All posts tagged: Colorado

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – September 25

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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.  

As a chiropractor, are you for or against physical therapy?  I get this often and the answer is that I’m very much for it.  For whatever reason, people often think this must be a one or the other type thing, but it does not need to be.  As a chiropractor, I focus on correcting underlying structural issues with the spine to impact the nervous system in a positive way.  Physical therapy will focus more on stretching, strengthening, and rehabbing the musculature around it.  Adjustments will help PT because you’ll be able to get stronger around better spinal alignment thus enhancing the results.  Likewise, PT will help you hold your adjustments better as you address the musculature around the spine and maximize its ability to maintain proper position.  Both chiropractic and physical therapy are extremely valuable, and I’ve seen excellent results over the years separately and especially when combined.

A lesson from an unlikely source?  My 2-year-old son is a unique boy.  One of his trademarks when he doesn’t want your help or does not want to do something is to wave at you very pleasantly and say, “bye bye.”  He rarely can keep his pants or a diaper on so I’m not suggesting you follow all his advice but this one I like.  Too often in life we say yes to things we know won’t help us or serve us in the long run.  When we do this, it can add unnecessary stress and chaos to our lives.  We get overbooked, over-worked, and have less time to focus on our true priorities.  Rather than doing this time and again, we’d all be better off saying “bye bye” to some of these things.  As adults we often make things very complicated but sometimes going back to the simplicity of our childhood ways is just what we need.

Any advice on eating better?  One general thing I often recommend is to learn to cook about 6-10 relatively simple but healthy meals for yourself.  These need not be Gordon Ramsey level dishes, just things with healthy ingredients that you’ll enjoy eating.  In my experience, when people have access to healthy food, they’re more likely to eat it.  When healthy food is not readily available, this is often when people turn to fast food or less nutritious choices.  If cooking is not your thing, try to find takeout places that offer healthy options that you can take advantage of.  Examples of dishes I like to cook are chili, steaks, acai bowls, various chicken dishes, etc. and take out options I use regularly are Chipotle and Mod Market.

A great lesson from a patient?  A patient of mine has gotten involved in Jiu-jitsu for the first time and has been at it for two months.  She has been working hard but has taken her lumps as well.  Recently, she was unexpectedly awarded her first stripe.  She was thrilled to receive it and it was like fuel to her self-confidence, drive, and commitment. 

To me this reinforced 3 important lessons.  First, hard work always pays off and is always noticed eventually.  Second, you gain far more self-respect when you must struggle to earn something as opposed to when it’s just given to you.  Finally, we should all challenge ourselves more often to try something new that we’re not instantly or naturally good at.  Having the courage to try our hand at a new skill or new project is good for us – it keeps us humble, improves our focus and keeps us driven. 

Some quotes I love? 

“If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.”

“We’re born with a killer instinct that you can’t just turn off and on like some radio.  We have to be in the middle of the action because we’re the warriors.  And without some challenge, some damn war to fight then the warrior may as well be dead.” – Apollo Creed

“In the beginning of change the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned.  When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.” – Mark Twain

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”
  • Check us out on Facebook under New Body Chiropractic
Matt KenneyDr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – September 25
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Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – June 12

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Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot

I interact with hundreds of patients each week and get asked a lot of questions.  On Fridays I like to share some of the answers I give and hope it has value for you.

My back hurts, is it sciatica?  I am addressing this question because so many people are confused on what sciatica is.  In fact, multiple times every week I will hear someone say something like “I threw my sciatica out” or “I hurt my sciatica” which as you’ll understand in a moment is not possible. 

Sciatica is a general term that refers to aggravation of the sciatic nerve which is formed by 3 nerve roots as they exit your lower back on each side (your L4, L5 and S1 nerve roots form it).  The most common symptoms of sciatica are pain, numbness and/or tingling down the back of your leg and sometimes even down to the foot.  Sciatica can be caused by nerve irritation (commonly called a “pinched nerve”), disc issues, piriformis syndrome and more.  Though the symptoms affect the leg, the root cause is the lower back and sacroiliac areas from where the nerves originate.  That said, when sciatic leg pain is present, the lower back is usually not painful.  Sciatica is an extremely common condition and though it’s not pleasant, it is not always serious.  In fact, I would estimate that 9/10 cases of sciatica I see end up resolving completely with treatment and are not serious. 

