The calendar flipping to January motivates many people to turn over a new leaf when it comes to their health and wellbeing. The beginning of a new year represents a fresh start and a chance to establish healthy habits.
Before rushing into ambitious New Year’s resolutions, take time to check in with your overall health. Annual checkups allow you to understand your baseline health status and help you set realistic, achievable goals tailored to your needs. Labcorp OnDemand’s Comprehensive Health Test can also provide a wellness screening of key areas such as cholesterol, average blood sugar levels and other important health factors. Additionally, Labcorp OnDemand’s Men’s Health Test and Women’s Health Test can offer a convenient, comprehensive snapshot of your health—ranging from hormone levels and thyroid function to cholesterol levels and metabolic health—through simple blood tests.
Once armed with this knowledge, here are five common health goals to consider pursuing.
Improve your energy
Over one-third of adults sleep less than the recommended average of 7 hours per night. While many of us know firsthand the short-term effects that poor sleep can have on our mood and ability to focus, shortchanging your sleep can also have long-term effects on overall health. Poor sleep is associated with disruption of bodily processes such as metabolism, hormone production and blood sugar control. Over time, this can potentially raise your risk of chronic health conditions like obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
If you have difficulty sleeping and yearn for healthier sleep habits in the new year, set yourself up for success by making any changes needed to improve your sleep hygiene. Some of the basics include establishing a consistent bedtime routine and having a dark, quiet, cool environment conducive to sleep.
Your healthcare provider can help you determine if further evaluation with a sleep study, mental health screening or lab testing could be helpful. For example, trouble sleeping may also signal an underlying health issue like anemia, a condition involving a lack of healthy red blood cells. While fatigue is a common symptom of anemia, the low iron levels associated with the condition may also disrupt sleep by affecting the production of certain neurotransmitters in the brain that help promote sleep.
If you’re concerned that low iron levels may be playing a role in your sleep health, talk to your healthcare provider about whether iron testing makes sense for you. Labcorp OnDemand offers two tests that can help provide valuable insights. The Anemia Test includes a complete blood count (CBC) that measures not only iron levels but also vitamin B12, folate and ferritin. Adequate levels of the vitamins B12 and folate are needed to produce healthy red blood cells. The Ferritin Test measures ferritin, a protein that stores iron inside cells and can help determine if you have a healthy amount of iron in your body.
Manage your weight
Nearly 74% of U.S. adults are considered overweight or obese. That said, a healthy weight can look different on everybody, so it’s important to consult your healthcare provider when determining the best goals for your body and lifestyle.
To help establish and understand your starting point, Labcorp OnDemand offers a Weight Management Baseline Test that can provide an overall picture of your health before beginning a weight loss journey. The test examines a variety of metabolic health biomarkers such as your average blood sugar, cholesterol levels, liver enzymes, electrolytes and a key thyroid hormone.
If you and your healthcare provider determine medication, lifestyle changes or a combination of the two are appropriate for your weight management goals, Labcorp OnDemand’s Weight Management Tracking Test can help you monitor your progress by providing key information about how your body is responding to your weight management efforts.
Consider your alcohol intake
Especially during the holiday season, it can be easy to get carried away with drinking at festive gatherings. Beyond the potentially serious risks associated with intoxication in the short-term, it’s important to remember that long-term excessive alcohol use can also raise the risk of multiple health conditions, including high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. Over time, excessive drinking can also potentially harm your liver, especially in people who have an underlying liver condition, such as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly known as fatty liver disease. Given the prevalence of risk factors for MASLD, such as obesity and poor metabolic health, the start of a new year may be a good time to consider the demands placed on your liver.
If you’re not sure whether your drinking habits are within moderation, consult your healthcare provider about what a healthy balance might look like for you. Additionally, Labcorp OnDemand’s Liver Health Test can help you gain insight into your liver health and provide information on your risk of liver fibrosis or scarring. Symptoms of liver disease are often silent, so testing liver function can help provide important insights early on. This gives you an opportunity to check on the status of this important organ and make any lifestyle changes necessary to protect your liver.
Improve your eating habits
Eating a well-balanced diet offers a wide range of health benefits, including increased energy, enhanced immunity and a reduced risk of chronic diseases.
Not sure if you have nutritional gaps in your diet? Labcorp OnDemand’s Vitamin Deficiency Test can help you evaluate your diet to check if you’re getting enough vitamin D, B12 and B9 (folate). If you’re interested in even deeper insights into your diet and nutrition, the Micronutrient Test measures the levels of magnesium, iodine and zinc in addition to vitamins D, B12 and folate in your blood.
If you’re curious about how your diet affects other aspects of your wellbeing, consider Labcorp OnDemand’s suite of heart health tests, from cholesterol and lipid panels to a comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP).
To help monitor your progress, remember to work with your healthcare provider on both baseline and follow-up testing. Checking your vitamin, nutrient, cholesterol and metabolic health levels over time can help you and your healthcare team appreciate the impact of the dietary changes you make as you work toward a healthier future you.
Focus on fitness
Regular physical activity has far-reaching health benefits. It can help boost your mood, sleep quality and energy levels, and it can help prevent and manage chronic conditions like heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.
If you’re unsure whether you’re getting enough exercise in your daily or weekly routine, discuss your habits with your healthcare provider. Together, you can determine whether your current regimen is working for you and consider possible changes to help you reach your goals. Your provider might also suggest evaluating your cardiovascular health to get a clearer picture of how your current physical activity habits are impacting your wellbeing.
For a comprehensive overview, Labcorp OnDemand’s Complete Heart Health Test measures key indicators of cardiovascular and metabolic health such as ApoB, GlycA, cholesterol and diabetes risk. These insights can help you and your healthcare team better understand your risk of heart disease and related chronic conditions, as well as tailor your exercise and other lifestyle habits to optimize your heart health.
Embrace a healthier future: Set your New Year’s health resolutions
This new year, resolve to take charge of your health. Remember, health is holistic, and each resolution works in harmony with the others, creating a foundation for overall wellbeing. Whether you’re aiming for more restful sleep, a healthier weight, more mindful drinking habits, improved nutrition or an active lifestyle, every positive choice you make is a step toward a healthier, happier you.
Looking for more guidance in achieving your 2025 goals? Here are five ways to increase health and wellness next year.
For managing your overall health:
Comprehensive Health Test
Women's Health Test
Men's Health Test
For insights about your energy levels:
For managing your weight:
Weight Management Baseline Test
Weight Management Tracking Test
For learning about your liver health:
For optimizing your diet:
Vitamin Deficiency Test
Micronutrient Test
Cholesterol and Lipid Panel Test
For focusing on fitness:
Complete Heart Health Test (with ApoB)
Comprehensive Testosterone Test
