Tips on Health, Wellness, and APWU Health Plan Benefits.

Well-child visits: Keep your kids healthy with regular checkups

Preventive health care can help us stay healthy. That’s why doctors recommend annual physicals for adults. Pediatricians recommend well-child checkups for kids and teens because prevention is particularly important for young people. Regular exams and tests are an effective way to track your child’s health and development. And, catching health issues early can increase the chances of finding a treatment or a cure.

Lose belly fat: 10 tips for a flatter stomach

exercise, healthy eating, weight loss

When somebody tells you there’s a fast, easy way to get rid of stubborn belly fat, they’re probably trying to sell you something. It’s tempting to believe in fat-burning miracle foods and secret exercises that will flatten your stomach in a matter of days. But there’s no magic formula for trimming your midsection. You can lose belly fat—and keep it off for good—by staying committed to your goals and following a few commonsense tips.

Breast cancer screenings for women: A guide to mammograms

cancer, getting care

Screening mammograms use low-dose X-rays to find breast cancer early, before it causes any warning signs. These tests are important for women because treatment is more likely to be successful the sooner breast cancer is detected. The chances of survival are higher, too. While national health organizations offer different breast cancer screening guidelines, everyone agrees that women should discuss the benefits and risks of mammograms with their doctors and decide together when to begin screenings and how often to repeat them.

Exercising with arthritis: Managing osteoarthritis pain with physical activity

exercise, medical conditions

Arthritis is a disease that can affect any joint in the body, especially your knees, hips, lower back, neck, fingers, and toes. While there are more than 100 different types of arthritis, about 27 million Americans suffer from osteoarthritis (OA)—or “wear and tear” arthritis—the most common form of the condition. Arthritis can’t be reversed, but physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight can slow its progression, reduce pain, and help improve joint function.

Healthy ways to relieve stress

mental health

From time to time, everyone experiences stress. It’s a natural reaction to situations where you feel threatened or anxious. Your body responds to stress by releasing hormones that raise your heart rate, change the way you breathe, and prepare your muscles to respond. Learning how to manage stress is an important part of taking care of yourself and maintaining good overall mental and physical health.

Colorectal cancer screening tests: Colonoscopy vs. Cologuard

cancer

Turning 50 involves a rite of passage most of us avoid talking about: the dreaded colonoscopy. As a widely used exam that detects changes and abnormalities in the large intestine and rectum, colonoscopies get a bad rap, but screenings for colorectal cancer can save lives. The good news for newly minted quinquagenarians (people ages 50 to 59) is that now you may be able to take an at-home colon cancer test called Cologuard^® instead of getting a colonoscopy, as long as you meet a few requirements.

10 surprising things you can do to keep your heart healthy

healthy eating, healthy habits, heart health

Living a healthy lifestyle is one of the most important things you can do to protect your heart. Eating a nutritious diet, getting plenty of exercise, and avoiding tobacco can help prevent heart disease and reduce your risk factors for other chronic conditions. But when it comes to taking care of your heart, there are a number of other surprising things you can do.

Fitting in fitness: Sneaky ways to make time for exercise

exercise, healthy habits

The health benefits of exercise are endless. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, physical activity is one of the most important things you can do to improve your health. It can help prevent cancer and decrease your risk of everything from heart disease and stroke to high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, depression, and even dementia. And that’s just the beginning.

Healthy fats vs. unhealthy fats: Get the skinny on dietary fats

healthy eating, heart health

Dietary fat is an essential nutrient our bodies need to work properly. In addition to providing energy, fats help maintain body temperature, insulate vital organs, and absorb many vitamins and minerals. But the news about dietary fats can be confusing. Sometimes it seems like the guidelines about good fats vs. bad fats—or how much fat we should consume—change by the day.

Flu shots 101: What you need to know

plan benefits

Influenza (flu) is a contagious respiratory infection that circulates around the world each year and usually hits the United States between October and May. The viruses that cause the flu are most often spread by coughing, sneezing, or close contact.

Anyone can get the flu. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it tends to strike suddenly and can last for several days. Although it has some of the same symptoms as the common cold—a runny or stuffy nose, cough, sore throat, and fatigue—the flu can lead to pneumonia, blood infections, or even death. Other symptoms of the flu include fever, body aches, headache, and chills.