Make routines, check-ups priority

Part of living a healthy life involves instilling a healthy routine. LSU Health Shreveport’s Dr. Russell Roberts, part of the Department of Family Medicine, said one of the best ways to start a healthy routine is at your fingertips.

Roberts recommends the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (ahrq. gov) as a resource for patients.

“It’s a good resource, and the guidelines are widely accepted,” he said.

The site offers healthcare tips based on gender and age, offering e-newsletters, articles and podcasts. They also have an app, AHRQ ePSS, which allows users to input their health information, such as weight, age and height. The app then works to create a healthcare plan for the user based on individualized answers.

Though Roberts recommends resources to help patients, he said one of the most important parts of establishing a healthy routine is scheduling regular check-ups with doctors. For men of all ages, he said, it’s important to monitor blood pressure and cholesterol. Staying up-to-date on vaccinations is also important, especially the shingles vaccine when a patient is older.

For men especially, Roberts stressed the importance of screening for colon cancer, usually beginning tests at age 50 and monitoring prostate health.

In addition to staying up-to-date on check-ups, Roberts said men need to monitor what they put into their bodies. Men who wish to establish a healthy routine should abstain from smoking, heavy drinking and illicit drug use. Roberts mentioned that most health risks drastically increase for smokers.

“Smoking can have the biggest [negative] impact on men’s health.”

Men should also monitor what kind of food they eat, opting for foods that are good for their cholesterol levels and heart health. He said though a one-a-day multivitamin can be helpful, he doesn’t recommend stocking up on many vitamins and supplements. It’s better to receive these nutrients naturally from food, he said.

In addition to eating right, exercising helps create a healthy routine.

“Get your pulse up, and work up a sweat.

Sustain that activity for 30 minutes,” he said.

Taking a baby aspirin a day can help men’s heart health. He said that if the risks of taking aspirin are minimal, meaning the patient has no drug allergies related to aspirin, the benefits are worth it. He recommends starting the daily aspirin regimen at age 45, as long as the patient doesn’t have health issues that would cause the risks to outweigh the benefits.

There are also some common sense health recommendations patients don’t always think of when considering creating a healthy routine. Roberts said safety while driving is a way to create a healthy routine, recommending wearing seat belts and obeying traffic laws.

Weather-related health concerns arise in the summer. Roberts recommends wearing sunscreen every day but especially in the summer. Staying hydrated while outside is also important, noting that many people get overheated while doing yard work outside on a hot summer day.

If something seems off, don’t be afraid to call your doctor. You know your own body better than anyone.