The worst nation in the world? ProcrastiNATION!

The idea of having plenty of time to get something accomplished often gets distorted by our lack of ability to manage the exact amount of time that we actually have to do so. Things like a leaky faucet, a loose door hinge, a car inspection. These are all things that we tend to put off until the last minute.

Then all of a sudden, your faucet burst and the house is flooding and being robbed at the same time because of the door hanging off the hinge while you are across town getting a ticket for letting your inspection lapse.

“You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” Abraham Lincoln

“If it weren’t for the last minute, nothing would get done.” Rita Mae Brown

“A year from now you may wish you had started today.” Karen Lamb

The third quote is what I’d like to focus on for the rest of this article because, as a physical therapist, I hear it all the time. Just like the examples above, waiting to get something accomplished, something the human body needs, eventually leads to problems.

Let’s take a person’s balance for instance. Most people with poor balance don’t get there in one or two days. You start noticing that you are losing your balance slightly here and there. Then as time goes, it gets a little worse. Then, you determine that you have to reduce your activity level because your outings make you feel that you might fall and hurt yourself badly. Which makes you much weaker and in turn more likely to fall doing things you need to do on a daily basis.

We see it all the time. It’s a vicious cycle. Primarily because people don’t know that you can do something to improve your balance at any age. The sooner you decide to get help and work on an exercise program driven by a specialist in balance physical therapy, the sooner you can continue to enjoy your life safely without fear of falling.

But, this article is about procrastination. The longer you wait with any physical problem, the harder you will have to work and the longer it will take to get back to golfing, enjoying time with grandkids, or just walking in the park. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve seen amazing transformations, even with people who wait, but, it happens much faster if you don’t procrastinate.

So, the first time you feel that your balance isn’t allowing you to be the young, spry, joyful person that you see in your head, find a physical therapist that specializes in helping older adults improve their balance so that they can regain the joy that the fear of falling has robbed from them.

Please realize that time is the only real valuable currency that you have on earth. But, there are also diminishing returns on that time the longer you wait to use it wisely. The human body is great at telling us when we need something. An itch gets scratched. A hungry belly gets food. Even a haircut is something that happens when the body tells us it needs to happen. Balance problems are no different. Your body may be telling you that you need to work on your balance. Listen to it today and it will thank you tomorrow.

Joel J. Digris is a Schuylkill County resident with a master’s degree in physical therapy. He is currently employed by Achieva Rehabilitation as an outpatient provider of physical therapy and serves residents in Carbon, Schuylkill and Luzerne counties.

The Times News Media Group do not endorse or recommend any medical products, processes, or services or provide medical advice. The views of the author do not necessarily state or reflect those of the Times News. The article content is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician, or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.