30 Ways To Be Healthier

January’s always a good time to remind ourselves to focus on our wellness – both physical and mental – and get our butts into gear. Whether you’re making New Year’s resolutions or not, here are some great pointers on achieving your health and fitness goals for 2020, plus habits to adopt for a healthier you.

- Amy Greenburg

#1 See your doctor at least once a year

Checking in with your GP once yearly is important for many reasons; for example, identifying conditions that are asymptomatic or screening for certain cancers where early detection means a better outcome for a cure. As for which types of health tests to choose, your screenings should be tailored to your medical needs, family history and lifestyle, explains general practitioner DR REBECCA DALY of International Medical Clinic (IMC), Katong.

“The best place to start is to book a consultation with your doctor. After a thorough discussion of your current health and risk factors for illnesses, together you can plan what’s suitable for your needs at your current stage of life,” she says. “With advancing age there are more tests routinely offered; you may want to consider breast cancer screening from the age of 40, prostate cancer risk assessment from 45 and colonoscopy from the age of 50, to name just a few.”

Many GPs can even help with women’s regular gynae needs – including pap smears, contraception advice, IUD insertion and removal, for instance.

It’s important to note that screening will only pick up signs of disease at that particular time, and risk factors can change with age. Therefore, Dr Daly says it’s essential to not see a health screening as a one-off check. “Incorporating an annual health check into your lifestyle will best help optimise your long-term health.”

So, whether this means scheduling an appointment every January or around your birthday annually, figure out the best way to make (and keep!) your annual GP appointment.

#2 Make sure your vaccinations are up to date