What did you think about the news from the W.H.O.?  For those that didn’t hear, the WHO came out this week after reviewing tracing data from multiple countries around the world and concluded that “asymptomatic spread of COVID can occur but is very rare.”  They also expanded and said that based on their data, the focus should strictly be on isolating infected people with symptoms.  My take here is that while I’m glad this information is now coming out; a lot was built on a premise that is turning out to be false (similar studies in California are showing these same findings over the past 2 months).  For the first time ever, healthy people were being quarantined and treated as a potential danger to the population at large.  Our country and many others made a lot of decisions based on this information and many states and countries continue to double down on this as well  The counter argument could be that we had to be cautious and over a short term maybe that was warranted.  However, I do believe if you are going to invoke science to create drastic policies affecting millions of people, social norms, businesses, industries, etc. then you absolutely must be correct on that science before doing so. 

Something nice/inspirational I’ve seen this week?  I took my sons and their friend to the football fields near my house in the morning on Saturday and noticed that a group of 4 high school aged kids had set up a covered area.  We went back to the fields around 7pm and they were still there so we asked what they had been doing.  They explained to us that they made a goal to run 1 mile every hour for 26 hours to total the length of a marathon.  As a runner, I appreciated the challenge but that wasn’t what I found so cool about it.  Seeing those young boys coming up with a way to challenge themselves, committing to it and putting in the effort to achieve their goal with no one there to see it was awesome.  It inspires me to work harder when I see people getting after it like they were. 

A simple recommendation?  With so much bad news around us these days I think it’s a great time to get back to something you love.  This could be anything you enjoy and maybe something you haven’t done much of recently.  In my younger years before sports began to take up so much of my life, I used to enjoy drawing quite a bit.  Recently I’ve started to do a bit more of this and it relaxes me and makes me happy.  Find something that makes you feel good and get back at it.

Some quotes I love? 

“Fear is never a reason for quitting; it is only an excuse.” – Norman Vincent Peale

“Instead of buying your children all the things you never had, you should teach them all the things you were never taught.  Material wears out but knowledge stays.”  – Bruce Lee

“First they came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Catholics and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant. 

Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up.” – Martin Niemoller (this is displayed in the Holocaust War Memorial near where I lived in Boston and I passed it often and think of it frequently)

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”
  • Check us out on Facebook under New Body Chiropractic
Matt KenneyDr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – June 12
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Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – June 5

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Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot

I interact with hundreds of patients each week and get asked a lot of questions.  On Fridays I like to share some of the answers I give and hope it has value for you.

Anything good you’ve seen in all this mess over the past week?  There is always good, yes.  One of the things I believe strongly in is that every person must have a code that they live by.  Your code is your sense of morality, principles, and beliefs.  It is essentially what will guide every decision you make and will let you know instantly whether it’s right or wrong by how you feel afterwards.  If you can rest easy after a decision then you followed your code, if not then you haven’t. 

I saw a perfect example of this over the weekend when a white police officer found himself separated from his squad with an angry crowd closing in around him.  Instantly several black men came to his aid and locked arms, surrounding and protecting him.  I showed this to my sons and pointed out how amazing this was.  Those men were out there to express themselves over an injustice that had occurred.  But as mad as they must have been, their code would not allow them to have someone else that did not deserve to become victimized be allowed to come to harm in front of them whether he was a policeman or not.  I found this act to be of the highest character possible – making a selfless and moral decision though it was not a popular one in the highest stress situation imaginable.  It’s been a bad week, but those men are just one example of the good that we are capable of. 

Something you’ve enjoyed lately?  On Saturday night my family and I went out to a nice restaurant and enjoyed a great meal together for the first time since March. The restaurants in the area were all very busy and other than the wait staff wearing masks it all felt very normal.  After dinner we got ice cream and the kids played in a large park.  It was great to see so many people out and happy again.  My personal belief is that since the stated goals of the quarantine of slowing the spread of the virus and keeping hospitals from becoming overwhelmed have been achieved (whether due to quarantine or not); it’s time to re-open and return to normal.  Staying inside was never intended (or able) to cure the virus so I believe it’s time to get back out there for those that feel comfortable doing so.  I greatly enjoyed doing this myself and seeing so many others doing so as well.

