Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot
On Fridays I like to share some of the experiences I’ve had during the week with patients and in my personal life that I’ve found significant in some way. I like to share them in hopes that you might find value in them and have something resonate with you in your life.
Something important I read up on this week. I was reading some orthopedic journal articles and one I found significant was the effect of weight on your knees. Common sense tells us that if our body is meant to support a certain range of weight and we go past that amount, it will apply intense pressure to our foundation – in this case knees. What I found interesting was that for each pound lost, 4 pounds of pressure would be alleviated off the knees. Therefore, a 10-pound weight loss would be a reduction of 40 pounds of pressure on your knees. This article really drove home to me how important it is to our joints for us to maintain a healthy weight.
An interesting experience. My family and I went to a food truck event last weekend and had a lot of fun. At one point, my youngest was bouncing in a jump house with probably 10-15 other kids and somehow the air compressor disconnected. This caused the bounce house to immediately lose air and start collapsing inward. Some of the kids were scared, some were fine.
What made it interesting was the response of some of the parents. One dad immediately began holding up the entrance and calmly told the kids to move one at a time and come through to exit. Another mom reassured the kids that everything was fine and helped relax them. Both responses were perfect. Conversely, one woman hovered at the entrance and panicked which began to freak out some of the children inside. As my son came through the exit, she continued to do this and even began crushing him as she tried to get to her child who was in no distress or danger. I had to yell at this woman and (gently) move her to snap her out of this and get her off my son because she was in such a stressed state, she didn’t realize she was trampling my son and another child. This was a great reminder to me of how to behave in a stressful situation. Staying calm is the best way to keep others relaxed and focused on a resolution. Freaking out takes a bad situation and makes it go nuclear. As someone I look up to likes to say, “take a breath, look around and make a call (decision).”
Is it bad to self-adjust your spine? I get this question all the time. If your spine pops during regular stretching or when performing basic ranges of motion (like rotating the head for example) then it’s generally fine and a sign that your spine is de-stressing itself. If you’re bending over furniture or forcefully putting pressure into your own spine to get it to “pop” then it’s possible the noise you’re hearing is your spine going into a good position but it’s as equally possible it’s also going into a poor position and becoming misaligned. Therefore, it’s best to avoid this type of thing. If you feel the need to pop your spine it’s likely a sign that something is misaligned and you’re in need of an adjustment.
A concept I love. My oldest is training 4 days a week with his high school teammates for football and he and I work out together on his off days as well. He’s got an amazing work ethic and I’ve noticed that as his enthusiasm and intensity go up, so do mine. I push harder when he’s there and then when he isn’t.
This is a something I believe in wholeheartedly – associating with people that make you better. When you can get around people that are passionate, successful or just doing something well; it drives you to do the same. Conversely, when you get around people who are average, unmotivated, lazy, etc. then you tend to become that way yourself. Everyone in your life does not have to be amazing, but the people you spend the most amount of time around really should be if you want to keep getting better.
Some quotes I love.
“Fear is a habit, so is self-pity, defeat, anxiety, despair, hopelessness and resignation. You can eliminate all of these negative habits with two simple resolves: “I can” and “I will.”” – Napoleon Hill
“Success is both very personal and relative, depending on where you would like to be in your own life.” – Les Brown
“If you need a pass to prove you are free, you are not.”
“The less pain we tolerate, the more average we become.” – Jack Butcher
” Doctors don’t make you healthy. Teachers don’t make you learn. Trainers don’t make you fit. Coaches don’t make you rich. At some point you have to understand that life is 100% your responsibility.”
“Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” – Henry Ford
Want more?
- Don’t forget to follow Dr. Kenney on Instagram @Coloradochiropractor
- To see previous Friday 5 Spots, visit www.newbodychiro.com and go to “blog”
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