There once was a house. It was a nice old house, but over time it started to show its age. At first there were just a few cosmetic problems that would have taken a little time and effort to fix, but the owner put it off. He figured it wasn’t anything to worry about.
Little by little the problems got bigger. The windows and doors got rickety and drafty, the siding started falling off, and the roof started to leak. The owner got a little concerned, but figured a patch here and there would hold it until he got a chance to take care of the problem.
One day a big storm came and the wind blew rain in through the gaps around the doors and windows and holes in the roof. What a mess! Now there were even bigger problems. The water had caused interior and structural damage that would require major repairs if the homeowner wanted to continue to live in the house. What would he do? He could demolish the house or he could call in a construction crew and try to fix it.
The homeowner could have saved himself a lot of time and money if he had taken care of the problems when they were small instead of letting his house fall down around him. Believe it or not, there is a lesson about our health in the story of the old house.
Just like the homeowner, at first, you may notice a little problem. You feel a little ache or pain that doesn’t seem too bad; you ignore it. You hope it will just go away. But, over time this problem turns into something much bigger and more serious. Now the little pain that might have only required massage, stretching or a little exercise may now require a doctor visit or extensive physical therapy.
If you continue to be like the foolish homeowner, you don’t pay attention to the problem even though it is clear that there is work needed. You may have tried to “patch” yourself up with medicine or pain pills, but the problem gets bigger. Chronic muscle, joint, inflammation and disease issues are always more difficult and time consuming to treat. Now you may have to see a specialist and have extensive, not to mention expensive, testing and treatment.
Once these health issues get to this point, your quality of life has no doubt been affected and you have spent money on things that didn’t work to fix your problem. You have also wasted a lot of valuable time. If you wait until “the big storm” comes and causes major interior and structural damage, you may be in for surgery and a long recovery period. In the worst case scenario maybe your “house” is already so far gone that your problem can’t even be fixed. What will you do? You can abandon the dilapidated house, but what are you going to do with a run-down, old body? You can’t call the demolition crew and build a new one. Don’t let it get to that point if you still have a chance to correct the problem.
If you are starting to see signs of health issues, don’t ignore them. Try catch them early so the repairs aren’t as painful, time consuming and costly. A membership to the Canton Fitness Center is an inexpensive start. Many times a little exercise and stretching can alleviate a host of issues. Another thing that can help is a few simple, healthy upgrades in your diet. It is amazing what a better diet can do to make you look and feel better.
As a certified trainer with more than 20 years of experience, think of me as your fitness project manager. I can help you decide where to start and what to focus on first since a body remodeling project can be quite overwhelming. I am here to help when you want to start planning and building.
Check out the website at www.CantonFitnessCenter.com or stop in to 38 E. Main St. in Canton to see what we can do for you. Don’t let yourself be like that old house; get started today.