There’s an old saying “if you chase two rabbits you’ll end up catching none”.
You must get clear on your #1 priority and then put together a plan that allows you to consistently improve in that area.
Step 1: Write out your movement goals.
In no particular order, write down the movement goals that you want to achieve. These can be related to consistently exercising, moving pain-free, training for an event, etc.
Example Movement Goals
- Finally get rid of chronic back pain
- Get my shoulders healthy to lift-weights again
- Shore up my “bum knee” to get back to training
- Strengthen my legs for triathlon training
Step 2: Rank your goals by importance.
Now that you have your movement goals, it’s time to prioritize them by their importance to you.
Make sure you really take some time to think about your priorities. If you pick the wrong goal, for the wrong reasons, it makes it much more difficult to stick with the plan and see results.
Example Priorities
- Get my shoulders healthy to lift-weights again
- Finally get rid of chronic back pain
- Shore up my “bum knee” to get back to training
- Strengthen my legs for triathlon training
Step 3: Discover What is Causing the issue or Holding You Back
Now that you have your #1 priority, you need to get to the root cause of the issue. This can be the most difficult part of this process, but it is by far the most important.
There are two ways to figure out the root cause of joint/muscle pain without having to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on physical assessment courses and certifications:
- Seek out a health professional who specializes in diagnosing and treating movement problems.
- Purchase an online movement program that includes self-assessments.
Sure, you can look up online, “neck pain while working out”, but not only are you going to get hundreds of different explanations, there’s also no way to know which one, if any, is correct. This can be overwhelming and lead to frustration and stress.
Knowing when to go with a health professional or online program comes down to preference and making sure you choose the RIGHT program.
All online corrective exercise programs are not created equal.
How to Know If an Online Movement Program is Worth the $$$:
- It’s designed by an experienced and knowledgeable practitioner
- Too often online mobility programs are created by “health pro’s” who have not worked with actual clients. Research the creators of any program you come across that looks promising.
- It’s structured in the “Choose Your Own Adventure” format
- There is no one size fits all solution to corrective exercise. Every problem is different, and everybody responds to certain exercises differently. Make sure the program includes multiple types of exercises for each specific joint.
- It includes self-assessments
- Without an assessment, you might as well decide each days’ exercises by closing your eyes and pointing at your computer screen at random. You need assessments to 1) determine the best place to start and 2) measure your progress to make sure what you are doing is working. Any online corrective exercise program worth purchasing will include numerous self-assessments.
Online, self-guided mobility programs are perfect for someone with experience training and who is ready to take a deep dive into teaching himself/herself how to move better.
The other option is to hire a health professional.
The biggest benefit of hiring a health professional to manage your care is that they do much of the work for you. They will diagnose the problem, put together an action plan to fix the problem, and teach you the necessary exercises and techniques.
Your job is simply to follow the plan.
In addition, many initial consultations are around the same price as the online programs! Often, the cost of paying a trained professional to perform a customized assessment and put together a plan of attack is the same price as doing it yourself!
At the end of the day, choosing one or the other comes down to preference. The online programs provide a lot of valuable information but it is in a DIY format where you have to hold yourself accountable to following the program and making the most of it.
Hiring a skilled health professional provides all of that information and more, holds you accountable AND provides real-time feedback on your progress.
Both of these are effective options. I personally recommend #1-seeking out a qualified health professional. From my experience, there is no cost too high for the peace of mind that comes from knowing what is causing your pain/discomfort and how exactly to combat it.
What if you’re not ready to invest in an online program or in-person care?
If you’re not ready to either dive in with an online program or hiring a health professional, that’s OK. But it’s important to manage your expectations. Following either an online program or hiring a health professional are the two fastest ways to make progress with your health goals. Putting together a make-shift plan on your own is definitely better than doing nothing, but without the expertise and structure that come from the two better options, progress is much less consistent.
If you’re in the camp of wanting to start slow before making a commitment to an online program or in-person consultation, here’s what you can do:
- Follow steps 1 and 2 above and list out your movement goals and prioritize them by importance.
- Go back to my previous articles on neck, shoulder, hip, wrist, breathing, or general mobility to find exercises that relate to your #1 priority.
- Begin a routine of doing those exercises AT LEAST 1x per day.
If you can’t find information on your health goal, put in the comments below what you’re looking for and I will include it in an upcoming article.
Do you want to start an online program but don’t know which ones to trust?
You’re in luck.
Dr. Brink has created a program called Prime Pro that is designed just for you.
Prime Pro includes self-assessments for every joint from your neck to your toes and a comprehensive library of corrective exercises designed to improve the health and movement of your joints.
You don’t need to worry about putting together your own plan.
Once you’ve purchased the program, there are downloadable guides that take you through the program step by step, so that you always know what to do next.
It will also show you exactly how to put together your own program based on the results of your self-assessments.
Each of the assessments and exercises comes with a corresponding video where Dr. Brink will take you through the exercises step by step giving you all of the expertise that you would get working with him 1 on 1.
If you have any questions or feedback on the program, send an email to info@premierespineandsport.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
There’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee!!
If at any point during the first 30 days the program is not meeting your expectations, simply send us an email at support@mapsanabolic.com and we will promptly issue you a refund. There is no risk!!
Click here to finally take charge of your body.
Have questions about any new or recurring pain?
Request an appointment with Dr. Brink!
He is available for in-office, house-calls, and virtual appointments.
You don’t need to live in pain! Let us help you move well and pain-free.