Is there a simple workout you like?  Yes.  I often enjoy doing do what I call “on the minute” workouts.  Simply choose an exercise to complete (commonly I’ll use pushups, pull ups or air squats but it can be any exercise really) and select a number of repetitions that you’ll complete every minute for a specified period of time (I usually do 20-30 minutes).  Here’s how I’d do a squat workout for example:

For 30 minutes I will do 20 air squats on the minute.  So, if I start at 8am my first set of 20 reps might take me say 35 seconds. So, I’ll then I wait until it’s 8:01 and do my second set.  Then I wait until 8:02 for my next one and so on until I’ve completed 30 minutes.  I will often do this type of workout as sort of a “bonus” workout when I feel like moving around but not doing anything all that complex.  As an example, I did this work out a couple weeks ago as I watched the golf match with Tom Brady, Tiger Woods, etc.  Super simple and effective. 

Something I am encouraging people to do now?  We are living through a tough time and whether we want to believe it or not, it takes a toll on even the strongest of us mentally.  When you are burdened mentally one of the best things you can do to physiologically help yourself is to exercise.  I recommend that especially in these times you find some way to exercise daily.  It doesn’t have to be lengthy or complicated but give yourself that release by putting your body in motion.  This will help you improve your mindset, keep your energy high and allow you to deal with the current events better I promise.    

Some quotes I love? 

“People want to take your spot until the realize what it takes to play your position.”  – Ray “Cash” Care

“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”

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”
  • Check us out on Facebook under New Body Chiropractic
Matt KenneyDr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – June 5
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Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – May 22

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Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot

I interact with hundreds of patients each week and get asked a lot of questions.  On Fridays I like to share some of the answers I give and hope it has value for you.

Something I wish I heard more of in these current times?  There is an abundance of talk these days about who is vulnerable to COVID, why masks and isolation will help, how wonder drugs are being rushed to market, etc.  What I feel is missing is any talk of naturally strengthening your body’s defenses.  Medication and medical intervention of course have their place but what about taking steps so that we have fewer people in at risk groups?   Moving more, exercising even a little bit, and making simple nutritional changes can and would affect the health of our population far more than any medication we could come up with.  We certainly want medical tools to help people when they are in crisis but emphasizing how to prevent getting to that point in the first place should be a priority.  Take your teeth for example – a dentist can certainly fill cavities, pull teeth and perform root canals but if you take steps to care for your teeth better you minimize the chance you’ll need to rely on those procedures. 

Something that inspired me recently?  Last Friday I took my 10 and 13-year-old sons on a run with me as I pushed their little brother in a jogging stroller.  It was hot and hilly and immediately my 10-year-old son struggled in a way he usually does not.  Of the 5 miles, he was in the “pain cave” (as we often call it in ultra-running) for about 4.5 of them.  Having struggled to that degree hundreds of times myself, I knew how badly he’d want to quit and how his mind would be filled with excuses to do so.  Seeing him persevere and evenutally finish the run made me extremely proud.  Even better was seeing and listening to him be so proud of himself for not giving up and finishing the task/run.  Not quitting is something everyone says they’ll never do but often end up doing when times get tough.  Contrary to popular belief, it is not something you’re born with either, it must be developed over time.  Seeing my son learn and implement this lesson in real time made me proud and inspired me.

A workout I love?  Every Friday since the quarantine began my sons and I do what we call “Flipping Friday” (if you follow me in Instagram you’ve seen us do this).  At my house we have a 450 lb. truck tire and a 100 lb. car tire that we will flip in a way that’s like performing a deadlift with a barbell.  I use the large one and will complete anywhere from 50-100 depending on the workout.  My sons switch off on the smaller tire and get anywhere from 100-200 repetitions.  It’s an unorthodox, fun, quick, and challenging workout that we all enjoy, and which draws a lot of interest from people in our neighborhood! 

What are you doing to get patients back in that aren’t yet comfortable being out?  I’ve had this question frequently this week and the answer is honestly nothing.  There is currently a wide spectrum of concern and risk tolerance within our population and that’s fine.  When it comes to my patients, I am excited to help anyone that needs me now.  I am also pleased to help anyone that may need me later, but I would never attempt to convince them to do anything or go anywhere they weren’t yet comfortable with.

Some quotes I love? 

“Get busy living or get busy dying.” – Red and Andy in Shawshank Redemption

“Fear is extremely contagious.  Practice fear distancing.  Stay away or you might catch it.  – Ben Altadonna

“Don’t ever underestimate a person who knows more than they say, who observes more than they speak and is busy taking action while the rest are making noise.” – Joel Brown

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”
  • Check us out on Facebook under New Body Chiropractic
Matt KenneyDr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – May 22
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Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – May 15

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Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot

I interact with hundreds of patients each week (under normal circumstances, though less during the crisis obviously) and get asked a lot of questions.  On Fridays I like to share some of the answers I give and hope it has value for you.

