How blood testing can help you achieve your 2024 goals

Blood testing is a powerful way to check on your inner health. Many nutrient deficiencies and health conditions can go undetected for long periods before you experience any symptoms, and could unknowingly be impacting your performance and day-to-day life.  

If you want to optimise your health and achieve your 2024 goals, a blood test may just be the answer. 

How to use blood testing to help you achieve your 2024 goals 

1. Press start 

Sometimes, the most challenging thing about setting a goal is knowing where to start. A blood test can highlight what you’re doing well, or areas you could improve. 

We have a range of comprehensive tests that you can use to give yourself an overall check and establish a health baseline.  

Our most comprehensive tests include: 

• Advanced Well Man Blood Test 
• Advanced Well Woman Blood Test  
• Ultimate Performance Blood Test 

Once you’ve established a health baseline, you can set your goals around the improvements and lifestyle changes you want to make to better your health. 

2. Choose unique and SMART goals 

Goals need to be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-based (SMART).  

Take ‘be healthier’ as a goal example. You need to ask yourself what exactly your definition of healthier is. Is it to have lower cholesterol? Or lower stress levels? What exactly does healthier mean to you? 

Once you’ve got something more specific, you need to make sure it is achievable and realistic – don’t go setting yourself a goal to run 10k the following day if you’ve never run before. Making them time-based can also mean that you are more likely to meet the goals that you set.  

A great example of a SMART goal would be: I want to reduce my cholesterol levels to a healthy range by the middle of July. I can do this by eating a healthy, balanced diet and reducing my alcohol intake. 

3. Set celebratory milestones  

Leading on from setting SMART goals, it is worth setting milestones too. The key to any progress is measuring progress– and what better way to measure your success than with clear milestones that you can celebrate?  

Without these, it can be easy to lose your way. If you are using blood testing to monitor your success, we recommend testing yourself every three to six months (unless told otherwise by a medical professional). This timeline means that there is enough time between testing to be able to see the progress you are making –creating the perfect stepping stone to reflect on your progress. 

4. Stay motivated and reward your dedication 

Not all progress is easy to recognise. For example, changes in vitamin biomarkers are not always visible. But they do have a significant influence on health.  

Tracking and monitoring your progress (such as through blood testing) has proven to reinforce healthy behaviours [1,2]. And watching how you are achieving your goals can help to motivate you further. Be sure to reward yourself when you do achieve your milestones and goals – the gratification from a reward can be enough motivation in itself. Pass the bubbly, please? 

5. Find your support buddy  

Just like an emotional support animal supports your emotional wellbeing, having a buddy (whether that be animal or human) that supports and motivates you in all things health and fitness can help you stick to healthy lifestyle changes [2,3].  

If you are a keen gossiper, find a friend to take daily walks with and send them pictures of your wholesome culinary delights. 

If you’re more of the competitive type, why not try taking the same blood test together and setting healthy targets? The first one to a healthy HDL cholesterol level wins!  

6. Find the right blood test for you  

Blood testing can help you monitor most areas of your inner health. Health interests will differ from person to person, which is exactly why we offer an extensive range of blood tests.  

Whether your goals are to eat more nutrient-dense foods or lower your cholesterol, a blood test can help you monitor your progress. And no matter what informed changes you have made, you can continue them in confidence knowing that your hard work is paying off.  

Not sure which test is right for you? Check out our Health and Wellness Buying Guide or try our test finder.  

A healthier you is waiting – all it takes is a simple blood test.  

REFERENCES 

1. Gardner, B., Smith, L., Lorencatto, F., Hamer, M. and Biddle, S.J., 2016. How to reduce sitting time? A review of behaviour change strategies used in sedentary behaviour reduction interventions among adults.Health psychology review,10(1), pp.89-112. 
2. Van Achterberg, T., Huisman-de Waal, G.G., Ketelaar, N.A., Oostendorp, R.A., Jacobs, J.E. and Wollersheim, H.C., 2011. How to promote healthy behaviours in patients? An overview of evidence for behaviour change techniques.Health promotion international,26(2), pp.148-162. 
3. Murray, J., Fenton, G., Honey, S., Bara, A.C., Hill, K.M. and House, A., 2013. A qualitative synthesis of factors influencing maintenance of lifestyle behaviour change in individuals with high cardiovascular risk.BMC Cardiovascular Disorders,13(1), p.48.