Winter wellness — warrant of fitness

Much like our cars needing their yearly warrant of fitness, our bodies need to have their regular checks to ensure our physical health is the best it can be.

While we’re hunkered down keeping warm during winter and hopefully fighting off all the winter bugs, it is a great time to also plan for our warrant of fitness for the year. When we feel physically well, we are also better able to manage the day-to-day stresses life throws at us.

Here are some tips on what we can do for our physical well-being — for ourselves and our loved ones too!

1. Look after the building blocks of our physical health — our sleep, diet/nutrition, activity/exercise levels. What are the small realistic, achievable and sustainable changes we can make?
2. See your GP — if you do not have a GP, enrol with one and make that appointment. Your GP can do a thorough physical health check and link you in with other health care providers.
3. Think about cutting down on smoking and drinking alcohol — or stopping altogether!
4. See your dentist — without good oral hygiene, germs can reach levels that might lead to infections, such as tooth decay and gum disease and can impact other areas of our physical health.
5. Get up to date with your vaccines such as flu and COVID for an extra layer of protection.
6. Check if you are eligible for cancer screening. There are funded screening programmes for certain cancers (bowel, breast, cervical).

When we feel physically well, we are also better able to manage the day-to-day stresses. — Dr Cheryl Buhay (Clinical Director).

See your health care provider if you need support with any of these. For useful and reliable information check www.healthify.nz (formerly Health Navigator) | Low or no data? Not a problem, visit: www.zero.govt.nz and search for Healthify.

— This story was first featured in Harikoa magazine (issue 2, 2024).