Why an Executive Check Up is Essential for Women’s Health
In the fast-paced world of today, where women are not just homemakers but also female executives and leaders in various fields, it's easy to overlook something as vital as health.
Executive physicals are one way to ensure that health is not compromised.
As a woman, your health plays a significant role in your day-to-day activities, performance, and overall well-being. Therefore, maintaining optimal health through an annual exam, including a specific female physical and executive physical exam should be your top priority.
The importance of women's health, especially for female executives, stretches far beyond personal well-being. Healthy women contribute to a more robust society, fueling economic growth and fostering global development, which is why executive physicals are so crucial.
However, women's health is a broad term that covers various aspects, including physical, mental, and reproductive health. Each component has its unique needs and challenges, making women's health a complex field that requires more than just regular executive checkups or executive physicals.
Here's an overview of an executive check up.
What is an Executive Check Up?
An executive checkup is a comprehensive health screening specifically designed for executives, leaders, and high-achieving professionals who lead busy lives. It is a preventive measure that aims to identify potential health risks or existing conditions at an early stage, enabling early intervention and management through executive health exams.
The executive check up not only assesses your current health status but also provides insights into your future health risks. These check-ups include a series of tests, consultations, and evaluations that help in creating a personalized health and longevity plan for you.
The executive checkup is not confined to the physical aspects of health. It takes a holistic approach, considering your mental, spiritual, and emotional health, lifestyle, and potential stressors that may impact your health and performance. And thus making stress management an integral part of executive physicals.
The Connection Between an Executive Check Up and Women's Health
You may wonder, what does an executive checkup have to do with women's health?
The answer lies in the unique health needs and challenges that women face. Women's bodies undergo various hormonal changes throughout their lives, which can lead to different health risks. Regular women physicals can help in the early detection and management of these various risks.
An executive checkup is designed to address these unique health challenges. It includes tests for breast and cervical cancer, bone density tests for osteoporosis, and assessments for hormonal imbalances. These are health issues that predominantly affect women, and early detection through a mammogram and cervical cancer screening can make a significant difference in their management.
Women's health, particularly for female executives, has come a long way, but challenges persist. Here are a few big-picture stats concerning women's health, highlighting the importance of a regular executive health exam:
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, killing 314,186 women in 2020—or about 1 in every 5 female deaths (many think of this as only a man’s issue).
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women, with 2.3 million new cases in 2020, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Osteoporosis, a condition primarily affecting women is a condition where the density of the bone weakens. It affects over 10 million Americans (and another 44 million have low bone density, placing them at increased risk).
From reproductive health to cardiovascular issues, women face unique health concerns that deserve special attention.
However, even though the physical aspects of health need attention during executive physicals, it's important to not forget the other aspects of health that an executive physical also covers.
A thorough executive physical also focuses on lifestyle factors and mental health, which are crucial aspects of women's health. This comprehensive approach towards health makes the executive physical an essential tool for maintaining optimal women's health.
Advantages of Regular Executive Health Screenings
Regular executive physicals are a proactive approach towards health. They help you stay ahead of your health, allowing you to detect potential health issues at an early stage through a beneficial risk assessment.
Early detection not only increases your chances of successful treatment but also reduces the risk of complications.
Executive physicals also provide personalized health insights. They take into account your lifestyle, stress levels, and genetic factors, giving you a comprehensive view of your health. This information can guide you in making informed decisions about your health and lifestyle.
Another advantage of regular executive physicals is that they can improve your productivity and performance. With a clear understanding of your health, you can manage your lifestyle better, leading to improved energy levels, charisma, concentration, and overall performance.
Exploring the Components of Women's Health Check Up
A thorough and modern women's executive physical typically covers a range of health aspects, including blood tests, assessments, and various state-of-the-art tests. From a high-level lens, it’s pivotal to include these as your foundation:
Mammograms for detecting breast cancer
Pap smears for cervical cancer
Bone density tests for osteoporosis
Pelvic ultrasound (a noninvasive diagnostic exam that produces images that are used to assess organs and structures within the female pelvis.)
These tests, conducted during an executive physical, cover some of the most common health risks that women face, and their early detection can significantly improve treatment outcomes.
Besides these, a modern and effective women's health check up also includes the following:
Body composition and movement analysis
Neurocognitive assessments
DHEA-S (Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate)
Estradiol (E2)
Estrone (E1)
Follicle-stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing Hormone (LH)
Pregnenolone
Progesterone
Sex Hormone-binding Globulin (SHBG)
Testosterone, Free, Direct With Total Testosterone
Thyroid-stimulating Hormone (TSH) and Free T4
Thyroxine (T4)
Triiodothyronine (T3), Free
Vitamin D, 25-Hydroxy
These tests, in addition to the core four mentioned in an executive physical, provide a complete picture of your health, allowing for comprehensive health and longevity management.
Lastly, mental health assessments are a crucial component of a women's health check up.
An executive physical includes evaluations for quality of life, stress, anxiety, and depression, which are common among women. Mental health is often overlooked, but stress management plays a significant role in your overall health, performance, and well-being.
The Role of an Executive Check Up in Preventing Health Issues
An executive physical plays a significant role in preventing health, performance, and longevity issues. By identifying potential health risks at an early stage through risk assessment, you can dramatically mitigate any potential issues from occurring.
Moreover, an executive physical, also known as an executive check up, aids in lifestyle management, performance optimization, and overall quality of life.
Executive physicals provide insights into the impacts of your lifestyle and daily decisions on your health, guiding you in making necessary changes. This can prevent lifestyle-related health issues, such as obesity, diabetes, brain fog, and heart disease.
