With annual appointments, your doctor will be making sure you’re in good “working order” and watching out for warning signs that could signify something more serious. In addition to more routine blood work and taking your height, weight and fitness level, your doctor will be doing screening tests to make sure there’s nothing more serious on the horizon.

You don’t have to spend hours at the gym to start living a healthier lifestyle. In a matter of minutes a day, you might be able to build muscle and improve your heart rate – even when you’re at work!

If you’re taking prescription medications, you may wonder if you need to be exact with the guidelines from your doctor and the instructions written on the bottles. In short, yes! When you take your medications exactly as prescribed you give them the best chance of working for you.

Over 68 million people in America live with high blood pressure – and yet this is a condition that, for many, can be treated and even prevented. When blood pressure gets too high, it can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke. It can also be a risk factor for congestive heart failure, kidney disease and other serious illnesses.

Strokes are one of the leading causes of death in America, and kills over 129,000 people each year. This May, which is Stroke Awareness Month, it’s important to learn how strokes affect the brain, what symptoms they cause and how to reduce your chances of experiencing a stroke.

At one time or another, stress affects all of us. Your day-to-day life is full of demands on your time, and you likely have different stressors affecting you at once. Even though stress can’t be eliminated completely, it can be better managed by anticipating and recognizing your stress triggers.

The sun doesn’t come out just in the summer, and neither should your sunscreen.

In fact, the sun doesn’t have to be “out” and you don’t have to be lying on the beach to be at risk for sun damage. Even in cold weather, the sun still has the potential of causing great harm to your skin.

Stress is a tricky beast, it can creep in through all parts of your life…and, at times, there seems to be more of it piling on as time goes by. Experts say that exercise is beneficial toward combating stress triggers, but what does that mean exactly?

Here are three major potential activities – and their benefits – that show just how vital the connection between stress and exercise can be for your overall health and well-being:

If someone in your life is trying to lose weight there are several ways you can help them – and also several things to avoid. Changing your life and losing weight require a lot of courage, and that change can easily backslide without the right support.

The goal is to make them feel included and supported, and if you want to embrace the do’s and avoid the don’ts, here’s where to start:

The road to fitness can be filled with doubt and second-guessing.  One of the biggest points of confusion is about how much exercise is right for you. There are several ways to determine the right fitness level and exercise plan for you: