Your guide to a fall health tune-up that doesn’t feel like homework

Every September, Krista Roesler, a registered psychotherapist and life coach with Psych Company in Toronto, sees an influx of new clients booking their first appointments.

“September offers a fresh mindset to set new priorities,” says Ms. Roesler. “The fall can set a positive tone for the rest of the year.”

In other words, it’s an ideal time for an all-over health tune-up: one that sets a positive path for both the year ahead and beyond, and makes use of tools that can help build good preventive habits. Some might channel those “September restart” vibes into training for a marathon or finding the best smart device to track their biometrics, but there’s one easy-to-access resource that’s often forgotten about.

“Using your benefits can be a proactive way to stay healthy,” says Dr. Amy Cheng, physician at Cleveland Clinic Canada, which serves as the medical director for Manulife Group Benefits. “Regular checkups and preventive services can help catch issues early, when they’re often easiest to treat, helping to reduce complications later."

Aliya Tharani, assistant vice-president of member experience and personalization at Manulife Canada, says there are lots of ways group benefits plan members can use benefits proactively, to build better health. “Many people tend to consult a doctor or use their benefits only when issues arise, or rush to use them at the end of the year,” says Ms. Tharani. “People aren’t fully utilizing the different benefits available to them, many of which can help them reduce the risk of health problems that can impact their well-being.”

According to Dr. Cheng, decades of research shows that preventive care leads to better health outcomes both physically and mentally. “Taking advantage of services like screenings, regular checkups, vaccinations, or mental health supports, increases the chances of catching issues early and avoiding more serious problems down the line. The key is using your health benefits before you think you ‘need’ them, that’s where the real impact happens.”

We spoke to Ms. Roesler and Dr. Cheng about what to look for in your benefits plan to kickstart a healthier year ahead.

A few months of running, cycling, swimming and other fun in the sun can often trigger minor physical injuries, such as tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, sprains and other repetitive strain injuries. “These little injuries can add up,” says Dr. Cheng

Working with a physiotherapist can help you recover from minor and major physical injuries and help you adopt stretches and strengthening exercises that can prevent similar injuries in the future.

Dr. Cheng also suggests people dealing with chronic pain or strain consider utilizing their massage and acupuncture benefits throughout the year. Certain massage practitioners can assist in treating chronic pain, and other practitioners may use acupuncture, which is recommended by the American College of Physicians¹ to be a first-line non-pharmacologic treatment for low back pain.

Lately, Ms. Roesler says clients are increasingly dealing with work-related mental stress, including burnout, work dissatisfaction, anxiety about job security. Beginning or restarting therapy can help people feel more focused, motivated and equipped to meet challenges.

Delaying seeking help can often make it more difficult and costly to resolve negative feelings, and can lead to other issues, such as isolation and anger, Ms. Roesler says. “There needs to be a greater emphasis on mental health maintenance rather than waiting for a crisis.”

It can also be a good idea to get back into a therapeutic routine ahead of the winter months, says Dr. Cheng, when cold and dark days can bring on symptoms related to seasonal affective disorder.

A mental health professional can also help you gain clarity on your personal goals or build coping skills and emotional resilience to support you during more difficult times.

Workplace benefit plans typically cover a range of mental health professionals, including psychologists, psychotherapists, social workers and clinical counsellors, to enable people to get help faster and to find the right modality that works for them.

Dr. Cheng says she commonly sees people coming into the emergency room with dental infections or tooth pain, having not booked regular checkups for many months or even years. “Often people come in when it’s so painful that in the middle of the night they can’t sleep, and in many instances these symptoms could’ve been prevented through regular preventive appointments,” she says.

Evidence² suggests people should go to the dentist roughly every six to eight months, Dr. Cheng says. The benefits extend far beyond preventing tooth pain or inflamed gums: numerous studies³ have linked poor oral health, such as gum disease or tooth loss, to higher rates of heart attacks, strokes or other cardiovascular issues.

Most people don’t go for an eye checkup unless there’s an obvious problem, says Dr. Cheng. But, generally speaking, adults should be getting an eye checkup every year or two, and those aged 65 and older should go annually.

Glasses prescriptions can change frequently depending on family history, lifestyle and aging. People who have a family history of eye disease, such as glaucoma or cataracts, may need more frequent screening, according to Dr. Cheng.

Some workplace benefits provide reimbursement for vaccines that aren’t always covered by provincial health plans for everyone, such as vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), shingles, human papillomavirus (HPV) and more.

September is an ideal time to get caught up, ahead of cold, flu and RSV season later in the year, says Dr. Cheng. And, for anyone planning a trip to a sunny destination during the winter, it’s a good time to get shots like hepatitis A that requires multiple doses across a period of weeks or months.

Dr. Cheng says she sets all of her annual health tune-up reminders for September.

“Whether you have kids or not, September is usually the time when the year really begins,” she says. “No one really wants to do health maintenance over the summer, but in the fall it’s back to school, back to our routine. It’s a good reminder for all of us to take care of things before the winter.”