There are birthdays… and then there are birthdays that mark a turning point. I would turn 60 on Thursday, August 9, 2018. Sixty. A number that sounds older when you say it out loud than it feels in your bones. By then, life had already taken me through its share of highs and heartbreaks, career pivots, family milestones, and personal rebuilding. But what happened the weekend before that birthday became one of the sweetest surprises of my life. It started quietly.
The Wellness Checkpoint
How Often You Really Should See Your Doctor
The Wellness Checkpoint
by Tim Rubash
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Practical health advice for every stage of life — because prevention isn’t just smart, it’s lifestyle.
No one loves scheduling a doctor’s appointment. We all know the feeling — the waiting room magazines older than the furniture, the clipboard of forms, the quiet moment on the scale where you swear the number jumped overnight.
Yet for all the inconvenience, consistent health check-ins may be one of the greatest long-term investments we make in ourselves.
At West Egg Living, we believe health isn’t reactive. It’s proactive. It’s intentional. It’s layered. And regular doctor visits are one of the foundational layers.
Let’s walk through what “routine care” really means — and how often you should go.
🔎 Why Routine Visits Matter
A physical exam isn’t just a formality. It’s a checkpoint.
When you visit your primary care physician regularly — ideally once a year for most adults — your doctor isn’t just listening to your heart. They’re watching trends:
Blood pressure patterns
Cholesterol levels
Blood sugar markers
Weight changes
Mental health signals
Lifestyle risk factors
Many major conditions — heart disease, diabetes, kidney issues — develop quietly. You won’t “feel” them early on. That’s why preventive care matters.
The real value?
Building a relationship with your doctor. Someone who knows your baseline. Someone who can recognize subtle shifts before they become major issues.
Prevention is quiet. But it’s powerful.
🌱 Ages 18–39: Build Your Baseline
If you’re under 40 and generally healthy, you may not need constant appointments — but you do need a foundation.
Recommended:
• A physical every 1–3 years
• Blood pressure screening
• Basic lab work
• Lifestyle discussions
• Mental health check-ins
These years are about establishing your numbers. When you know your baseline, future changes stand out.
This is also the season to address habits — sleep, diet, alcohol, stress, exercise — before they compound over decades.
At West Egg Living, we call this the Compounding Effect of Prevention.
⚖️ Ages 40–64: Prevention Becomes Priority
Something shifts in your 40s.
Metabolism slows. Cholesterol creeps. Blood pressure inches upward. Hormones change. Stress accumulates.
This is where annual visits become especially important.
Recommended:
• Yearly physical
• Cholesterol and diabetes screening
• Colon cancer screening (starting around age 45)
• Mammograms (for women beginning around 40)
• Prostate discussions (for men)
• Mental and cognitive health check-ins
Many chronic diseases begin silently in this window. Regular monitoring doesn’t create fear — it creates awareness.
And awareness allows you to adjust.
🌿 Ages 65+: Guard the Gains
By 65, health management becomes about maintaining independence and quality of life.
Annual exams are strongly recommended at this stage, including:
• Comprehensive lab work
• Cognitive screening
• Fall risk evaluation
• Bone density scans
• Vision and hearing assessments
• Medication reviews
The goal here is not just longevity.
It’s vitality.
It’s staying active. Independent. Engaged.
Health after 65 is about preserving what you’ve built.
👩⚕️ Specialized Visits You Shouldn’t Skip
Primary care is just one piece of the puzzle. A comprehensive wellness strategy includes specialists:
🦷 Dentist — Twice yearly cleanings protect not just teeth, but cardiovascular health and inflammation levels.
👁 Eye Doctor — Every 1–2 years. Eye exams can detect diabetes, blood pressure changes, and neurological conditions.
🌸 OB/GYN (Women) — Annual exams and age-appropriate screenings including mammograms and pelvic exams.
🧴 Dermatologist — Yearly skin checks help catch skin cancer early — especially important if you’ve had significant sun exposure.
Each specialist plays a role in a larger prevention system.
🧠 Prevention vs. Reaction
Some research debates whether annual physicals alone reduce mortality. But that’s the wrong metric.
Health isn’t just about avoiding death.
It’s about maintaining energy. Avoiding crisis. Preserving mobility. Keeping your mind sharp.
Preventive visits help you:
• Catch problems early
• Adjust lifestyle before medications are required
• Monitor trends over time
• Reduce emergency interventions
It’s much easier to turn a ship one degree early than ten degrees late.
📋 How to Maximize Every Appointment
Don’t just show up — show up prepared.
Before your visit:
✔ Bring a medication list
✔ Write down symptoms or concerns
✔ Track changes in sleep, energy, weight
✔ Ask about recommended screenings
✔ Discuss family history
And most importantly — be honest.
Doctors aren’t there to judge you. They’re there to guide you.
The more transparent you are, the more effective your care becomes.
🏛 The West Egg Perspective
At West Egg Living, we teach a layered approach to wellness:
Daily habits
Movement
Nutrition
Stress management
Preventive medical care
Seeing your doctor isn’t a substitute for healthy living.
But healthy living without medical oversight can leave blind spots.
The sweet spot is integration.
Your doctor monitors the internal dashboard.
You manage the daily inputs.
Together, that’s powerful.
🌅 Final Thought: Health Is Ongoing
Your health story isn’t written in emergencies. It’s written in maintenance.
It’s written in yearly checkups. In screenings scheduled on time. In quiet appointments where nothing dramatic happens — and that’s the best possible outcome.
Don’t wait until something feels wrong.
Stay ahead.
Because the goal isn’t just to live longer.
It’s to live well.
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