All posts tagged: chiropractor denver

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – July 1st

July 1, 2022 Matt Kenney Friday 5 Spot

On Fridays I like to share experiences I’ve had during the week with patients and in my personal life that I’ve found significant. I like to share them in hopes that you might find value in them and have something resonate with you in your life.

Something that helped me. As most of you know, my sister passed away suddenly last month. In December, she ran her first marathon and took great pride in the accomplishment. When I went to say goodbye to her last month, (she was in the hospital with no chance to recover) my nephew told me how proud his mom was of her race. It made me happy to hear his words, but sad because I knew all the tough times he would experience after the loss of his mom. With nothing to really offer to ease his pain, I promised him then that I would run a marathon for his mom on her birthday. He told me she would like that.

Completing the marathon on Wednesday (her birthday) was extremely emotional but incredibly beneficial for me. Exerting myself physically allowed me to alleviate a lot of sadness and stress I feel over the loss of someone so close to me. This allowed me to recall so many wonderful memories with/of her, that likely would not have come to me if I’d just sat around feeling sad all day. The “race” certainly didn’t bring back my sister, but it helped me better cope and feel connected to her on a difficult day for myself and my family.

A great lesson from the marathon. To be blunt, I was not in “marathon shape” for this race. I have not had the time to train for distance, as I normally would prior to a big event, so my longest run since February was 7 miles. Anyone that has ever run a marathon will tell you how less than ideal this is.

The first half of the race went well, but then the wheels began to come off the bus. My muscles began to rebel with extreme tension and unfortunately the shoes I got weeks ago produced the most horrible blisters I have ever had. Thus, at mile 14 I took of my shoes made the decision to run the rest of the race in only my socks.

Those final 12 miles were extremely painful but reminded me how powerful the mind is. Having been in challenging situations many times before, I knew I could and would make it to the finish. I continuously set small goals within the race to reinforce to myself, that though it wasn’t pretty, I was making progress. I also kept reminding myself of my “why”, in this case honoring my sister’s memory. With that, suffering a little physically didn’t seem all that bad. As strong as you may think you are, the proper mindset will make you 100 times more powerful!

A good reminder. A patient of mine was telling me about her son playing a little league championship game. His team won but what interested me, was apparently the other coach was actively taunting the opposing pitchers as well as badgering his own. These boys were only 8 years old and several on each team ended up in tears.

I am one of the most competitive people you can imagine, but I do not believe in winning at all costs. Sacrificing your dignity or principles to achieve a victory, to me is a loss. If you win (or lose) and are ashamed to look at yourself in the mirror, then you’re doing something very wrong. In life we must all have a personal code of honor that must be always followed, even when victory is on the line. As Sophocles once said, “Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud.”

Something that helps me. Have you ever been around someone that brings up a current event or a political/religious topic and begins the conversation by essentially throwing you a hand grenade? In other words, they get their opinion across in a manner that is incredibly insulting to anyone who feels differently but expects you to happily agree with them or suffer their wrath? Always fun.

I refuse to engage anyone who speaks to me in this fashion and never behave like that to others. My tact is always centered around first being respectful, and second determining if there might be common ground among us. I am willing to listen to anyone that can remain calm enough to hear my take on an issue and tell me theirs. Behaving in this way helps me to avoid pointless conversations with people that are so angry they can’t behave like a grown up while preserving time for people I can have an interesting discussion with.

Some quotes I love.

“The average man inspires no one.” – Bedros Keuilian

“Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better.” – Jim Rohn

“When people say ‘I don’t have time’ it really translates to ‘I don’t want to make the time.’ You make time for the things you care about.” – Joe DeSena

“Lazy people are bored people. Bored people would rather make a mess of what’s around them than clean up their own mess. Lazy is one of those root causes that really gets overlooked.” – Victoria Loomis

“Every word has consequences. Every silence too.” – Jean-Paul Sartre

“A tyrant doesn’t ask for power over you. A tyrant asks for power over your neighbors.” –

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Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – June 24th

June 24, 2022 Matt Kenney Friday 5 Spot

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot

A good reminder. On Saturday I decided to go on a 4-mile run and it went terribly. My legs felt heavy, I was moving slower than I wanted, and I just couldn’t seem to get going the way I wanted. I’m known for running extremely long races so people are often surprised when I tell them I sometimes struggle on easier runs. So how do I manage experiences like this?

First, I try to think through what I could have done differently either physically, nutritionally, or mentally. Usually, I will think of something to try differently the next time. This changes a “failure” into a valuable learning experience and provides future benefits.

Second, I never allow a substandard performance to fester. I get back out there again and try to do better. I don’t dwell on it because I know that success is never a linear process. In this instance, I got up early on Sunday and did a much tougher and longer run that went much better. By the time that run was over, the terrible run from the previous day was gone from my memory. These two steps not only help me physically but serve me just as well in business and life.