Something cool that’s happened recently?  Before Easter I created a race for my sons and I that we ran while carrying the American flag.  I posted a picture and video on Instagram and tagged one of my favorite companies, Team Never Quit which is the company of Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell known for his experiences as described in his book “Lone Survivor.”  As I scrolled through Instagram the other day I was surprised to see that Team Never Quit had posted that picture of my boys and I while I held the American flag with the caption “Showing his boys what it means to be a patriot.”  This was cool to me because the caption accurately captured my sense of patriotism that I do try to teach my sons.  It was also fun to see how excited my sons were when they saw that our picture was on there.  From their reactions, I knew they were proud and that the caption meant a lot to them as well. 

Something I’m doing for exercise?  Since the age of 15, I have been working out at least several days per week with weights so I am badly missing the gym.  I have some assorted equipment at my house but nothing that I would consider heavy and certainly not enough to offer the variety I get from a gym.  What I began doing this week however was adding resistance bands onto the weights so that I’m lifting the actual weights plus the resistance the bands provide.  This has made a tremendous difference and I am able to do more exercises where it’s challenging to get 10-12 reps.  It has been a nice change of pace.

How does it feel to be re-opened?  Despite sending out about 20 emails and posts regarding this topic, people are still shocked when I tell them we have never closed due to the pandemic.  Many of the chiropractors in the state chose to close for their own reasons but the state never mandated doing so.  Our office remained open and observed a recommended reduction in office hours.  We’ve proudly helped hundreds of people that were in pain and needed help during this whole ordeal and are very proud we never shut our doors. 

Anything you’ve seen regarding COVID that gives you hope?  Yes!  I get exhausted watching news and listening to the situation get slanted in one way or another, so I rely on the data.  The data gives me hope and I take the time weekly to run numbers on my own based on the numbers provided to us by the CDC, state, etc. 

The data most significant to me are the number of fatalities within a state, county, country, etc. divided by the number of people within those areas.  So, for the state of Colorado (as of this writing) we have 987 deaths statewide within a population of 5.7 million (I rounded down about 500k from 2019 census) for a death rate of .02%.  Neighboring states are also similar:  Wyoming .001%, Utah .015%, Nebraska .004%, Oklahoma .02%, New Mexico .007%, Kansas .02%, and Arizona .005%.  These numbers can be further segmented among suspected versus confirmed cases, age, co-morbidities and more but for space reasons I’ll just leave it general.

So here is what I draw from this information that is so positive.  The numbers are very low and consistent among the states which demonstrates a trend which itself is positive and provides faith in the statistics.  Second, despite initial fears, the data does not point to a virus that cannot be controlled or that carries with it a high percentage death rate.  Viruses like SARS and Ebola carry death rates in the 30-40% range, and this has thankfully been proven to not be that.  We are well below a 1% death rate across the board.  I certainly wish no one had to deal with this and that no one had died but the stats do help put things into better perspective in my opinion.  I share these stats not because I have any agenda myself but because so often, I talk to people and their assumption of the numbers is so far off. 

Some quotes I love?  “Be nice until it’s time to not be nice.” – Patrick Swayze in Road House

“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.” – Martin Luther King

“Strength doesn’t just come from winning.  Your struggles develop your strength.  When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.” – Gandhi

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”
  • Check us out on Facebook under New Body Chiropractic
Matt KenneyDr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – May 15
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Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – April 17

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Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot

I interact with hundreds of patients each week (under normal circumstances though less during the crisis obviously) and get asked a lot of questions.  On Fridays I like to share some of the answers I give and hope it has value for you. 

A piece of advice I’d recommend during quarantine?  Have you ever noticed that the more you sit around and do nothing the more restless you become?  I believe that relaxing is something that should be earned and is appreciated far more when it is.  Therefore, my advice is to make sure you are physically exerting your body daily – running, walking, pushups, weights, yoga, whatever.  This gives you a feeling of accomplishment and after you’ve done this, THEN you can relax.  Done in this fashion, it will feel like a reward rather than a lack of productivity. 

