In Health with Dr. Brian: What I Learned From My Mechanic

My car had a part that needed to be replaced.

The mechanic quoted me $1200 to do it.

The part itself costs $270.

So potentially I could save over $900 if I did the job myself.

But in reality I know that’s not true.

The truth is, that $900 would be quickly eaten up by:

• Time researching YouTube videos on how to do the job
• Purchasing the tools to do the task
• More time actually completing the job
• Frustration when I screw up 5 times trying to do the job
• More money likely fixing something I broke

How do I know this? Because I’ve done it before…

So, I’ll gladly pay the extra $900 to have the mechanic do the job.

Why?

Because they:

• Have all the knowledge necessary to complete the job
• Have done the job before (likely hundreds, if not thousands) of times
• Have all the right tools
• Have the experience to make adjustments and fix any issues that come up while doing the job

So why am I telling you about my recent car troubles?

Because this is a common practice when it comes to our nutrition and fitness.

Sure, we can jump on the internet or social media and find a workout that we can do. We can purchase a $10/month gym membership and go “do it ourselves”. But that typically turns out a lot like me tearing apart my car when I really have no clue what I’m doing.

When you pay to work with a professional fitness coach (or really in any industry professional) you’re not just paying for the hour you’re spending with them in the gym. You’re paying for the thousands of hours they have already spent there before you. You’re paying for the tens of thousands of reps they’ve accumulated with hundreds of clients other than you.

You’re paying for the tools and resources they’ve accumulated to do the job. And you’re paying for the peace of mind knowing that you don’t have to worry about being the expert, because they are.

But hey, maybe you have the time, energy, and capacity to figure this stuff out on your own. To you I say, go crazy. You’ll definitely learn some things in the process.

But if you’re like most of the clients I work with, you don’t want to be sitting in your car trying to figure out how to put the thing in drive without a shifter handle.

Don’t try to fix it yourself.

Hire a professional.

Dr. Brian Strump is a chiropractor and owner of Live Active Charlotte, a CrossFit/functional fitness gym located in the Steele Creek area of Charlotte.

If you’re interested in making a change in your health or simply have questions, you can learn more about Brian and his staff by visiting: liveactiveclt.com