An interesting interaction. I was talking to someone recently about their business. They are in a service industry and were complaining to me that they weren’t getting the amount of business they desired. As a business owner myself in a service industry, they asked me for advice.

I asked questions and eventually found the problem. As it turns out, this person says they will be available for a whole bunch of hours but often fills those hours with activities outside their business. For example, they might not have anyone on their schedule, so they’ll leave their business and go for a hike. Then, when someone does want to come in on short notice, they are engaged in something unrelated to their business and cannot accept the appointment.

This person wants their business to grow without putting in the work to build it. Nothing is going to be handed to us. The only way to succeed in anything is to apply effort, learn from mistakes, and then make corrections. It can be a challenging process but one that can only happen if you are suiting up and showing up!

Something important. In life, we all face challenges that stress us out. These can be personal, health related, business, financial, you name it. These challenges cause us to worry about what we’ll need to do in a week, a month, a year from now, even longer. In my experience, this way of thinking often makes us forget about the most crucial step, what we need to do immediately.

When we are stressed about something, the best thing we can do is focus on what we can do over the next 24 hours and then start doing it. This takes even the largest of goals and breaks it down into something more manageable. It will lessen your stress because you are becoming productive and taking control of what you can. Once you get through that day, simply repeat the process and before long, things become easier and less daunting.

A type of workout I recommend (occasionally). Sometimes I find myself in a rut with certain workouts. These can be weight, running, or cardio but the issue often becomes that I feel like I’m dreading doing a certain workout. This is often when I will break out what I call the “double up.”

Quite simply, whatever the workout is I double it. So, if it’s a 5-mile run, I’ll make it ten. If it’s one hundred burpees I’ll do two hundred, and if it’s a weight workout with a certain number of sets then I will do twice as much. The reason I do this is to “reset my normal.”

By doubling the workout, it helps me mentally reset what I see as difficult. When I return to my normal routine the next time, I can push myself more and it seems easy by comparison. I use this workout to remind myself that things can always get tougher, and it helps me get stronger mentally and physically.

Some quotes I love.

“Become the example the little you needed.” – Brandi McDonald

“Warriors are not the ones who always win but they are the ones who always fight.”

“If you cannot bring peace to your household, how dare you try to rule a city.” – Jordan Peterson

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Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – June 10th

June 10, 2022 Matt Kenney Friday 5 Spot

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot

A question I get all the time. At least once or twice every week, I am asked by a patient if I can teach them how to give their spouse an adjustment and/or have someone adjust them. This is always an odd request because I am certain they would not leave a dental appointment, haircut, or meeting with their accountant asking a similar question.

Like anything, it takes thousands of repetitions to get good (at a minimum) at being a chiropractor and performing adjustments. When you get great at it, it will begin to look easy, but it’s not unless you have done it thousands (or millions) of times. At least once every week, I have a patient that is coming to me in pain because they let a friend try to do something to their spine. Schooling and experience accounts for a lot, so when it comes to something that affects your body or health, go to someone that knows what they’re doing and save the do-it-yourself stuff for other areas.

A recent lesson. The football team I coach won their first title this past weekend. These young men have played together for years and are very supportive of one another. This particular team was highly competitive and enjoyed seeing one another succeed. What struck me most, was that they were never concerned with who got the credit, only how they did as a team.

The lesson this reinforced, for me, when you have a group of committed people striving toward a goal that are unconcerned about who gets the credit, you can achieve amazing things. Interestingly, when this attitude is adopted, individual performances become stronger, which makes the others want to raise their level of effort. As this occurs, the sum of all the parts becomes stronger and a group of people become a highly functioning team with immeasurable potential.

A recent interaction. My wife and I had a Zoom call with a young man that is doing the Men’s Challenge I’m hosting for my SAM Designer Health business. I asked him questions about his goals, current habits, and experiences to get an idea of his starting point. As we ended the call, I told my wife I would bet my house that he will attain amazing results.

The reason I said this, is not because he’s a super athlete or genetic marvel, it was simply based on his attitude. Everything he said expressed to me that he was willing to learn, hungry to achieve results, and excited for the process. He was not looking to achieve a goal overnight or argue any piece of advice we gave to him. In my experience, people such as this always succeed in fitness, business, or any endeavor. That is because they are open minded, willing to work, and able to get out of their own way.

Something I believe. I get advice all the time – on parenting, running, training, business, the list goes on. Sometimes the people that give this advice really know their stuff. Other times, they have absolutely no clue but still feel they’re an expert. I believe that experience is the best teacher and sharing the experiences you’ve had with someone is far more valuable than giving them your advice or opinion.

