5 Ways to Optimize Your Health in 2024, According to a Primary Care Doctor

Resolutions are great, but they tend to suggest you've done something wrong.

A better take? Approach your goals from the perspective of optimizing your health, Angela Wright Marshall, MD, FACP, president and CEO of Comprehensive Women's Health, tells LIVESTRONG.com.

"Often, I have patients who want to better their health, but some doctors might dismiss them if they don't have chronic health problems like diabetes or high blood pressure," she says. "One thing I've learned practicing women's health over the years is that I can find recommendations for everyone to feel better now and preserve their health for the future."

Enter 2024 with a recommitment to your all-around wellness with these five tips, according to Dr. Marshall.

The first thing Dr. Marshall chats with her patients about is their personal and family history of disease. Does your dad have heart disease? Does your mom have diabetes? Do you have a brother who was diagnosed early with cancer? Those can all be windows into your own risk for your health.

From there, your doctor can advise you on the tests you need and help you develop a screening schedule, she says. Your move? To actually make those appointments and get your screenings on time.

"Limit stress" is one of those vague things most people know they should do. Here's why it's important, Dr. Marshall says: "Stress raises your level of epinephrine (adrenaline) and cortisol, hormones that increase your blood pressure."

Chronic, uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney disease and more, according to the American Heart Association.

Optimizing your health also means prioritizing self-care, because things that threaten your happiness are as important as those that threaten your physical health.

"You need to make time for yourself," Dr. Marshall says. She likens the necessity of self-care to being in a grocery store where someone rolls their cart over your foot. If you're chronically stressed, you'll react in a — let's just say — negative way. If you feel as if your needs are well taken care of, then your good mood and calm will just shrug it off. That's a microcosm for how you approach life.

Your ability to care for yourself and prioritize your own happiness "affects how you see and experience life and ultimately your lived experience," Dr. Marshall says.

Along with the minimum 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity cardio exercise (think: walking, biking) recommended by the American College of Cardiology, don't forget you should also get in strength training twice a week, Dr. Marshall says.

Lifting weights or doing body-weight exercise develops a strong body and supports healthy aging. It keeps bones strong, creates core strength needed for functionality and builds balance, too.

Dr. Marshall shares that her great aunt, who is 94 years old, does 50 push-ups a day. "And they're not modified push-ups either!" she says.

Recently, her aunt tripped over a vacuum. "She caught herself in a plank position. That was so inspiring to me, because without that strength, she could have suffered a fracture. If you don't invest in your strength over the years, you pay the price as you get older," she says.

"I really think we need to stop eating on-the-go. The foods we eat in restaurants are made for taste and enjoyment — they want you to come back. And most Americans are eating out way too much," Dr. Marshall says.

What's more, the convenience of on-demand eats is a growing problem, she says.

"Anything you have a taste for, you can order it through an app and receive it in a short period of time. That's dangerous because it can set you up for food addiction," Dr. Marshall explains.

Indeed, a June 2015 ‌Public Health Nutrition‌ study found that cooking more at home was associated with a healthier overall diet. And another study, published November 2014 in the same journal, found that people tend to consume an extra 200 calories when eating restaurant food.

You don't have to give up the apps completely, but it's time to assess how often you order from them, what you're ordering and how you could cut back this year.

Your doctors aren't the only ones on your health team.

"Cultivate a supportive network of friends or family members who are also health-conscious," Dr. Marshall says.

For instance, if your goal is to exercise more often, find a workout partner. Tapping into advice from health mentors or your health role models can motivate and support your journey.