I hate being in pain. Not only does it stop me from accomplishing my physical goals, but it takes all the mojo out of my day.  I truly haven’t found much that is less motivating. And to finish it off, that starts my brain down a path of self-sabotage and negativity – the opposite of  self-care. And so, the cycle perpetuates, but it doesn’t have to. 

The question becomes how to care for yourself when you are in pain?  

The answer – through movement education and self-care.

Learning how to care for yourself allows you to control your destiny, and dictate your own path. Here at Stretch Affect we believe you are your primary health care provider, and you should be responsible for your state of wellbeing. You should decide how you want to spend your days and what you do during that time. You should not let an injury or limitation decide it for you. Which is why our team has set out on a mission:

To teach growth-minded individuals how to care for their bodies through movement education and self-care.

Now, I know that doesn’t sound like the most exciting party to attend, but its implications are something everyone yearns for. And those implications are less pain, more confidence, and a skillset you can control.

So how do you get there?

• The first step is learning how to care for yourself, assessing and understanding the problem or limiting factor.
• The second step is not just learning what movements will address and ease your pain, but more importantly, how to do them.
• The final step is learning when to apply these newly acquired skills.

From there, it’s all about execution, the part where you take control and really become the driver of your own journey! 

Learning how to care for yourself shouldn’t be a nice-to-have.

And look, in the world of movers and shakers, there’s only so much bandwidth. Juggling a job that pays the bills, family, friends, our future hustle or side hustle – pretending we have time for self-care seems like a joke. There’s the old adage of work/life balance, but we all know that to be a farce.  

You will forever have to take from one to give to the other. It is a priority thing, a stage of life thing, a necessity thing.  

So don’t lie to yourself and say you’re going to follow this mobility program and exercises perfectly, when in fact you’re only doing parts of it or maybe even none of it at all. Mobility programs and exercises only work when you put in the work.  

This is where Stretch Affect comes into play.

We start with an idealistic perspective and then deliver a realistic application. If you don’t apply the best stretches or exercises in the world, your efforts are useless; application is everything.  

While everyone likes to give high-fives and gold stars for great effort, that is not how life and business define success. If I try really hard to pay my mortgage, I’m pretty sure the bank doesn’t care. Or if my boss needs my work to be completed for the company’s ultimate success and I am unable to do that, I have just made myself disposable to the company, and they will find someone else to do the job. So, when it comes to evaluating how to care for yourself, be honest what you are willing or capable of accomplishing.  If you try and solve a long-term problem with a short-term solution, you will be left no better off than when you started.  

Anyone can google “low-back stretches” or “shoulder corrective exercises,” but if you don’t first have the movement education to understand which parts need to be “stretched” or “strengthened” you could be leading yourself down a path of frustration. Not taking the time at the beginning to truly learn how your body is supposed to feel during the movements might just be one of your biggest mistakes, because the right exercises done the wrong way are still the wrong exercises. 

The worst part about this whole recovery thing is that you actually have to learn something (he says sarcastically). I know this is a little crazy to think. But without investing any time and energy into learning how to take care of yourself, you will forever be at the mercy of marketing and misinformation.

We challenge you to be your own healthcare advocate and run your body not based on preference but necessity.

I promise you that along the way, you will find movements that you enjoy that work for your goals and your body. It will be a process, however, just like in life, there are no shortcuts. Some people will have no problem implementing changes, and their bodies will respond beautifully. Others will implement, and their bodies will struggle. Few will change very little, and oddly enough, their body will still change. This is the unfair aspect of life. Some people are born 7′ feet tall and are very well suited to play basketball, while others work their whole life pursuing that dream to only fall short. Others are born with an amazing IQ and will change how the world operates. Some are left in the trenches working hard for little return, not because it’s fair, but because it is the only aspect they can control. 

Now for some good news.

The best part about this program is it focuses on things that are within YOUR control. YOU are in charge of how you will take care of yourself; you are not at the mercy of the world. All you need to do is arm yourself with a system and a process you believe in and challenge yourself to be more.

Strikeout on a new journey. Influence your outcomes. Be a part of your solution. Own your results. And join the self-care revolution.  

Yours in Health,

Kyle & Chris

Are You Ready to Own Your Results?

Visit Stretch Affect for an examination that helps classify your movements on a more physiological level. Improve your game, stamina, workout. golf, bike, and more. Contact us today at (619) 389-3718 to schedule your first Stretch Affect session.