the exercises are going and the patient says "Well.." or "Um.." it means "I'm not doing them". It's so consistent that it makes me laugh a little these days.
Here's the thing though, a five minute spine routine done on a regular basis can make all the difference in the world in both how strong you are and how you feel. In essence for a few minutes each day you get a huge pay off.
Our patients are smart folks, so why do so few stick with it?
I believe it boils down to trying to use willpower instead of habit power. Willpower is a limited resource. This is well documented. In the beginning, when motivation is high, we're good at sticking to the plan. But as motivation fades and our days get busy, the five minutes spine routine gets skipped ...and eventually dropped all together.
What's the solution? Create a habit. The advantage of a habit is that it takes willpower out of the equation. The spinal exercise routine become "automatic".
How do we do this? First, and probably most important, you need a cue. A cue is simply a sign to do the spine routine. I have a cup of coffee in the morning and I've used finishing my coffee as my cue to do my spine routine. It took a little motivation at first, but now it's on autopilot. My coffee is done, I do my spine routine, period. I don't even think about it. It works for me.
What did not work was thinking "I need to do my spine routine sometime today". I needed to tie it to a cue ...and so do you. Find a cue , "right after ________ I will do my spine routine." You will have to power to create a life long habit instead of relying on willpower each day.
If you need help with the WHAT to do part, just ask. We've got a great printout of a very effective spine routine that only takes a few minutes a day!
Ken Hicks, D.C.
Lookout Valley Chiropractic
www.lookoutvalleychiro.com