When someone is interested, I love to share with them things that have or have not worked well for me. It’s like I am giving advice, but in a way that spares their feelings and lets them understand how I reacted in a similar instance. I also enjoy when people share experiences they have had in their life with me, because I think of it as a way to hopefully use what has worked and avoid what hasn’t. Sharing your experience with someone makes you more credible and that information is far more valuable than just giving an opinion.

Some quotes I love.

“If you don’t stand your ground, then all that happens is people push you backwards.” – Jordan Peterson

“If you’re going to quit anything, quit being lazy, quit making excuses, and quit waiting for the right time.” – Joe Duncan

“Fear is normal. Every person feels fear at some point. Step aggressively towards your fear – that is the step into bravery.” – Jocko Willink

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Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – June 3rd

June 3, 2022 Matt Kenney Friday 5 Spot

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot

Something I notice often. Whether it’s dealing with patients, nutrition/exercise clients, or people in my personal life; I encounter what I call “easy way-out researchers.” These are people that will spend hours looking for articles that provide justifications for poor behavior. For example, they’ll search high and low for a blurb that exercising too often is bad, vegetables aren’t great, it’s alright to eat unhealthy food, and so on. In other words, they find reasons for avoiding something that would undoubtedly help them. Worse, people like this spend no time looking into how their existing poor habits may be harming them.

I believe deep down; you know whether something is to your benefit or not. If it’s not, seek to change it. Don’t waste time trying to justify it with some poorly sourced article online. Self-education is great but spend your research time on acquiring knowledge that makes you a better person physically and mentally. Be honest with yourself on what you could use help on and then start looking to acquire that knowledge.

A question I’ve been getting. After dealing with a recent tragedy, I’ve been asked by so many how my habits have changed. The implication being that dealing with grief would cause me to eat differently, stop exercising, sleep more, adopt a different attitude, etc. This is common for some in these circumstances, so I understand why they’re asking.

Everyone that knows me, understands I am someone that is extremely positive, high energy, driven, and willing to push through even the most difficult of situations. If that were to change due to grief or any other reason, I feel as though I would be a fraud. I will not allow myself to be a person who preaches something and then does another when times get tough. How you act when things get tough is all that matters in my opinion.

I have trained myself to get comfortable being uncomfortable in every physical and mental way you can imagine. Going through a challenging time now, I refuse to forget those lessons and give up. It is precisely now that those experiences matter most, serve me well, and are put to their best use.

Something I loved. As most of you know and have seen on my social media, I run with the American flag on Memorial Day, July 4^th, and September 11^th. It makes me proud to pay tribute to our country and I always feel like I am promoting something positive in my small corner of the community.

After posting about my Memorial Day flag run, I heard from an old high school friend. He reached out to me, to tell me that I inspired him to go out and run with the flag, something he’d never thought to do before. The experience he had and shared with me was amazing – people saluting, honking horns, cheering, etc. This has always been the case for me too, so I wasn’t surprised, but I was beyond thrilled to hear him explain it to me. He thanked me for the inspiration, and I told him how happy I was that he started a new tradition and had such a memorable experience doing so!

An observation. Through my business and personal interactions, people often tell me about their goals. These can be personal, business, financial, athletic, you name it. What I have found through experience is that these people will fall into one of two distinct groups.

Group one often has the most detailed plans. They tell me lots of specifics, research what they’re doing, vision boards they’re creating, and all sorts of wonderful things they have planned. However, often when I speak to these same people months later, they have done nothing. No progress has been made, and nothing has been set into motion. These people will usually produce an even more detailed plan on to how to proceed from there, and then the process repeats itself. Great ideas with zero implementation.

Group two usually have an idea of what they want to accomplish and then get started. They don’t have every detail ironed out, often make lots of mistakes, and then learn as they go. This is the group that usually attains the best results.

I believe that we can often get “paralysis by analysis” where we gather so much information that we psych ourselves out of going after our goals. Having an idea of what you want to achieve is vital, but nothing ever goes as planned, so I feel it’s best to just get things underway. Accept that you will make mistakes, but those mistakes will lead to a form of growth that you cannot get any other way. Acquire the basics you need to start, and then actually get started!

Some quotes I love.

“A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.” – Muhammad Ali

“Effort and consistency will get you more results than a perfectly crafted plan that’s still waiting to be executed.” – Bedros Keuilian

“The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way.” – Dale Carnegie

“The opinion of 10,000 men is of no value if none of them know anything about the subject.” – Marcus Aurelius

“Either you run the day, or the day runs you.” – Jim Rohn

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Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – May 20th (Memorial Edition)

May 20, 2022 Matt Kenney Friday 5 Spot

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot

On Fridays I like to share experiences I’ve had during the week with patients and in my personal life that I’ve found significant. Unfortunately, over the past week I’ve had to deal with the tragic death of my sister at the age of 43. She was extremely healthy and had just run her first marathon in December. She and I were very close, and she leaves behind a husband and two young children. Today, I’d like to share some thoughts I’ve had from that tragedy that hopefully you will find meaning in.

