What if feeling better only took 3 minutes a day?

What if feeling better only took 3 minutes a day? Are you looking at me skeptically right now? Could it really be that easy?

How many times have you heard (or said!) things like this… “No pain, no gain.” “If it doesn’t hurt, you’re not doing it right.” “Pain is weakness leaving the body.” “If a little is good, more is better.”

You’d be surprised how many times I have a patient say things like this to me. We live in a culture of harder, faster, stronger, the more the better. But we are also in more pain than ever before.

In comes 3 Minutes to a Pain-Free Life by Dr. Joseph Weisberg. This book is for everyone no matter if you’re a couch potato or an athlete because it helps to correct mechanical issues as well as recover from and prevent injuries.

It also works well with any forms of exercise that you do already. I started personally using the techniques in this book almost a year ago and have been sharing it with patients with some wonderful testimonials of its easiness and effectiveness.

Three-Minute Maintenance Method = Daily
This is a series of six movements held for about 30 seconds each done every day – taking a grand total of 3 minutes – that cover every area of the body. (For maximum benefit, don’t hold it for less than 30 seconds or for longer than 1 minute.)

It did not take me long to make this one a habit – it felt good from the very first day. It’s easy and my mind doesn’t resist against doing it. Now I’m at the point where I notice and miss it if I don’t do it. I also find that if I’m really wound up from the day and can’t settle down to sleep yet, this will help me relax before bed.

Pain Relief Movement = Daily as needed until pain is gone
This section has one single movement for every joint and includes headaches and TMJ. Simply pick your painful area and do that one movement every day until you see improvement. If you have pain that has not been diagnosed and isn’t getting better, see your healthcare practitioner.

3-Month Tune-Up = once a season
In this section, Dr. Weisberg runs through a single movement to self-test each joint so you can monitor how you are doing and if an area needs more focus.

Total honesty here, I completely forgot this section was in the book until I was flipping through the chapters just now! I have the daily routine memorized and use the pain section as a reference when needed, so I missed this part. I will do my 3 month checkup this week to test it out.

Modifications = as needed
In the modifications section, you can choose from athletes, pregnant women, seniors, and children. In particular, I want my seniors to pay attention to this section. If you have trouble getting to the floor with your knees, for example, use this section instead of the main method. It will show you how to do each move from either standing or using a chair. Go gently and slowly as you try each movement.

Note: I have to put the usual disclaimer here for everyone because I don’t want someone injuring themselves. I don’t know your physical condition, so please use common sense – if something hurts, stop. If you have an injury, ask your healthcare practitioner if you should do these movements and if so, use the appropriate modifications that are given in the book. Okay, sound good?

Try the routine in 3 Minutes to a Pain-Free Life every day for a month and then email me to let me know what you’ve noticed. If you’re still not improving during that time, book an appointment for acupuncture to help you get over that hurdle.