Mindless Rehab Is a Waste of Time..

Consider this: Two basketball players. Player A practices shooting free throws 5 hours a day. Player B practices 2 hours a day. Who is better? Player A seems like the obvious choice.

Would you make the same decision if you knew that while Player A practices more, he simply goes through the motions, while Player B tracks every shot and miss? Who gets better? You know the answer.

This is the premise of deliberate practice vs mindless practice. Deliberate practice is intentional, purposeful, structured, and planned. Mindless practice is void of quality, focus, and intent.

Just like sloppy shooting practice never improves your shot, sloppy rehab won’t improve your symptoms.

I often have patients who tell me they've been doing rehab, sometimes for a very long period of time. Yet, when probed further, it’s obvious that it was mindless. They showed up, they moved, but they didn’t improve. Months later, they’re still in pain, wondering why nothing has changed.

As virtuoso violinist Nathan Milstein says, "It really doesn’t matter how long (you practice). If you practice with your fingers, no amount is enough. If you practice with your head, two hours is plenty."

Next time you do your exercises, be present, focus, be intentional. Do this long enough, and your results will shine.

Want to get serious about your rehab? Check out the Back 2 Your Best Rehab Program.