Something that inspired me. About twenty years ago, I talked to a friend of mine about why he became a chiropractor. He told me that he had been spinning his wheels in life until he went to the funeral of a friend of a friend. At the end of the funeral, everyone stood up and gave the man a standing ovation. My friend told me that it occurred to him if someone could be celebrated like that in death, then he should be doing so much more in his life. It became the turning point in his life.

My sister was an organ donor, and in being in such great shape, those organs will be put to good use. At the hospital, they do an “honor walk” when someone donates their organs. This is where people can line up and watch as the body is brought to the operating room where the organs will be removed and then sent out to save lives.

My sister was accompanied by family as she was brought on her honor walk which is common. What was not common however, lining the halls on both sides were over 300 people, all of which were family and friends that made trips from all over the country to be there. The doctors and nurses said that they had never seen an honor walk attended by so many people. Just like that story I had heard years ago; my sister ended her life with a standing ovation. It inspires me to do even more with my own life and the gifts I’ve been given.

Something my sister taught me. As I mentioned, my sister had people immediately come to be near her when they heard what had happened. Few of these people were local and most made long trips to get there. What stood out to me most, was that these people were from every part of her life. Childhood, old dance friends, college friends, law school friends, work friends, old neighbors, and more.

It occurred to me that to keep that close with so many people from her past must have required a lot of effort. To be honest, I am excellent at pushing myself to the limit physically and mentally but have often failed to make effort in reaching out to people.

What my sister taught me was to go the extra mile. Pick up the phone and make another call, reach out to someone you haven’t heard from recently, go the extra step for the people important to you. My sister did that, and as more and more people showed up to see her, I realized I need to as well.

How am I doing? Many people have reached out to me to show their support and ask how I’m doing. Having lost my brother-in-law (and best friend) less than two years ago at the age of 32, people know I am no stranger to these tragedies, and many have expressed worry for me.

I believe in times of crisis; you will fall back to the level of your training. While nothing can fill the hole of my sister’s loss (for me or others), I have spent the last 10 years or more teaching myself to overcome adversity in any form. Though I am deeply saddened, I will continue to move forward with faith, focus, ferocity, positivity, and more. I would never allow this tragedy to serve as an excuse to fall apart. I will continue to become a stronger leader and look to help my family and my sister’s family in every way possible. As I did when my brother-in-law passed, I will live my life in a manner that honors them. This means that I will give the very best I can of myself until one day, it is my time to go.

Something I loved. As most of you know, I coach 11–12-year-old boys in football. Most I have coached since age 7 and they have become like sons to me. On Saturday, I returned to coaching after being in Texas with my sister and family. Before our game, one of my players came up to me with a sealed envelope and gave me a hug. He told me to open it when I got home.

Inside the envelope was a handwritten card with two meaningful Bible verses and a note that told me he had been thinking of me, praying for me, and that he loved me. I cried as I read it, but in 46 years of life, it was the most touching card I’ve ever received. That young man gave me a boost of strength with his words, and I truly appreciated it.

In life, the people that pick us up when we are down are not always those you’d expect. That 11-year old’s card picked me up in a big way and reminded me of some important things. He gave me extra strength when I needed it and it meant the world to me. At some point, you may be that person to someone you would not think and someone you might not expect may be that person for you.

Some quotes my sister loved.

“Be that kind soul that makes everybody feel like a somebody.”

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” – Fred Rogers

“Those we love never truly leave us. There are things that death cannot touch.” – Jack Thorne

“How you deal with the hardest days defines who you truly are.”

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Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – May 13th

May 13, 2022 Matt Kenney Friday 5 Spot

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot

Something that bothered me. The football team I coach is comprised of 11- and 12-year old’s, most of whom I have coached since age 7. We’ve always been good, but this season we have been dominant. The boys all work hard, know our system well, and have played together for so long which has made an enormous difference. After a recent win, I was contacted by the league. They told me that parents of the opposing teams had complained about us doing so well and asked for proof of my players’ ages. They felt that because of our performance, we must have boys that were too old for the league on our team. In other words, they accused us of cheating.

I was disappointed to hear this for two main reasons. First, as anyone that knows me would tell you, I do not cut corners or cheat on anything. My moral code would never allow it and being accused of doing so, crossed a line for me, and made me mad.

