Prevention Is Key
Everyone can benefit from prevention.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, routine preventive care can help you stay healthy and catch problems early. Making healthy choices is also a key part of prevention and can lower your risk of many diseases.
Preventive Screenings
Screenings can detect illness at an early stage when treatment is likely to work best. Key screenings include:
- Tests for blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol.
- STD screenings for sexually transmitted diseases.
- Cancer screenings, such as mammograms and colonoscopies.
Ask your doctor which screenings are right for you.
As part of the FOCUSfwd® Wellness Incentive Program, FOCUS Points rewards you for completing activities that are important to improving your overall health. You’ll earn $70 in rewards and 40 Sweepstakes entries when you complete the following activities:
- Personal Health Assessment
- Annual wellness exam
- Preventive screening or flu vaccine
In the Sweepstakes, you earn entries for every activity you complete in FOCUSfwd, increasing your chances to win one of the $1,000 quarterly and $5,000 annual cash rewards. You even earn 10 Sweepstakes entries just by signing up for FOCUSfwd!
To get started:
- Log in or register for My Health Toolkit®.
- Register for and access FOCUSfwd within My Health Toolkit.
- Enter your email address to be eligible to win one of the Sweepstakes rewards!
Healthy Weight
A healthy weight can prevent diseases and other health problems. If you want to maintain a healthy weight, stay clear of short-term fad diets. Rather, foster a lifestyle that includes routine exercise and healthy eating.
Exercise
Exercise is one of the best things you can do to improve your health. Active people live longer and are at less risk for health problems such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, obesity and some cancers. Move more and sit less. Some physical activity is better than none!
The GET FIT challenge within FOCUSfwd rewards you for taking steps toward your exercise goals. Simply average 5,500 steps per day to complete each quarterly challenge. There’s a new challenge cycle every three months. You’ll receive $10 in rewards and 10 Sweepstakes entries for each challenge you complete, for a total of $40 in rewards and 40 Sweepstakes entries each calendar year.
Clean Eating
According to the Mayo Clinic, clean eating means choosing whole, natural foods over processed and refined ones. To practice clean eating, you should:
- Eat for nourishment. Eat regular, balanced meals and prepare your food in healthy ways.
- Eat more plant-based foods. Eat more plant-based proteins and high-protein whole grains.
BMI Body mass index, or BMI, is a way to determine if you’re at a healthy weight for your height. BMI is a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of his or her height in meters.
A BMI from 18.5 to 24.9 is healthy:
- If your BMI is below 18.5, you are likely underweight.
- If your BMI is 25 or over, you are likely overweight.
- If your BMI is over 30, you are likely obese.
BMI does not diagnose body fat or health. Your doctor may look at other factors when assessing your overall health.
By making preventive care and healthy lifestyle choices a priority, you can take steps toward a healthier, longer life.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Mayo Clinic are independent organizations that offer health information you may find helpful.