Also known as a PCP, a primary care physician is a medical doctor who practices family medicine or internal medicine. Your PCP will typically be the first person you will contact when you start to feel unwell or have other general concerns about your health.

It is incredibly important to find a primary care provider you can depend on and trust. The benefits of having a PCP include having:

• A consistent medical professional who can manage your health plan and refer you to specialists.
• A centralized source who has your full medical history
• Reminders about important exams, medications, etc.

Even further, the nonprofit organization Primary Care Progress shares that people with a dedicated PCP:

• have 19% lower odds of premature death than those who only see specialists.
• save up to 33% on medical bills compared to those who only see specialists.
• have reduced hospital visits (and associated costs)

As we can see, there are many benefits of having a PCP to manage your healthcare plan.

Once you have found a provider to manage your primary care plan, you may find that you are overdue for an annual physical exam.

These routine exams are incredibly important because they:

• Provide a baseline measurement of key health indicators compared to years past.
• Can detect any irregularities or abnormalities that may indicate an adverse health condition or event.
• Help the provider know what protocols/medications have been working and what needs to be adjusted for optimal health and if appropriate, your provider will order an age-appropriate screening test for conditions such as cancer or osteoporosis.

Annual physical exams can help catch illness early on, which in some cases can save your life—or at the very least, vastly improve your quality of life for years to come. For instance, whether they discover that your blood sugar is higher than normal—which may indicate diabetes—or they gather that weight gain and mood imbalances could signal major depressive disorder, these yearly exams are an important benchmark for many aspects of overall health.

In summary, getting an annual physical should be on everyone’s list of healthy habits each year.

Finally, health and wellness priorities can be very personal. For that reason, ask yourself what you want in the new year to feel your best. From there, figure out what you need to do to achieve those goals.

There are countless things you can do to promote optimal health and wellness on this front. However, for this new year’s resolution to stick and become a lifelong healthy habit, make sure that it involves something you truly desire; then create a sustainable plan that works for you.

For instance, you may want to be more physically active. To do so, it may be best to start to achieve that by taking small steps—such as increasing your step count each day or week or taking the stairs instead of the elevator when possible. However, if your mobility is limited (whether based on the weather or if you are in a wheelchair), you can also:

• Use light hand weights to build muscle mass.
• Commit to a daily stretching routine
• Take up a (chair) yoga practice
• Wheel your wheelchair indoors for an extra 10 minutes a day

You may also wish to stick to a healthier diet to promote good health and/or prevent malnutrition.

Again, you do not necessarily have to go “cold turkey” immediately—in fact, it will likely make you crave your favorite foods even more. Instead, go the route of small, sustainable steps. Some ideas include:

• Swapping sugary sodas for water, carbonated water, or tea
• Adding more greens to your plate at each meal
• Reducing your intake of red meat to once a week

There are many ways to improve your health, and we hope that these ideas for healthy new year’s resolutions will inspire you in the days and months to come.

Related Articles:

• 5 Healthy Living Tips for Seniors

Content contained on this page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult your health care provider before beginning any new fitness or dietary plan. References provided are for informational purposes only and do not constitute endorsement of any websites or other sources. Should you have any health-related questions, you should contact your health care provider.