Truly Jones: On Your Health: It seems our bodies are less like a temple...and more like a car!

Just like a car, your body needs routine maintenance. Here's an easy schedule to follow

Turn on and tune-up!

Steve Cole / Getty Images

Just
like your car, your body needs routine maintenance. In the April issue
of Women’s Health, we put together an easy schedule to keep you on
track. This tune-up calendar will tell you what to do and when to do
it.

To live a long, healthy life, women should start
their body maintenance routine young. We recommend starting in your 20s
and continuing the schedule, with a few additions along the way, into
your 30s and 40s and beyond. No matter what your age, it’s never too
late to start taking proper care of yourself.

Daily

Floss
Even
if you brush twice a day, decay-causing bacteria can still lurk between
teeth. That sets you up for gum disease, which raises the risk of heart
disease, stroke, and, if you're pregnant, pre-term delivery. Gingivitis
can affect even young adults: More than 50 percent of people over 30
have it.

Step on the scale
Studies show that people who weigh themselves every day are more likely to maintain a healthy weight.

Take a multivitamin
Throughout
your 20s, a multivitamin offers an essential boost of iron and folic
acid. And no matter what your age, if you're trying to get pregnant (or
already are), you need these minerals to help prevent birth defects.

In your 30s and 40s, the calcium and vitamin D in a good multi will help keep your skeleton strong.

Get the 101 on vitamins here.

Weekly

Lucas Lenci / Lucas Lenci Photo

Get it on
Research
has shown that having sex once or twice a week boosts by 30 percent
your body's production of immunoglobulin A, an antibody that sends
viruses and bacteria packing.

Every 3-6 months

Open up and say "ahh"
You
need to see your dentist at least twice a year to check for cavities,
get a professional polishing, and keep up with X-rays. Make sure at
least one visit each year includes an inspection of your lips, gums and
tongue for oral cancer: Because the disease spreads fast, early
detection is crucial.

Screen for STDs
Most are curable, but if you put off testing, you could compromise your fertility and your health.

Certain
you're not infected? Don't be: Noticeable symptoms often don't show up
for months, or ever. Get screened if you've recently had a new partner,
if the person you're seeing has (or you suspect it), or if you've never
been tested. The big three to check for are chlamydia, gonorrhea and
HIV. You can even order at-home tests through the mail.

Yearly

Getty Images / MedioImages

Show your doc some skin
Melanoma
- the deadliest form of skin cancer - is on the rise in women, and 25
percent of those cases occur before age 40. See a dermatologist once a
year for a full-body screening.

And every couple of
months, do a mirror check for moles that are asymmetrical, have
irregular borders, change in color, or are larger than a pencil eraser.

See an ob-gyn
Show
up for the routine poking and prodding (i.e., a breast and pelvic exam
and a Pap smear) every year. If you're at high risk for cervical
cancer, ask your doctor for an HPV test too: Research shows that it's
nearly 40 percent better than the Pap at detecting precancerous lesions.

Have your eyes examined
Get
tested for glaucoma, macular degeneration, and cataracts starting at
age 35 - earlier if the guy across the bar starts looking less than
high-def.

Get a mammogram
Do it yearly starting at age
40. If you have a family history of breast cancer, get checked at least
five years before the earliest age that cancer was diagnosed in your
family. If you're at very high risk, your doc may also recommend an
MRI, which gives a more detailed picture of your breast tissue.

Every 2-3 years

Have a physical
Many
women figure that a yearly ob-gyn visit covers all the necessary bases.
But lots of health problems - including heart disease, the top killer
of women - can't be detected in your nether regions. In addition to any
tests you're due for, a doc should check your heartbeat, blood
pressure, height and weight.

Get a Pap smear
If
you're over 30 and have had two or more consecutive normal smears and
no new sexual partners, it's safe to reduce the frequency of your Paps.

Screen for diabetes
Get
your blood glucose levels checked once you hit 45. Go earlier if you're
overweight, have a family history of diabetes, or are trying to get
pregnant.

Every 5 years

Get a full lipid profile
Beginning
at age 20, have your LDL, HDL, total cholesterol and triglyceride
levels checked. If your levels are high, you may need to be screened
more frequently.

Get a thyroid check
More than
eight out of 10 thyroid disease patients are women, and since the
symptoms tend to be common complaints that are easy to dismiss (aches,
fatigue, weight gain), you may not even realize you have a problem.
Start having your thyroid hormone levels screened when you're 35.

Source: Women's Health