Second, too many people have forgotten how to take a loss. I’ve played or coached in games where I’ve left the field embarrassed by how poorly I/we did. That feeling is horrible but it’s a powerful tool. It can be used to identify weaknesses and implement processes and actions that lead to improvement. When you make excuses and blame others for your own inferior performance, those losses become wasted and lead to nothing constructive. Worse, it creates a mindset that you are entitled to win and if you don’t, you were treated unfairly. Not a great life lesson. Always try to win, but if you don’t; handle it with class and learn from it.

Something I have found useful. I pride myself on pushing the envelope physically through my training to strengthen myself mentally. When my body wants to quit, I am forced to rely upon my mind to get me through. Over the years, I have found diverse ways to accomplish this but today I’ll share one I use often.

When I am alone, exhausted, and would like nothing more than to be done with what I’m doing; I picture my family, friends, people I care for most, those that look up to me, etc. These people care about me so when I compete or train, I like to feel that I do so in their name too. No matter what, I can control the effort I put in. If I give my absolute best than I honor those people, anything less I view as disrespectful to them (and me). This mindset has helped me out of some painful and dark situations by making me feel less alone and more motivated to persevere.

A question I get all the time. “Can Dr. Kenney fix this?” We get calls to our office daily from new patients asking if I can resolve a certain condition for them. Often, these people have tried other things without success and are looking for a guarantee that I can fix it for them before they invest any time and money. I bring this up to illustrate a key point. No one can ever give you guarantees about your health because every person and situation are unique.

When people look for assurances, all I can offer them is the experience I have/do not have treating certain conditions. I also make sure they understand until I examine and/or treat them, any expectations of outcomes I might have, would only be theoretical. I have helped people with back pain millions of times, but if someone asked me if I could fix their back pain, I would still say “I don’t know.” What if they show up with a metal rod in their back? What if they have something that only a surgery could fix? I would not be able to help those things and would have given them false hope. When it comes to your health remember there are no guarantees. It is your responsibility to research which avenues may potentially help you and then pursue and try those you feel most confident with.

Something important. My wife had a woman referred to her for the metabolic testing service we offer. My wife reached out to her as promised and the woman was rude, complained, and behaved like a child, all over scheduling a 10-minute test that she’d requested. Worse, this woman owns her own business and I’m sure would never enjoy people behaving that way toward her. This reminded me of two important things.

First, I believe that how you treat anyone is how you treat everyone. If I see someone treating someone poorly, talking down to them, or behaving badly toward them; I lose all trust in them. I don’t care if they’d make me money or help me in some way, I will not associate with them. I am certain at some point, I would become the recipient of such behavior and am saving myself the headache.

Second, reputation is everything. When you treat people well, word gets around and if you treat them poorly, it spreads like wildfire. People you might think are not observing your behavior are. Down the line, how you behaved when you thought no one was looking, may come back to you in either a positive or negative fashion. None of us are perfect, but consistent, good behavior is necessary in building a solid reputation.

Some quotes I love.

“If you think tough men are dangerous, wait until you see what weak men are capable of.” – Jordan Peterson

“Entitlement = Hardly showing up and expecting results in the short term. Hustle = Showing up consistently and expecting results in the long term.” – Brandi McDonald

“The words you talk, better be the words you walk.” – Eddie Gallagher

“Sometimes the hell in front of you can be so dark and painful that it is incomprehensible, but we still must fight. It is in those moments when everyone else wants to quit that you must step up and be that one warrior.” – David Goggins

“Stay away from people who act like a victim in a problem they created.” – Rick Lopp

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Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – May 6th

May 6, 2022 Matt Kenney Friday 5 Spot

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot

A recent experience. My wife and I consulted with a woman recently about her nutrition. She went into detail about how she had slow digestion, and her doctor insisted that everything she eat have high amounts of fiber. The way things were explained to us, she had some exceedingly rare and unique digestive issues and so we asked her to fill out a food log for us to evaluate. Upon reviewing the log, I saw no foods high in fiber but did see candy, fast food, and a lot of alcohol.

I do not mention this as a criticism of this person, because it’s not. She is a nice lady that just needed the right help. The point I’m making is that we often look for complicated answers to simple questions. In this case, this woman did not actually have a complex issue, she had simply been eating terrible foods that her body could not process efficiently.

To correct this, we recommended replacing some of the bad foods she was consuming with better, more nutritious options. Immediately, she began to improve (in multiple aspects). To correct any issue, the best way to begin is by addressing the simplest issues and then moving on to more complex ones only if necessary. Don’t over-think it!

A good reminder. On Easter Sunday, I was informed that someone had spray painted my office sign as well as those of some of my neighbors. This bummed me out but, in the end, was a good reminder to me of how best to manage problems when they arise.

First, don’t feel sorry for yourself, just accept that it happened and move on. Second, get to work on a solution. In this instance, I researched what might remove spray paint from that surface and went and bought what I needed. Once I’m on to step two, I already feel better because I’m pursuing something constructive and feel more in control.

