Wait, I have to stretch and exercise AGAIN?
I admit it. Some days I just can’t believe I have to exercise or stretch yet again. Didn’t I just do that? I may find myself filled with dread and inertia. I just don’t wanna.
Whether we’re talking about staying comfortable and functional pre-op, or restoring comfort and function post-op, if you weren’t previously in the habit of stretching or exercising every day (and I count myself in this category), then this may be the biggest challenge. After all, dragging your sore ass to the chiropractor may require you to open the wallet, but you just have to show up- you don’t actually have to DO anything. Carving out 30 or 60 minutes daily is above all a question of marshalling the will or persistence to do it.
Here are a few tips to address this:
“Just do a little”
Years ago I had a great dentist in San Francisco named Van. In addition to the odd vocational obsession with Hawaii, Van had an incredible collection of world music and let me pick a country. Bhutan? No problem! Mongolian throat singers? Got it covered. One day he gave me a piece of advice about flossing: “Just floss the molars- those are most important ones”. Of course, once I’d gone to the trouble of getting the floss and starting, I would of course floss them all. But you can probably guess where I’m going with this. Once you’ve put on your sweats and did a few stretches that you know make you feel better, you will find it MUCH easier to complete your routine. Oh, and by the way, Van also taught me a much better way to floss.
“Make it awesome”
If you are able to create a workout space in your home, make it as nice as possible. Figure out a way to get music in there. Or TV. Or both! Some days I actually play something visually entertaining (like a James Bond film) with the sound muted, while playing music at the same time. When I was first getting started with a daily regimen, I made my way through a TV series that I was particularly keen to watch (Game of Thrones from the beginning, in preparation for the most recent season). But while watching a TV show can be fine while on a treadmill or stationary bike, it’s problematic when exercises require you to be on the ground, walking backwards on the treadmill, etc.
“Make it super duper awesome”
I find that using high-CBD or other cannabis can ease the discomfort during and post-exercise. It can also invite us into a state where whatever we’re doing is just the perfect thing to be doing. Caveat: you should not be groggy while exercising, so heavy indica is inappropriate, and you should not be so loopy that you are not maintaining proper form.