By Dr. Graham A. Colditz

Siteman Cancer Center

There’s always the same 24 hours in a day, but somehow when we hit spring, it can seem like we get some extra time. With more daylight and warmer weather, the days can just feel like they’re expanding.

And with that shift can come a boost in our energy and motivation to tackle lingering projects on our to-do lists: Rearranging cluttered closets, cleaning out junk drawers and more. But outside of classic spring-cleaning tasks, this can also include some important — and often pretty simple — steps to improve our health.

For many of us, health screenings may be the most common items on this list. These tests can help find risk factors and diseases earlier when they’re easier to treat or prevent.

They include the types of screening tests that may first come to mind — a mammogram looking for breast cancer, a colonoscopy looking for colon cancer or a CT scan looking for lung cancer. But they also include other types of screenings for conditions that increase the risk of diseases. These include blood tests for cholesterol levels, blood sugar and certain infections. It can also include tracking blood pressure, mental health and weight.

Keeping up to date with vaccinations is also key, even when we’re well past our school days. Vaccines can help us avoid certain diseases — including some cancers — and make some diseases less severe. And on top of protecting ourselves, vaccines also help protect our loved ones and our communities.

To get started, here’s a general preventive care checklist, based on stage of life. Of course, it’s important to talk with a health-care provider for more specific recommendations based on your age, health and medical history and family history. Those at increased risk of certain conditions may get different tests or be tested — or receive follow-up care — earlier and more often.

Young Adults

• Cancer screenings: Cervical cancer (women, begin at age 21)

• Other health screenings: Blood sugar (begin at age 35), blood pressure, blood cholesterol, weight, depression, hepatitis B and C (usually a one-time blood test), tobacco use, family history

• Vaccinations: Ask a health-care provider about any vaccines you may need. Some vaccines, like the flu vaccine, are good to get every year.

Midlife and Older Adults

• Cancer screenings: Breast cancer (women, begin at age 40), cervical cancer, colon cancer (begin at 45), lung cancer (in those who smoke or used to smoke, begin at age 50), prostate cancer (men, discuss testing with a doctor, begin at age 40 for Black men or others at high risk, at age 45 for men at regular risk)

• Other health screenings: Blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, bone density (women, at age 65), weight, depression, hepatitis B and C (usually a one-time blood test), tobacco use, family history

• Vaccination: Ask a health-care provider about any vaccines you may need. Some vaccines are started in midlife or later, such as the pneumococcal vaccine (at age 50) to protect against pneumonia.

This can seem like a lot when listed out. But many of these can be taken care of during a single visit with a provider, and only a small number of tests or vaccinations should be done every year.

So, as we work through our spring-cleaning lists, we should add to our peace of mind by taking some straightforward steps that can have a large benefit for our health and wellness. And that’s certainly springtime well spent.

It’s your health. Take control.

For a list of preventive care tailored by age, visit the health.gov tool, MyHealthfinder (health.gov/myhealthfinder).

Dr. Graham A. Colditz, associate director of prevention and control at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine in St. Louis, is an internationally recognized leader in cancer prevention and the creator of the 8ightWays® to Prevent Cancer series.