You don't have to enjoy it to get the benefits

I just finished reading Nature and the Mind by Marc Berman. It was an okay read. There were a few interesting take aways and one of them was that studies show that even when people were outside and didn't enjoy it, they still saw benefits. Their study showed that when people were exposed to nature, their directed attention (or ability to pay better attention) was improved, even when they said they didn't like being outside. Nature is absolutely incredible.

A better example might be healthy eating. You don't have to enjoy eating vegetables to know they are good for you and benefit from their vitamins and minerals. In fact, some people think that healthy food can't be delicious. I would argue that this doesn't have to be true, but might feel true when we are continually exposed to hyper palatable, ultra processed foods.

Or there's exercise. We know it is good for us and we still have a hard time doing it. We may not like doing it, but it is still beneficial.

Now, where am I ultimately going with this? You may have heard someone say they don't "believe" in chiropractic. That's like saying you don't believe in nature, eating vegetables or exercising. There is nothing to believe in. The benefits exist for everyone whether you enjoy it or not. The immediate benefits of a chiropractic adjustment typically include more mobility and less pain. But, the long term benefits are neurological and include reductions in anxiety. depression, pain and fatigue. You don't have to enjoy it to get the benefits.

But, what if you did enjoy it?

With all of that being said, when you do find a way to enjoy getting outside, eating whole foods like vegetables and exercising, you will be more willing to do it. And when you are more willing to do it, you will likely do it more often and gain even more benefits from it.

Here are a few ways to make getting outside more enjoyable: go with friends or family, dress appropriately (shoes, temperature appropriate clothing, etc.), reduce expectations or goals (10 minute walk vs 5k hike), do something you already like doing, just do it outside (read, listen to music, bike, eat breakfast).

Here are a few ways to make eating vegetables more enjoyable: find a recipe that looks good, add fat (I love butter on veggies) and salt, make soup, try a different type of vegetable, hide it in a sauce or pancake, eat less than you think you need to - anything is better than nothing! I use ChatGPT to help me with recipes all of the time. If you're not already using it for this, I highly recommend it!

Here are a few ways to make exercise more enjoyable: like getting outside, this can be more fun with friends or family, make it more accountable by signing up for a class or working out with a trainer, make it more fun with music you enjoy, do a 10 minute workout instead of an hour (my FREE #NoExcuses workouts are just that), try different styles - HIIT, yoga, pilates, spin, boxing, martial arts, try different places - the gym, community center, leisure guide.

Here are a few ways to make going to the chiropractor less scary (and more enjoyable): research before you go, read reviews, check out the website, ask around. Like exercise, there are different approaches and some you might like better than others - didn't like that place? Go check out another! You will benefit from getting adjusted. You might not like it, but if you find one you do like (both personality and technique), you will be much more likely to go regularly. Will you benefit from only going once? That's like of like asking if you will benefit from just working out once. Yes, I guess so. But the real benefits come from consistency.