Third, fix the issue. For simple matters like this, it can happen instantly, but more complex ones may take time. Regardless, get to work correcting them as soon as possible. Finally, understand that things will go wrong from time to time, often through no fault of your own. These issues may not be pleasant, but they tend to make you stronger in knowledge and/or resilience if managed properly.

Something important. Being coachable is one of the greatest assets a person can have in my opinion. This allows the ego to move to the side, so added information can be taken in and used to make improvements. Conversely, when someone is not coachable, they tend to remain in a pattern, one that is usually not beneficial to them.

When my wife and I help people in our fitness and nutrition business, I can tell instantly whether they are coachable. If they are, they will succeed and if they are not, they won’t. It’s that simple.

The signs that some will allow themselves to be coached, are a willingness to accept criticism, take recommendations, try alternatives, ask questions, and more. On the other hand, if someone cannot be coached, they will tell you they don’t like to listen to other people, are unwilling to change what they’re doing (even if it’s bringing horrible results), will blame others, and will often seek other opinions only to not follow those as well. Be coachable, it will make a tremendous difference in the results you can obtain in life.

Something to remember. One of our clients in our SAM Program was told by her doctor that because she was 40 years old, she would never be able to lose any weight. Anyone with any experience in this field would understand this is not true but it brings up two important points.

First, never allow one person to ruin a dream or goal for you. There are many haters out there and usually the most adamant ones are the least knowledgeable. Find people that can help you attain the goals you want. In this instance, this woman was easily able to lose weight with basic advice that we provided.

Second, age is only a number. Your body does not quit when it reaches a round number such as 30, 40, or 50. As a chiropractor, I constantly hear people blame their age when they’re in pain (even in their twenty’s!). I promise you; your body does not wait until you hit a certain number and then begin failing on you. What tends to happen is that someone reaches an age where they stop giving proper effort toward their health. We certainly have less leeway with our health as we age so lack of effort becomes noticeable quickly. Do not give up on yourself simply because you reached another birthday, keep battling!

Some quotes I love.

“You have to change your life if you’re not happy and wake up if things aren’t going the way you want.” – Keanu Reeves

“No matter how hard you work, someone else is working harder.” – Elon Musk

“Do what is easy and your life will be hard. Do what is hard and your life will become easy.” – Les Brown

“Thinking will not overcome fear, but action will.” – W. Clement Stone

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To see previous Friday 5 Spots, visit www.newbodychiro.com
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Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – April 29th

April 29, 2022 Matt Kenney Friday 5 Spot

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot

Something I notice. My wife and I own a fitness and nutrition business and help people of all ability and experience levels. For us to help our clients, we need to know their habits and routines. Often, people are embarrassed when seeking our help and they withhold information as a result. Other times, people are brutally honest, and we get the complete story warts and all. Of these two, the people who are honest always get remarkable results.

For someone to be helped, they must first start by being honest with themselves and identify areas that need improvement. If that step does not happen, it will not matter what comes after because in my experience it will not work. Whether it’s the need to get in better shape physically, financially, in business, or anything else; having the courage to assess yourself and admit you need help is step one. Then, through an honest assessment of your history, habits, and routine you can begin to develop methods that lead to lasting changes in these areas. As I say to my wife all the time “I don’t care how bad it is, if someone is honest then we can help them.”

An interesting interaction. I had a conversation with a gentleman recently that is typical of one I have often. This man is a nice person but went on and on about how I should start slowing down with my exercise, running, etc. that I write about in these posts. He’s 20 years older than me and barely active himself, but kept going on about how because of my age this was important (I’m 46) in his opinion.

Too often, we are encouraged to simply give up once we reach a certain age or milestone. I do not believe in that. Our bodies are meant to be used and our lives to be lived. Does the way I train, my intensity, and the races I do put pressure on my body? Of course, but it would be far worse to sit on my couch eating all day and doing nothing.

My choice is to try to utilize my mind and body to their fullest potential. This involves challenging myself to do things that are hard and to repeat that process again and again. If my body is a vehicle, I hope when I die, I roll in with the tank well past empty, four flat tires and smoke coming out of the engine. My desire is to have a well-worn body with plenty of scars that tell stories. Giving up on challenging myself because I’m “too old” or out of fear of getting hurt is not in the cards for me. I’m never careless with my health or body but I intend to push myself as hard as I can for as long as possible.

An important question. I talk to dozens of patients each day. As a result, they tell me things that they love all the time. These can be certain foods, types of exercise, activities, ways of doing things, you name it. A question I often ask when they tell me these things is “does it love you back?”