A concern I have going forward?  Have you ever seen someone that has lost their nerve or confidence in a major way?  If so, you understand how someone can quickly and completely change.  My fear as the quarantine ends is that a great many people will not rebound.  They will remain afraid, lose motivation, never get past what has happened and wake up years later still blaming past circumstances for lack of personal results.   It’s a trying time for sure but life is too short to spend it in neutral fretting about the past.    

Something nice I’ve seen recently?  I went to one of my favorite places in Littleton to grab some takeout for lunch this week.  I started chatting with the employee as I waited for my food and he said business is way down – some days he doesn’t get paid after driving from Denver and they are serving maybe 10 tickets in a day when that number is over 100 in normal times.  Then after telling me that he began to tell me how the owner has begun serving meals to people in the community that are in need right now.  I was really impressed by this.  Even in their toughest time, they are taking the time to give back to the community that has supported them for so many years.  I respect the heck out of that.  (By the way, if you like Middle Eastern food, check out Damascus Grill in Littleton by my office or in Castle Rock!)

Something I’ve been doing that’s helping?  I’ve really focused on getting rid of sources of negativity and it’s made a tremendous difference.  I’ve stopped watching the news by and large (I get some updates but don’t tune in much) because it’s just the same stuff again and again.  I also avoid talking and texting with the people that bum me out with all their doom and gloom.  In place of the sources of negativity I simply insert the opposites – I talk more to positive people and watch/read more of what is uplifting.  I never hide from reality, but I do not waste time dwelling on the negative aspects of things I cannot control.

Some quotes I love?  “Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”  – Ben Franklin

“In a crisis, don’t hide behind anything or anybody. They’re going to find you anyway.” – Bear Bryant

Want more?

  • Don’t forget to follow Dr. Kenney on Instagram @Coloradochiropractor
  • Check us out on Facebook under New Body Chiropractic
Matt KenneyDr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – April 17
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Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – January 24th

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I interact with hundreds of patients each week and get asked a lot of questions.  On Fridays I like to share some of the answers I give and hope it has value for you.

What causes the “cracking” noise during an adjustment?  It doesn’t offend me, but I’ve never liked the term “cracking” when talking about an adjustment because nothing is cracking or breaking.  The sound occurs (with certain chiropractic techniques) when a joint is moved.  As this happens, a little bit of air and nitrogen are released from the joint and thus the sound is heard. Just like if you press into your knuckles it can cause that sound, the spine works the same way.

A recent observation?  I have a friend that coaches a flag football team of young kids.  His team is currently undefeated and this past weekend their opponents showed up to the game and willingly forfeited because they expected to lose badly.  All expect one of the parents on the forfeiting team supported this decision and I found this horrible to say the least.  In sports and in life, it is never fun to lose but losing is a great teacher.  Losing teaches us what needs to be improved and makes us re-evaluate what we’re doing to get there.  It also gives us an appreciation for success and winning and how challenging it can be to attain it.  I think the faulty message that was sent to that group of kids with that ridiculous forfeit was that unless you’re sure you can win, it’s not worth trying.  It also told them that no one thought they could handle it if they tried and failed.  Making things too soft for kids (and adults) only makes them soft and weak, take a loss and move on.

Something I’d recommend more people do?  I am a huge fan of doing some type of exercise in the morning.  This does not have to necessarily be your main workout or anything super lengthy or intense, just something to get moving.  I believe this gives you a tremendous edge as you begin your day.  You feel refreshed, more alert and like you are ahead of schedule already.  I now do a 10-20-minute moderate intensity workout without any equipment each morning for this reason and it gets me ready for the day.  Give it a try, you will be glad you did!

Is there something you recommend for improving posture?  There are 3 main recommendations I make regarding posture.   First, focus on keeping your breastbone up.  This simple step helps the rest of the body to naturally get into healthier positions.  Second, create what I call “postural checkpoints.”  For example, when you’re driving or at your desk you may find that you tend to slouch.  Going forward, when you hit a stoplight or as you complete a portion of a task at work, remind yourself to sit up straight.  If you begin doing this, soon it will become intuitive and will greatly improve your posture.  Finally, receive chiropractic checkups on a regular basis.  Much of our poor posture is a response to having misalignments in the spine and our bodies adapting bad positions to accommodate them.  Therefore, a regular tune-up here and there can prevent and/or fix this.

A quote I love?  “How you do anything is how you do everything.” 

Want more?

