a medical/physical

[zebrainatree]

how oftern does one have to have a medical, i'v only has one and that was when i was 4 and im not 16! Do you have to have one, and what advantage do they give you?

[Oblivion]

Moved to VT General Hospital
In the US you're supposed to get checked out by a doctor yearly, to check for diseases, and such. I know that it's different in England, but if I were you I would go regularly anyways.

I forgot to mention: A physical isn't necessarily the same as a regular doctor's appt.
Getting checked out regularly doesn't mean you have to get a physical, just you should go to the doctor. Physicals are mainly only done within a year or so before beginning a sport.

[theOperaGhost]

In North Dakota you were required to get a sports physical every two years if you played sports. Other than that, I don't know. I haven't had one since I was 16 or 17 and I'm almost 20.

[INFERNO]

In Canada, I think it's been years since I've had a physical, probably when I was 4,5,6 years old, somewhere in that age range.

However, the physicals tend to differ from a traditional doctor's appointment. The advantages apply for both: you know the shape and health you're in from the viewpoint of hopefully a trained, non-biased, objective, medical professional. They can assess the risks of you engaging in a certain sport and if you really wish to engage in it, they can tell you what the risks may be, what medication(s) or test(s) you may have to take and when/how often, etc... .

[MoveAlong]

You don't HAVE to get a physical, but I would recommend it (especially if you're older) in order to make sure you're healthy.
You see, a lot of bad conditions (like cancers) can be stopped if they're found early on, and getting regular check-ups is key to that - if you don't get checked, you might not find out you have cancer until it's too late.

I'm not saying that you have cancer though :P I'm just saying that it's a good idea to have regular check-ups (perhaps once every year, or half-year), just to make sure you're in good working order.

*Also, many sports teams require a small sports physical before you start playing.

[hmmm]

when ur 13 and older does the doctor start doing cancer thing test

[MoveAlong]

No I was just using that as an example.

I'm not sure when they start doing prostate exams, but I believe it is way out of your teen years.

[Aneklusmos]

No I was just using that as an example.

I'm not sure when they start doing prostate exams, but I believe it is way out of your teen years.

they dont do prostate exams for a long time from now, but they do testicular exams every year and you should do one every month

[Specter]

As said above its probably best to talk with your doctor they'll be able to give you accurate information.

Take care.