HITTING SINGLES

September 3, 2020 by

     Everybody likes homeruns. They are exciting. They are rare. They are special. They are fun and sexy. Yet, it takes much more than homeruns to win games, let alone championships.

     When it come to health it is no different. People love detoxes, hacks, 30 day challenges, fasts, cleanses, Russian squat programs, special secret supplements….and the list goes on. All of these are homeruns and get people quite excited.

     While there is certainly nothing wrong with homeruns and many of the above health strategies can be beneficial, it can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking they are all we need. This is a catastrophic trap to fall into.

     In twenty years of chiropractic practice, I have noticed that the people who most readily jump on board with the health ‘homeruns,’ also tend to be the least healthy people.

     Does this mean you shouldn’t use those strategies? No, they can help to kick start you into your next phase of health. The key is not to see them as an end all and be all. What happens AFTER the homerun is the most important factor in long term health.

     One of my favourite baseball players when I was a kid was Pete Rose (before the gambling allegations). Pete Rose was not the most talented, biggest or fastest player in the league, or even on his team. What Pete was was CONSISTENT – consistent in his approach, preparation, training and play. THAT was what he did better than anyone else.

     Pete Rose – a mediocre talent – ended his major league career with 4,256 hits, an all time record. He also led his team to 3 World Series championships. How did he do this? He hit singles, every day.

     What does ‘hitting singles’ mean? It means doing the little things consistently. Simple things. Boring things. ‘Unsexy’ things. Over and over again. Daily, weekly, monthly. Doing the work.

     I love the thrill of weightlifting competition. I love breaking personal records and winning titles.

     Do you know what I love even more, though? It is the secret to whatever success I have had in the sport. I LOVE hitting singles. I love going into the gym and putting in the work when nobody is watching. I love finishing all of my prescribed sets – especially when I don’t feel like it and the only person that would know if I quit early was me.

     Consistently exercising everyday is going to give you far greater results than any 30 day challenge. Healthy daily eating habits will make you much healthier than any juice cleanse. Daily meditation will do more for you than a weekend retreat with a guru.

     At Nexus Chiropractic, most people start with an initial, more frequent plan of care because frankly, that is what is required to get most people’s spine and nervous system back on track. We see some phenomenal results during this initial plan of care.

     While critically important, I don’t believe it is THE most important. What is most important is what happens afterwards. How are you caring for your spine and nervous system afterwards on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.

     It may seem counter intuitive, but the folks who get the greatest value and the most profound results from our care are the people who in the long term continue to show up regularly for their visits and do their prescribed exercises.

     Very simple, kind of boring. Doing the required work. Hitting singles. Reaping the rewards.

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