  • Don’t forget to follow Dr. Kenney on Instagram @Coloradochiropractor
  • Check us out on Facebook under New Body Chiropractic
Matt KenneyDr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – January 24th
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Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – January 17

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I interact with hundreds of patients each week and get asked a lot of questions.  On Fridays I like to share some of the answers I give and hope it has value for you.

Should I work through pain or soreness?  I have this discussion regularly and I think it’s important.  Soreness will happen anytime your body is exposed to a stimulus to which it is unaccustomed.  This could be the start of exercise, a new type or form of exercise, more weight or reps, running more than usual, lifting boxes around your home, etc.  Soreness is very normal and can be worked through without risk of damage.  Pain is different.  Examples of this would be improper motion, something feeling pinched, abnormal symptoms or basically a feeling of something not being right.  These are signals your body is sending to you that something is in fact wrong.  Trying to work through this is likely to cause more injury.  So, soreness is fine to work through while pain is not. 

I’ve heard if I get adjusted once I’ll have to get adjusted forever, is that true?  I have gotten this one thousands of times and it always baffles me.  Chiropractic adjustments are meant to help your body function better so that you can feel and move better.  If that appeals to you then you are welcome to do it as much or as little as you like.  Good nutrition, brushing your teeth, exercise, dental checkups, massage, physical therapy and much more are also meant to help you, though few people ever ask whether if they do those once they’ll need to do them forever.  While an adjustment is likely to make you feel and function better, there is no process that begins after an initial adjustment that would necessitate you getting adjusted forever unless you decide you want to.   

A piece of exercise and/or nutrition advice I think everyone should follow?  This time of year, many are trying to eat better and exercise more.  Based on my experience, here is my number one piece of advice…just start!  Will you make mistakes?  Yes.  But you will learn from mistakes and the trial and error will help you.  Many people get “paralysis by analysis” where they feel they need all the perfect information before beginning anything.  Sadly, many of those people never begin at all.  When I look back at my early days of exercise and eating better, I want to laugh and trust me, you would too.  I really had no idea what I was doing but I stuck with it and learned from mistakes.  Eventually that produced knowledge and efficiency and it will for you too.  Just get started and adjust as you go.

Something useful I’ve been using?  I love motivational videos on YouTube.  I’m usually up by about 5am and I will often go onto YouTube first thing and start watching videos while I have a cup of coffee.  After a few Rocky or Navy SEAL videos or something with Les Brown, Jocko Willink or David Goggins in it I’m fired up to start doing something physical like burpees or pushups.  This really helps me get primed up for the day.  Motivation can’t finish a job for you, but it can definitely help you get started so utilize it!

A quote I love?  “Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.” ― Bruce Lee

Want more?

•             Don’t forget to follow Dr. Kenney on Instagram @Coloradochiropractor

•             Check us out on Facebook under New Body Chiropractic

Matt KenneyDr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – January 17
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Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – January 10th

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Dr. Kenney’s 5 Spot

I interact with hundreds of patients each week and get asked a lot of questions.  On Fridays I like to share some of the answers I give and hope it has value for you.

Where do you get your energy from, is it coffee or what?  Though it’s not something I play up, my energy level is something people notice and comment on regularly.  I do drink a little bit of coffee but even without coffee my energy is the same – at work and at home.  My energy comes from a combination of things.   I am a very positive and grateful person, so I enjoy my family, my work and many of the simplest things in life.  I get enough sleep each night, exercise daily, eat well and deal with stress so that it does not dictate my life.  Years ago, when these things were not the case, my energy level was only a fraction of what it is now.

A common health misconception you encounter?  Something I’ve noticed over the years is that people blame age for everything.  In fact, I had a guy this morning who blamed his back pain on his age…he’s 24.  Seriously?  The reality is that as we age our bodies do become less efficient than they were in our youth.  However, chronological age does not dictate health.  I will often sit down with a new patient I would assume to be in their 50’s but is actually in their 30’s or vice versa.  Things will change physiologically as we age but we can slow or accelerate that process through our health choices.  In my experience those that eat well, exercise, manage their stress, complain less, etc. are the ones that look, act and feel less than their actual age.  Those that don’t will age faster.

A book you love?  “Can’t Hurt Me:  Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds” by David Goggins.  This book is written by a former Navy SEAL that had a horrible upbringing, became obese and was not progressing well in life.  He has gone on to become an absolute, no BS guy that has accomplished a great deal while never forgetting what got him there.  He is an intense dude and I really gravitate to how he sees things.  I read this book last year and upon finishing it, signed up for the Leadville 100 to challenge myself.  In August when I competed in Leadville I saw and briefly spoke to David Goggins who was also in the race.  Knowing I was competing in a race that he was in and having a chance to briefly meet him was a great honor for me. 

