You only get one body, and it is up to you to take care of it. It can be inconvenient to schedule a physical, dentist appointment or recommended diagnostic screening, but it is much more inconvenient to treat an advanced disease or condition that could have been caught with regular check-ups.

Think about going on a 500-mile road trip. You wouldn’t set out before checking the car to make sure the tires were in good condition, that there was washer fluid and wipers that worked, and that there was gas in the tank and that the oil was topped off and wasn’t overdue to be changed. Presumably, you maintain that car with regular oil changes, where mechanics check things and let you know what is needed to keep the car running smoothly. I’ve had two instances where routine oil change checks have alerted me to issues which could at best leave me stranded in a broken-down car, or at worst, total my car. But because we found them and fixed them, the car continued to run just fine.

Similarly, your body is the vessel for the life trip you are currently on. That body needs regular checks and maintenance to keep it running well, too. At a minimum, an annual physical and dental cleanings every six month should be on your maintenance schedule. Check in with yourself right now about those – when was your last physical? When was your last dental cleaning? Do you have the next one scheduled? If so, great! If not, get honest about what is stopping you from making the appointment, and make a plan for when you will schedule them. Find a provider. Call and set the date and time. Add it to your calendar.

Beyond those basic maintenance checks, you may need other health screening tests. For example, the CDC recommends adults 45 years and older get screened for colon cancer, and women age 40 and above get regular mammograms. It may seem difficult to schedule these screenings into your busy life, but if we don’t make time for our wellness, we will be forced to make time for our illness. It’s been proven over and over that for all types of cancer, early detection saves lives. The screening recommendations are in place for a reason – cancer and many other diseases are much easier to treat if caught early. Because there are genetic and environmental impacts on our health, you may even need to start screening sooner than the general population, so it is important to talk with your doctor about which health screening tests are right for you, and when you should have them.

Last week I had my first colonoscopy. I won’t lie, I put it off because it seemed like such a process, I didn’t want to interrupt my training, I had heard the prep was horrible and frankly I was afraid of what they might find during the procedure. But then my friend, who is a doctor, shared his experience having his first one done, and we had a good laugh about it. He made me promise to schedule mine, and because I want more laughs and more time feeling great with people I love, I made my appointment. And yes, the prep wasn’t something I’d ordinarily choose to do, but it was not much of an inconvenience at all. Drinking the prep solution was the worst part for me – on a discomfort scale of 1-10, 10 being highly uncomfortable, I’d give it a 3. Everything else about the process was easier than that! The day after the procedure, I went for a 10-mile hike/run, so it didn’t interrupt my life very much.

My screening turned up absolutely nothing unusual. But if it had? Even if the result was that I had to start treating a Thing now, I’d have a much better shot at beating it, than trying to do so down the road when it was a Bigger Thing. It would be better to catch it early so I can start to fix it, rather than wait until later and risk it damaging or totaling my body.

Part of taking care of you is making sure YOU are as healthy as can be. Get those check-ups, get those screenings, and take care of your body so you can keep living your best healthy life.

Action items:

• Confirm or schedule my annual physical
• Confirm or schedule my dental cleaning
• Ask my doctor for guidance on which health screenings I need and when
  • Note, you may not need a doctor appointment for this information, sometimes doctors respond to emails or the office staff can help, start there!
• Schedule my recommended screenings