New Year's resolutions can be daunting when they require you to overhaul your entire life. This year, let's try something different — something sustainable.
Instead of drastic changes, focus on small, achievable steps that can benefit your long-term health. One of the most powerful of these steps? Regular preventive care.
We know that kids need regular physician checkups to ensure they’re developing normally. But adults aren’t done with the doctor’s office.
In fact, it’s important to continue to see your physician regularly to stay on top of your health as you age.
“Keeping track of your health over time can help your physician identify potential health problems down the road, and treat them early before they become a problem,” said Faraz Ahmed, MD, a family medicine physician with Endeavor Health.
All it takes from you is to make the appointment, then let your primary care provider do the work.
“Taking a small step, like scheduling an annual checkup, can really benefit your health in the long run,” said Dr. Ahmed.
Block out a few minutes to put your annual physical on your calendar — or even a reminder to schedule the appointment a couple months out.
Baby steps are not only easier to take, they add up.
Ages 18-39
For the most part, young adults can keep their medical care simple and check off a number of recommended screenings in just a few visits a year.
“It’s still important to make those annual appointments, even if you’re healthy and feeling well,” Dr. Ahmed said. “These appointments will establish a baseline for your health, making it easier to see changes over time.”
- Wellness checkup with a primary care doctor – annually
- Blood pressure check – every 2-5 years
- Cholesterol check – every 4-6 years if normal
- Flu vaccine – annually
- Pap – every 3 years to screen for cervical cancer, beginning at age 21
- STD tests – annually for sexually active individuals
- Dental exam and cleaning – every 6 months
Ages 40-65
After age 40, adults start to notice things they didn’t feel when they were younger. Creaking joints or squinting at a computer screen, for example, are common parts of aging.
“Everyone experiences physical changes with aging, it’s normal,” Dr. Ahmed said. “The reason you want to continue coming in for regular checkups is to not only keep tabs on those expected changes, but to keep an eye out for potentially serious health changes.”
Cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease can sneak up on people if they aren’t familiar with the symptoms. Your primary care doctor is familiar with the symptoms, but can also check for things like high cholesterol, high blood sugar and high blood pressure, which do not have symptoms.
In this stage of life, continue what you were doing as a young adult, with these additions:
- Shingles vaccine – at age 50+
- Pneumococcal vaccine – age 50+
- Pap and/or HPV test – every 3-5 years
- Blood pressure check – annually
- Cholesterol check – every 4-6 years for low risk; every 1-2 years for high-risk individuals
- Mammogram – every year starting at age 40
- Colonoscopy– begin at age 45 (or earlier depending on individual risk factors) and repeat per provider recommendation
- Eye exams – annually to check for vision changes and glaucoma
- Diabetes screening – if risk factors present or elevated blood sugars
- Lung cancer screening – for heavy smokers in the past 15 years, begin at age 50
Age 65+
During this stage of life, some people can pare back their screenings to avoid overdiagnoses or unnecessary treatment.
“Sometimes a disease, like breast cancer for example, could develop later in life but would not progress to the point of causing symptoms or illness in that person’s lifetime,” Dr. Ahmed said. “Subjecting someone to aggressive treatment at an older age isn’t always the best path.”
It’s important to continue annual visits even after age 65, to ensure you feel well and stay healthy as you age. In this stage of life, continue what you were doing with these changes/additions:
- Pap smear – only if abnormal in past
- Blood pressure check – every 2 years if normal
- Cholesterol check – every 4-6 years for low risk; every 1-2 years for high-risk individuals
- Mammogram – every 1-2 years until age 74
- Bone density screening – begin at age 65 for women, age 70 for men
- Eye exams – annually to check for vision changes and glaucoma
- Diabetes screening – if risk factors present or elevated blood sugars
Remember, you don’t have to overhaul your life to make wellness a priority. Long-term health isn't about grand gestures, but about consistent, small steps. Take the first step of scheduling an annual checkup with your primary care physician today.
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