There are a lot of ways to keep healthy. One of them is to eat only fruits and nuts, another is to join a gym and go every other day… but if you are not a woodland creature or a work-out fanatic where is the happy median? It’s in eating well, fresh groceries not fast food for meals, keeping your partying ways under control (less alcohol!), and getting out in the world and walking around—using your arms, legs and lungs. A little bit of care each and every day should keep you remarkably healthy. A great way to gauge if your clean living has been benefiting you is to undergo an annual physical exam at the doctor’s office of your choice.
Undergoing an annual physical exam just makes sense. If you can have a mechanic affordably check out your engine you’d probably have it done more often. There’s something to be said just knowing that your engine is clean, healthy and purring along ready for anything that the road may throw at it—and after all, what is your body if not the engine of your being?
But what exactly is a physical exam and why are they so important to maintain a healthy demeanor both physically and mentally? An annual physical exam is a battery of tests and simple procedures that a doctor will put you through in order to check your baseline health. What the doctor is doing, essentially, is making sure that all your parts are running smoothly and steadily. He or she is also looking out for any dings or dents that your chassis may be suffering from.
A complete annual physical examination will start at your head and proceed down to your feet. The doctor will take time to gauge a person’s physical appearance and physical dexterity amongst many other things. Many of us have been through these procedures before. If you have ever attended a summer camp you may remember having to visit a doctor first to make sure your body was up to a hearty day of arts & crafts and frog hunting. A physical exam is nothing to stress over. They are quick and easy and hopefully will afford you the peace of mind that goes with knowing that one is in fine form physically.
Know that when undergoing an annual physical exam the doctor will be touching you and testing you. Expect the stethoscope, as the doctor listens to your heartbeat. You can also expect to have your blood pressure screened and your eyes looked into with that teeny tiny flashlight of theirs. A woman can expect to be tested for any improper lumps in her breasts and a man may undergo a testicular exam searching for the same unfortunate lumps. But all this is up to the doctor in question. There is no official check list for an annual physical exam, just the basics and the doctor’s professional judgment.
In terms of risks, they are virtually nonexistent when receiving an annual physical exam. The testing is all done by eye, hand or tool and none of it is invasive. The benefit of diagnosing an illness or disease early during the implementation of an annual physical exam overwhelms any risk associated with it—by a long shot!
