Some things need special treatment. Risotto isn’t cooked like plain old rice, you can’t care for an orchid as if it were a cactus, and a ’66 Mustang does not handle the same as a new compact import.

So why would everyone’s health care be identical? Your co-worker may be striving for 10,000 steps a day, but if you’re recovering from plantar fasciitis, that’s a terrible thing to put on your to-do list.

No one can implement every wellness tip. Why would you want to? Different people have different risk factors: Age, ethnicity, family history, and lifestyle habits all play a role. When you know your risks, you can prioritize lifestyle changes for what will impact you. Lifestyle hazards are the only ones you get any say in.

Have you taken an honest look at where you stand with respect to certain diseases? If not, you may be worrying for no reason—kind of like freaking out about piranha attacks while sitting in your bathtub. Worse, you may be trying to shut out the truth by wearing blinders, which won’t work forever. Assessing for specific conditions and getting lab work done can go a long way toward your peace of mind.

And peace of mind is everything.

Regular checkups are the key to good health. Make an appointment with your doctor, and to ensure you have something to talk about other than the coronavirus, do some profiling. These assessments take less than five minutes to complete, and you may learn something new.

Heart Health Profiler

Diabetes Risk Assessment

Lung Cancer Risk Assessment

Breast Cancer Risk Assessment

Knee and Hip Profiler

Did you learn anything surprising? Anything that requires a follow-up? Don’t delay—and be sure to share how you’re staying fit and well with us on social media. Be sure to tag your posts with #HancockHealthChallenge!