Most people do not eagerly anticipate the day when it’s time to go to the doctor and get an annual checkup. The annual doctor’s visit is definitely one of those necessary things that has to be done, however is often forgotten about every now and then. The problem of course is that this is something that you do not want to forget about every now and then because if you do forget a lot, it can turn into many years of not seeing a doctor. When many years pass by without seeing a doctor you can develop something that could have easily been taken care of, that now is a problem and has ballooned out of proportion.
To emphasize why going to a doctor on an annual basis is important, just consider for a moment that you would probably never ever go a year without changing the oil in your car. More than likely you actually end up changing the oil in your car and doing maintenance several times throughout the year. The question that should be asked then is why is it people will skip seeing the doctor for several years, it just doesn’t make any sense.
When it comes to working out, personally I’m a huge health and fitness advocate and firmly believe that any in home gym DVD program like P90X could give a traditional gym a run for its money any day of the week. Yet many who are also avid exercisers and nutritious eaters typically find that they skip out on going to the doctor on an annual basis because of the fact that they feel perfectly healthy and that they’re taken care of themselves on a regular basis, although logical this is a dangerous mindset to have.
Now just because you workout and eat right you don’t usually have a clue as to whats going on inside of you. If to much time lapses and there was a problem that could have been prevented by an annual check up that’s just to big a price to pay. This article outlines 4 reasons why an annual physical is a good idea and some of the typical benefits that the check up can bring.
Screenings: An annual exam can give your doctors the much needed chance to do screenings if your age and circumstances warrant it. There are all kinds of screenings form breast exams to pap smears to pelvic and prostate exams and the list goes on.
It’s true none of these tests ever sound like much fun and honestly many of them are not. Yet they need to be done because serious diseases like certain types of cancer can be prevented by simple annual tests. During the annual checkup you can also get annual immunizations done as well as other maintenance items that typically need to only be done every year.
Measure Your Health While At The Doctor: While getting your physical done you will get the most common procedures done during the annual doctor’s visit. You will probably get your pulse taken as well as checking your blood pressure measurements. In addition to these typical things you probably will have your height and weight cataloged and compared to your previous visits. If this is your first visit all of these measurements are cataloged and they will set a standard that every future visit can be compared to so that if anything looks unusual it’s obvious and there in the chart
The most common item that is discussed with your healthcare professional during the annual checkup is if you’ve had any dramatic weight fluctuation in either direction. If there has been a wide variance in your weight without you trying to gain it or to get rid of it, this can be an early warning that there is potentially something going on inside of you that you will need to get further examined.
Get Advice While Your There: Your annual physical as a golden opportunity for you to talk to your doctor and ask him anything you want about your weight, any addictions that you might be fighting, sexual dysfunctions you may have, alcohol abuse and other health concerns. The doctor will be willing to give you all kinds of risk factors and advice on these matters as that is what he is there for.
You might be feeling fine and have no major concerns but the annual exam is opportunity to talk to your doctor and share with him some of areas of concern you have regardless if they are urgent or part of his every day medical spectrum. Take advantage of your exam and get your moneys worth by asking the doc whatever you need to find up before your 15 minutes is up.
No More Worrying: There’s nothing quite like the feeling of leaving your annual checkup with a giant smile on your face knowing that everything came out all right. The once a year doctors visit is the absolute greatest way for you to get rid of of those healthcare anxieties you’ve been walking around with all year long.
Having one less thing to worry about makes you feel like 1 million bucks and actually helps reduce stress levels which actually will help you continue to be healthier. In today’s society you are constantly bombarded with things that bring stress. When you get an opportunity to cross something off your list like getting your annual checkup done it can go a great distance to helping you feel like you’ve accomplished something yourself, this being something that could ultimately have helped extend your life.
Keep yourself healthy with an annual doctor’s visit and a consistent workout routine. A classic favorite in home DVD exercise program is P90X. The 90 day total body makeover designed to help you lose weight and get you in peak doctor’s visit fitness.