From participation in Pitch Perfect franchise to entertain audiences as a stand-up comedian, Adam Devine is a pro at making people laugh. But fans of the funnyman may not realize that Devine has been battling health issues stemming from a horrific childhood accident in which he was hit by a cement truck. These struggles came to a head about three years ago.
“I just started getting all kinds of pains and weird cramps and at one point the doctors told me I had Stiff Man Syndrome,” Workaholics star tells Yahoo Life. “So I thought I was dying right before my son was born and [later] I found out I don’t have Stiff Person Syndrome and they couldn’t figure it out and ended up just landing on ‘your childhood incident finally caught up with you.'”
Devine is now laser-focused on his well-being, going to physical therapy three times a week and undergoing bodywork — which can include acupuncture and chiropractic — twice a week in addition to “stretching all day long.” He even traveled to Medellin, Colombia, for stem cell therapy. Along the way, he learned a lot about what it means to put your health first. Here’s what we can learn from it.
Be prepared to go the distance for your health
Devine says his pain became so bad for a while that he could barely walk or stand. “I was on a trip to New York this time last year for my podcast, This is important,” he recalls. “We went on a podcast tour and my boys, Blake [Anderson]Anders [Holm] and Kyle [Newacheck] from Workaholics they were like, ‘Let’s walk here.’ And I tried, I walked a block and I was like, ‘I’m going to take a cab.’ And it was only three blocks away. So I took a taxi and the taxi driver said, “No, what are you doing? Just go. And I’m like, ‘I can’t, man.’
It’s a moment Devine can’t help but think of when he explains why he traveled to South America to undergo stem cell therapy to treat his pain. “I had a few friends who did it, and I had my doctors look into it because I didn’t know anything about stem cells,” says the actor. “They said, ‘Officially, we don’t do this here in the States.’ I can’t say you should, but not for the record, if I were you, I would jump at the chance and go do it. So I went to this clinic called BioXcellerator and got the stem cells done.
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It’s been about two months since his treatment and Devine is already feeling a little better. “I can hold my son a little longer,” he says. “I can take longer walks. I can hold on a little longer.”
Sometimes you have to change tactics
After gaining extra weight during his wife Chloe Bridges’ pregnancy, Devine, who recently partnered with MyFitnessPal, set out to lose 30 pounds. But he soon realizes that exercise alone is no longer enough to get his 41-year-old body back on track.
“We were arguing about which pizza was better – Pizza Hut or Domino’s – and I was like, ‘Let’s get both, and then let’s get Papa John’s and do a taste test,'” he says of the weight gain. “And then I eat six, eight slices of pizza, maybe more. And suddenly I was 30 kilos heavier. I gained more weight than my wife during her pregnancy, so it’s a terrifying fact. And then after my son was born, I said to myself, “This is too much for me. That doesn’t feel right to me, so I’m going to lose it.”
He also realized that he wanted to be able to look back at the pictures he took of his baby boy and be proud of where he was. “I want to feel a certain way, and I just didn’t feel like myself when I was a little heavier,” he explains. “I just wanted to feel like myself again and see myself in the mirror again as I think I look.”
To help him “get over that fear,” Devine signed up to MyFitnessPal and logged his daily diet. “I’ve always worked out, but [tracking] calories and watching exactly what I eat really helped me work out the same amount or even a little less,” he says. “Before my son was born, I was just working out to try and keep the calories off. And as you get older, it becomes more difficult and it’s more important to watch your calories.”
Find your flow with your support system
Prioritizing his fitness routine as a new dad has been a challenge, but Devine says he’s been able to fit in workouts thanks to Bridges’ support. “Chloe is great, [and] she understands how important it is to me,” he says.
However, Modern family star knows the “why” behind his fitness pursuit is key for both of them. “I feel like if I didn’t have all those injuries it might have been harder [to find time to work out]he says. “I feel like my wife is super understanding because of how bad I was last year. I’m trying to improve myself. If I was just vain and said, “I want to look really sexy right now,” my wife would say, “Hold the baby, change the diaper,” which I do. [also]. I really try to find time to do both.”
To make that happen, Devine says he gets up “super early” so he can hit the gym “when the sun is still up.” “I’m basically Mark Wahlberg,” he jokes. “This is who I am now.”
Focus on progress versus perfection
It’s a “huge mantra” for Devine as he navigates both new fatherhood and prioritizing his health and wellness goals. “It’s just baby steps in everything.” Just as he’s learning to find his own rhythm when it comes to being a good father, the star is starting to better understand how to stay healthy while still making room for the things that bring him joy .
The comedian recalls enjoying a weekend getaway to a cabin with a group of friends. “We play cards and do pull-ups and silly stuff, foot races,” he shares. “You just eat so badly because our wives give us cookies and cupcakes. We eat steaks and mashed potatoes and drink a ton of beer. And then you come back and you’re like, “Oh, what did I do?” But if you just follow it, you can make it up in the next few weeks. You can live a lifetime and still keep up with your health goals.”