There are exceptions, but for the most part, when we are young, we grow up not worrying about what levels of cholesterol, testosterone, insulin and iron are running through our blood. Growing up, I always figured you didn’t worry about checking what’s in your blood unless you were in the ER and were gravely ill. I used to work for a corporate wellness company that checked cholesterol, triglycerides and A1c/blood sugar and I always had outstanding numbers. I never thought to look much further, as I knew that starting with the basics of bloodwork was a good start.

As I hit my mid 30s or so, I found that I wanted to optimize my performance not only with fitness but also my performance at life and seeking longevity. Upon listening to podcasts from professionals and the best in the wellness industry, I learned it’s important to start having bloodwork done as early as your 20s or 30s or even sooner if needed. I felt lethargic at times and decided I should talk to a professional about the importance of testosterone and having healthy motivation and energy.

One of the biggest benefits to doing bloodwork is catching risk factors before they turn into chronic ailments. It is now my belief that everyone should be getting their blood checked sometime in their 20s, even if they don’t have any negative symptoms. Simply checking your bloodwork to see trends in your biomarkers can be lifesaving, or at least help you maintain a high quality of life before a bad trend becomes symptomatic.

Some of the most common health conditions that can be seen in bloodwork or prevented by doing bloodwork are: HIV, Anemia, Cancer and heart conditions.

All of the above are serious things to consider and rule out if you are having symptoms or if you’re just curious about where you stand health wise. Not everyone gets their blood checked for the same reason, but some common reasons to check your blood may be:

• Preparing for a surgery or a procedure- It is common for doctor’s to request a look at what’s going on in your blood so that they can move forward with completing your procedure safely and confidently.

• Measuring treatment effectiveness- Some may have known health conditions and have sought out treatment from a doctor, or maybe they have engaged in a healthier lifestyle and want to measure the results. This can show if you need to increase or decrease nutrition or fitness strategies

• Curiosity- Some people just want to know where they stand health wise. They don’t have symptoms and they don’t have any known health conditions, but they are curious about what’s in their blood and what it means for their health.

• During an annual exam- If you see a PCP regularly, it is likely they will ask you to complete bloodwork about once a year just to keep tabs on things and check trends.

Most basic metabolic panel blood tests are a great start for getting a baseline on your health. Most people do not require more in depth testing unless there are symptoms or the results from the blood tests are out of severely out of range. A basic metabolic panel will likely check for: Cholesterol, electrolytes, blood sugar/A1c, creatinine, BUN (blood urea nitrogen) and a few more.

The results from a basic blood test can steer you in the right direction for what changes may need to be made to your lifestyle, or what type of treatments and further testing may be required.

There are exceptions, but for the most part, when we are young, we grow up not worrying about what levels of cholesterol, testosterone, insulin and iron are running through our blood. Growing up, I always figured you didn’t worry about checking what’s in your blood unless you were in the ER and were gravely ill. I used to work for a corporate wellness company that checked cholesterol, triglycerides and A1c/blood sugar and I always had outstanding numbers. I never thought to look much further, as I knew that starting with the basics of bloodwork was a good start.

As I hit my mid 30s or so, I found that I wanted to optimize my performance not only with fitness but also my performance at life and seeking longevity. Upon listening to podcasts from professionals and the best in the wellness industry, I learned it’s important to start having bloodwork done as early as your 20s or 30s or even sooner if needed. I felt lethargic at times and decided I should talk to a professional about the importance of testosterone and having healthy motivation and energy.

One of the biggest benefits to doing bloodwork is catching risk factors before they turn into chronic ailments. It is now my belief that everyone should be getting their blood checked sometime in their 20s, even if they don’t have any negative symptoms. Simply checking your bloodwork to see trends in your biomarkers can be lifesaving, or at least help you maintain a high quality of life before a bad trend becomes symptomatic.

Some of the most common health conditions that can be seen in bloodwork or prevented by doing bloodwork are: HIV, Anemia, Cancer and heart conditions.

All of the above are serious things to consider and rule out if you are having symptoms or if you’re just curious about where you stand health wise. Not everyone gets their blood checked for the same reason, but some common reasons to check your blood may be:

• Preparing for a surgery or a procedure- It is common for doctor’s to request a look at what’s going on in your blood so that they can move forward with completing your procedure safely and confidently.

• Measuring treatment effectiveness- Some may have known health conditions and have sought out treatment from a doctor, or maybe they have engaged in a healthier lifestyle and want to measure the results. This can show if you need to increase or decrease nutrition or fitness strategies

• Curiosity- Some people just want to know where they stand health wise. They don’t have symptoms and they don’t have any known health conditions, but they are curious about what’s in their blood and what it means for their health.

• During an annual exam- If you see a PCP regularly, it is likely they will ask you to complete bloodwork about once a year just to keep tabs on things and check trends.

Most basic metabolic panel blood tests are a great start for getting a baseline on your health. Most people do not require more in depth testing unless there are symptoms or the results from the blood tests are out of severely out of range. A basic metabolic panel will likely check for: Cholesterol, electrolytes, blood sugar/A1c, creatinine, BUN (blood urea nitrogen) and a few more.

The results from a basic blood test can steer you in the right direction for what changes may need to be made to your lifestyle, or what type of treatments and further testing may be required.