Just like a relationship needs two loving and willing partners to succeed, the things you love should love you back by providing benefit to you. Anything that makes you healthier mentally, physically, emotionally, or spiritually I would say loves you back. Conversely, things that damage you in these areas are not showing you love in return even if you continue to do them. Do yourself a favor and examine your most common habits, routines, and actions by asking yourself “does it love me back?” If it does, keep it rolling but if it does not, make a change.

Something I think of daily. There is a saying often attributed to Native American cultures (among others) that I ran across 6-7 years ago that states “Today is a good day to die.” The meaning of this phrase is not that you hope to die but that if you were to, that you would have no regrets.

From the second I saw this statement; it became important to me. My goal is to behave and live my life in such a manner that if I were to pass away, I would be content with how things stood. Specifically, I want my relationships with those important to me to be in good standing, my actions to be honest and well-intentioned, and my efforts in all I do to be as high as possible. I often repeat this phrase to myself at times in the morning as a reminder to behave in this manner. We never know when we’ll go but I believe it’s good practice to try and live so that if today were the day, that we’d be proud of where we left off.

Some quotes I love.

“Most of us aren’t defeated in one decisive battle. We are defeated one tiny, seemingly insignificant surrender at a time that chips away at who we should really be.” – Jocko Willink

“Discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most.” – Abraham Lincoln

“Every bite of food you eat is a short-term investment in how you feel, a mid-term investment in how you look, and a long-term investment in your freedom from disease.” – Joe De Sena

“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.” – Marcus Aurelius

“Assume that the person you are listening to might know something you don’t.” – Jordan Peterson

Want more?

Don’t forget to follow Dr. Kenney on Instagram @Coloradochiropractor
To see previous Friday 5 Spots, visit www.newbodychiro.com
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Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – April 22nd

April 22, 2022 Matt Kenney Friday 5 Spot

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot

Something important. Have you ever argued passionately about a subject with someone only to discover you were wrong? How did you handle it? Did you admit you were not right and move on? Or did you double down on what you said knowing you were dead wrong?

It is never fun to be incorrect, but it happens to all of us. When we’re mistaken, the pro-level move is to say we are wrong, make whatever amends/changes that are necessary, and then move on. Far too often in our society, government, and individual interactions; however, we double down on mistakes out of ego and an unwillingness to admit fault. In these instances, we compound the issue by continuing to fight even when we know we’re wrong. That is the amateur move.

If you’re wrong, you don’t have to celebrate it. However, saying “my bad” and trying to correct your mistakes will earn you far more respect (including self-respect), than continuing to battle when you know you’re in the wrong.

Something I learned about. Parkinson’s Law is a concept that whatever amount of time we assign to a task is what we tend to use to complete it. As an example, if you tell yourself that you need three days to clean your basement, it will take three days to finish it, but might have only required one. If you think you’ll need 12 weeks to get ready for a half marathon, Parkinson’s Law says that you will use 12, even if 8 would suffice or be better.

I believe Parkinson’s Law to be accurate but whenever possible, I try to go against it. If we trim wasted time, sub-maximal effort, etc. from our approach, we can often do what is expected to take a long while, in a fraction of that time. For example, I used to take 45 minutes to an hour to complete my weight workouts when I was younger. Now, I have condensed that to 20-25 minutes by removing wasted time and increasing my intensity. I use less time and get better results this way.

I recently heard someone say that when it comes to goals, decide how long you think it will take to achieve, then cut that time in half. Making your timeframe’s tighter leads you to improve procedures, increase focus, waste less time, and up the intensity. This leads to greater and faster progress.

Something I liked. I was at a wedding recently and the officiant marrying the couple said many wonderful things. One thing that stood out to me was some advice he gave the couple, “Pay attention to the little things because little things are the big things.”

I find that statement to be true in relationships, business, athletics, coaching, and so much more. When you pay attention and attend to the details others may not, you become far more invested and connected to the endeavor, person, and/or interaction involved. Paying attention to the little things takes effort, but that effort can pay enormous dividends for anything and everything in life that you can imagine.

Something I related to. My wife and I have been watching “Tournament of Champions,” a cooking competition on Food Network. One of my favorite competitors has been a chef that is incredibly intense. When introduced to the crowd, he walks out more like it’s a fight then time to cook. He is incredibly intense, doesn’t joke around, and performs to an elevated level. Once it’s over, he accepts either victory or defeat with class and shows profound respect to his opponent.

To some, they might think it odd to be that intense about cooking food. I do not agree. To me, it is never just about food, coaching, running, business, or anything else. If I take the time to compete or get involved in something, than I am playing for keeps. I will give it absolutely everything I have and am often far more intense than those around me. My main opponent is always myself and the goal is to maximize my performance; nothing more. Once it’s over, I can return to my normal, happy self but in the moment, I can’t help but be intense. When you care, give it all you have because anything less is an insult.