A recent observation?  As I mentioned last week, my wife has an online fitness business.  Her main focus is women and she helps many on a daily basis.  She has a large community on Instagram and over the past couple weeks she received messages from a handful of women.  All gave long stories about how they’ve struggled to get fit, lose weight, feel good, etc.  All of them then asked Mary if she’d be willing to send them a week or two free so that they could try the program without paying the $20 per month.  Mary was more than happy to help them and since the workouts are sent via email, asked for an email address.  In every case, the women said they were unwilling to provide an email address (you could literally create one just for this).  I found this interesting because it reinforced to me the adage that “if you’re serious you’ll find a way and if you’re not, you’ll find an excuse.”  I also found it significant because so many people do not realize that the ultimate impediment to their progress is their own habits and thinking. 

A quote I love?  “A setback is a setup for a comeback” ― T.D. Jakes

Want more?

  • Don’t forget to follow Dr. Kenney on Instagram @Coloradochiropractor
  • Check us out on Facebook under New Body Chiropractic
Matt KenneyDr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – January 10th
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Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – January 3rd

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Dr. Kenney’s 5 Spot

I interact with hundreds of patients each week and get asked a lot of questions.  On Fridays I like to share some of the answers I give and hope it has value for you.

Do you drink alcohol?  For whatever reason, people must be curious about this one because I get it frequently.  The answer is that I no longer do.  In my older years I would drink beer or wine on the weekends at times while cooking or relaxing.  Though I wasn’t a huge drinker, I also wasn’t the type to have a half a glass of wine.  Over a year ago, I overheard a conversation between my two older sons and a friend of theirs about how they never wanted to drink.  That got me thinking.  Then I started to think about how as someone that prides himself on taking his fitness to the highest level, alcohol always felt “off brand” to me.  In fact, after a sip of alcohol I would already be thinking about what I’d do the next day to almost punish my body to get rid of it.  After considering all these things, I decided that alcohol wasn’t really bringing anything to the table for me and I decided to give it up.  After a year of no alcohol I can say that I do feel even better than I did, and my level of fitness has increased too. 

A form of exercise I’ve been enjoying?  This will sound like a shameless plug but is not.  My wife has an online fitness business called The Perfect 20.  These are 20-minute workouts that can be done without equipment, anywhere.  Over the past week with the holidays I started doing a few of these workouts for convenience and they are amazing!  I enjoy the brief, intense workout that I get, and it helps me get a total body workout that also strengthens my core.  I had some hip soreness for about a week and it was gone after one of these workouts and it seems to be really helping my running as well.  It took me about 8 months to finally start doing these workouts but they’re going to remain a major staple of my routine going forward.  Feel free to check these out at www.theperfect-20.com or on Instagram and Facebook.

A snack I enjoy?  I am not a fan of sweets, but I can really get down with some chips and dip.  I regularly (aka pretty much daily) enjoy gluten free rice chips or tortilla chips with hummus, guacamole or even organic sour cream with hot sauce mixed into it. 

Are you a fan of New Year’s resolutions?  Yes and no.  In my experience, most people make “resolutions” more like a wish list than they do any sort of a plan of action.  As a result, most resolutions are already dead by the Super Bowl.  What I am a fan of is setting some sort of a goal (short term or long term broken up into short term pieces) and developing a plan of action.  I’ll use weight loss as an example because it’s so popular.  Rather than resolving to lose 70 pounds, I’d prefer to see someone have a goal to lose 10 pounds in the next month and 70 for the year.  Then rather than just joining a gym and hoping for the best, write down and execute the plan for January.  For example, I will go the gym 4 days a week, I will take 3 long walks per week, I will cut out bread, drink more water at work, etc.  The plan will remove guesswork and stress and help you attain your first goal.  Once you hit the first goal, you’ll then have more confidence to get to the next one.  So, my advice is to set goals and then back them up with a realistic plan of attack.    

A quote I love?  “If you want to take the island, then burn your boats. With absolute commitment come the insights that create real victory.”  — Tony Robbins

Want more?

Make sure to follow Dr. Kenney on Instagram @Coloradochiropractor and check us out on Facebook by searching New Body Chiropractic

Matt KenneyDr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – January 3rd
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