Furthermore, the mental health assessment in an executive physical can help in preventing mental health issues and stress management. It can identify signs of stress, anxiety, depression, or other mood-related ailments.
By doing this, you're enabling early treatment and management.
Undergoing all of these actions, including executive physicals, not only benefits you, but your family and professional life.
Meet Maria: How an Executive Check Up Can Create Ripples
Maria, a 45-year-old female executive and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) in a leading multinational corporation, was always the go-to person for her family and colleagues. With a demanding career and a busy household, her health was the last thing on her mind.
She believed that her annual physical check-up was sufficient to monitor her health, but that was before she was introduced to the idea of an executive physical and comprehensive assessment.
One afternoon, Maria's close friend Jane shared her own experience with an executive physical and wellness assessment. Jane's early detection of a thyroid condition through this comprehensive health assessment had saved her a lot of potential issues down the line.
Not to mention, Jane’s quality of life significantly improved along with her overall body composition after her executive physical.
Intrigued, Maria decided to further prioritize her health and booked her executive physical and wellness assessment.
This thorough evaluation, part of the executive physical, identified subtle signs of osteoporosis, a condition that often goes unnoticed until a fracture occurs. This matched up to Maria’s genetics as she had a higher propensity for key deficiencies in areas associated with building bone.
Maria was also undermuscled along with a handful of other issues. Thanks to early detection during her executive physical, Maria was able to start preventive treatment immediately. Additionally, her tailored health and performance plan from her executive physicals included genetically appropriate diet, supplement, and exercise recommendations to improve her bone health, body composition, longevity, and overall performance.
The executive physical not only provided Maria with a roadmap for her physical well-being but also offered peace of mind.
Knowing the state of her health from her executive physicals allowed her to make informed decisions about her lifestyle and her family's future.
As a female executive and a Chief Marketing Officer, she needed to be at her best, and this executive physical ensured that. She felt empowered to take charge of her health, ensuring that she'd continue to excel in her career, lead her team effectively, and be there for her children.
Considerations When Choosing Your Executive Health Service
When choosing your executive physical service and overall executive health program, there are several factors to consider. Firstly, you should look for a service that provides a comprehensive range of tests and assessments. The more comprehensive the executive physicals, the better insights you will have into your health.
Secondly, consider the quality of care and level of detail provided by the health and performance team during your executive physical.
Lastly, consider the follow-up care provided by the health and performance team after your executive health screening. A good executive health service will not only provide a comprehensive check up but also guide you in managing your health afterward tailored to your unique lifestyle as a female executive.
Ideal concierge medicine and client services include precise input and accountability to place you in the best position to accomplish your health goals.
How this looks will ultimately depend on the provider of your executive physical and the type of support that you're seeking for your executive medical check up.
Common Reasons Why Women Don’t Address Their Health Fully
For a large percentage of women in the general population, including female executives, finances are often the main chokehold preventing women from getting top-notch care for their personal well being.
However, financial concerns aren't the issue for female executives like women CEOs, executives, and entrepreneurs. Instead, for this group, it's invisible factors that are each a piece of the paradoxes of success.
The more successful and ambitious you are, sometimes prioritizing your health (and an executive physical) gets relegated to the end of the bench. Here are four common reasons for why executive physicals are often overlooked:
(1) Time Constraints and High Work Demands
Women in executive roles or entrepreneurship often have demanding, high-pressure jobs that leave them with very limited free time. They may find it challenging to take a day or even several hours off work for an executive physical. The pressure to meet business targets and maintain a competitive edge can lead them to prioritize work over their health, causing them to delay or skip these check-ups.
(2) Fear of Health Implications
A female executive along with other high-achieving women may have a fear of receiving unfavorable health results from their executive physicals. Given the competitive nature of their work, they may be apprehensive about potential health issues that could disrupt their careers or personal lives. This fear of facing health implications may discourage them from seeking an executive physical, even though early detection and prevention could ultimately benefit them in the long run.
(3) Belief in Invincibility
High-achievers may perceive that their work ethic, discipline, and success make them invulnerable to health issues. This sense of invincibility can lead them to downplay the importance of preventive care like executive physicals and assume that they don't need such assessments. As a result, they may not prioritize executive physicals, mistakenly believing that their professional accomplishments are sufficient to maintain their well-being.
(4) Lack of Awareness or Information
A female executive along with women in other leadership roles may simply be unaware of the benefits of executive physicals or may not have enough information about these assessments. They might not realize that such comprehensive check-ups are available or that they can be tailored to their specific needs. A lack of awareness and information can result in missed opportunities for early detection and personalized health planning.
Encouraging Women to Prioritize Their Health Beginning With an Executive Check Up
In the fast-paced world of female executives, CEOs, and entrepreneurs, success often comes at the cost of health neglect. Executive physicals are often overlooked in the pursuit of professional milestones.
The round-the-clock responsibilities and the drive to achieve professional milestones can sometimes overshadow the equally essential task of taking care of your health. The demanding schedules and constant pressure can lead to a perpetual cycle of stress, sleepless nights, and neglecting self-care, including executive physicals.
High achievers, especially female executives, are often celebrated for their dedication, resilience, and ability to overcome obstacles in the business world, but what often goes unnoticed is the toll it takes on their well-being, often due to neglecting executive physicals.
In executive leadership, decisiveness, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills are at the forefront. However, health is a silent partner in this journey, and neglecting it, including not prioritizing executive physicals, can lead to unforeseen consequences.
However, prioritizing your health, often beginning with an executive physical and wellness assessment will help you maintain a competitive edge along with having optimal health and energy for those most important to you.
Remember, your health is your wealth. So, don't overlook it. Schedule a complimentary 'Executive Health Meeting' today and take the first step towards a healthier and more successful future with precision.