Some quotes I love.

“What separates the elite is not their rise, but their response. Never crown a king, team, or organization until the have been battle tested.” – Inky Johnson

“Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.” – Margaret Mead

“Keep chasing your goals whether you are alone, broke, tired, or scared. Keep going.”

“The challenges you face introduce you to your strengths.” – Epictetus

“The greatest compliment I could ever receive as a father of my children is that they’re coachable. That’s the single greatest skill set I could teach them – to listen, learn, and apply.” – Ryan Michler

Want more?

Don’t forget to follow Dr. Kenney on Instagram @Coloradochiropractor
To see previous Friday 5 Spots, visit www.newbodychiro.com
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Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – April 15th

April 15, 2022 Matt Kenney Friday 5 Spot

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot

A good reminder. I spoke to a patient of mine this week that is a high level, sponsored skateboarder. He mentioned to me that he’d recently gone to a large, national event and had placed very highly in a competition. Also, he explained to me when he was there, he felt his competitive juices coming back to him because he was around high performers. He told me how important this was to him because (humbly) he explained to me that normally, he is the highest performer within his circle which often leads to complacency.

I found this to be relevant and a good reminder. Most people I know tend to do only a fraction of the things I do. They think the things I do are crazy and many of them express to me, they wish they could do it themselves. I could choose to feel great about that and tell myself that I am doing enough. Instead, I seek out people that are doing more than me. This changes my mindset from “I’m doing great” to “I need to do better.” It is important to seek out people that motivate and inspire you to ask more of yourself.

Something important. The competency – confidence loop is something I strongly believe in. Competence involves training, practice and learning to build up a set of skills. This is your set of basic skills. However, as you begin to repeat these skills, it will build confidence.

Confidence then leads to excitement and a desire to improve more and perform better. Without becoming competent, you can never truly become confident. Likewise, if you have great confidence but are not competent, you will eventually fail.

As an example, when I graduated from chiropractic school, I was competent and considered one of the best in my class. However, it took me using those skills daily for several years before I began to develop the confidence I have today. If your confidence is low in an area, seek out ways to become better and more competent. As this occurs, confidence will grow, and you will be able to flourish.

Something I often notice. I have conversations with people all the time where they take a lot of time to explain to me how things used to be. In other words, how wonderful things were at another time or how bad they were in childhood, after a loss of some kind, etc. In either case, I am always struck by how much energy they exert into the past while ignoring the present.

An analogy I like to use is if you are driving your vehicle only looking in the rear-view mirror, good things are not coming your way. We are all shaped by events in our past and we do not need to ignore them. We should acknowledge them, use them for fuel or to make a new path, but also move past them. If you are living in the past, you are burning all the fuel you need to move forward on things that can no longer be changed. Look ahead, that’s where you’re going.

An analogy I think works. A patient came to me for an adjustment the other day that I had seen one time, two years prior. She got excellent relief from my treatment but was bothered that the problem returned two years later. She asked, “Why does this keep coming back?” This woman was not in good physical shape, admitted to doing no stretching or exercise, and ignored all the advice I provided to her at her one and only visit. I get this regularly, so I take no offense but it’s a concept worth exploring.

A mechanic can fix an issue with your car if you allow them to do the proper work on it. However, once you drive off the lot, it is up to you to maintain it. If you don’t drive it for months on end, never change the oil, use bald tires, and cover up the check engine light with a piece of duct tape; the car will certainly develop further issues. Conversely, if you care for you vehicle you will give it the best chance to remain in great repair.

Your body works the same way. Whether it’s a chiropractic adjustment, massage, surgery, or anything else; there are no one shot-deal cures to any issues. They can help but even those that work the best will require effort after the fact to maintain and/or prevent further episodes. For example, if you get a knee surgery and don’t follow it up with the proper physical therapy or habits thereafter, you will develop issues down the line. Your body will always require constant maintenance and care just like your car does. If you provide it, you will be pleased with the result. If you do not, you are almost certain to experience problems down the line.

Some quotes I love.

“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s, there are few.” – Shunryo Suzuki

“Pursue what is meaningful, not what is expedient.” – Jordan Peterson

“It’s easy to forget your own potential when you hang out with people who have given up on reaching theirs. You need to level up your relationships if you want to level up your life.” – Dr. Josh Handt

“A man who is more concerned with being a good man than being good at being a man makes a very well-behaved slave.”

Want more?

Don’t forget to follow Dr. Kenney on Instagram @Coloradochiropractor
To see previous Friday 5 Spots, visit www.newbodychiro.com
Check us out on Facebook under New Body Chiropractic

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Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – May 20th (Memorial Edition)

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – May 13th

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – May 6th

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – April 29th

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – April 22nd

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – April 15th

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