Preparing a Women’s Health Plan for 2026: What to Prioritize for a Stronger Year Ahead
Start the new year with clarity and confidence. This guide walks you through the key screenings, labs, and lifestyle steps to help you build a personalized women’s health plan for 2026—so nothing slips through the cracks.
By Dr. Loree Koza, DO | Manifest Health Concierge Medicine | Lafayette, Colorado
Last updated December 2025
The transition into a new year often brings fresh intentions, but when it comes to women’s health, planning ahead is more than a seasonal ritual. It is a chance to reset, catch up on overdue screenings, and create a roadmap that supports both long-term wellness and the realities of daily life. Far too many women begin January unsure of what they should check, update, or ask their doctor about. Preventive care gets postponed, lab work slips through the cracks, and symptoms that need attention end up buried under responsibilities.
A new year brings the perfect opportunity to change that pattern.
As a concierge primary care and women’s health physician in Lafayette, Colorado, I encourage my patients to use the end of the year as a checkpoint. What is overdue? What has changed in your body over the last 12 months? What screenings or labs should be planned for 2026? A thoughtful, individualized plan takes the guesswork out of your health, helping you move into the new year with clarity and confidence.
This guide breaks it down step by step so your 2026 health plan is grounded, practical, and tailored to your needs.
Start With a Health Inventory
Before deciding what needs attention next year, begin with a snapshot of where you are today. Instead of writing this section as another list, let’s use a short reflective exercise to help you identify your starting point.
Ask yourself:
What changed about my health in 2025?
If I could resolve one ongoing symptom, what would it be?
Have I delayed or avoided any screening because of time or uncertainty?
What has my energy been like lately? My sleep? My stress levels?
Taking a few quiet minutes with these questions reveals gaps you may not notice during a busy year. Many women realize that the last time they had certain preventive screenings was longer ago than they thought. Others discover that they have normalized symptoms that deserve a closer look.
A health inventory does not need to be overwhelming. It simply gives you a clear picture so your 2026 plan can be built around real needs, not assumptions.
Screenings That Keep You Ahead of Problems
Preventive screenings are the backbone of a strong women’s health plan. They allow us to find conditions early, monitor trends, and reduce long-term risk. While every woman’s plan should be personalized, there are key screenings to review as you prepare for the new year.
To switch up the structure, this section highlights screenings in short, digestible snapshots rather than long paragraphs.
Cervical Cancer Screening
Check when your last Pap and HPV tests were completed. Many women believe they are up to date only to discover several years have passed. Most women need screening every three to five years, depending on age and prior results.
Breast Screening
If you did not have a mammogram in 2025, schedule one early in 2026. Women with dense breasts, family history, or elevated risk may need additional imaging such as ultrasound or MRI.
Colorectal Screening
Starting at age 45, colorectal cancer screening becomes essential. Options include colonoscopy or stool-based tests. The right choice depends on your risk profile.
Bone Density Scan
Recommended at age 65 for most women, but often earlier for women with early menopause, low body weight, long-term steroid use, or prior fractures.
Skin Exam
Colorado’s high altitude increases UV exposure, elevating the risk of skin cancer. Annual skin checks are a smart part of preventive care.
Cardiometabolic Screening
Blood pressure, cholesterol, A1C, and metabolic labs help assess cardiovascular and metabolic health. These screenings are important for midlife women and for those with symptoms such as fatigue or weight changes.
Screenings create a roadmap you can trust. When you know where you stand, you can confidently plan the rest of your health year.
Labs That Give You Clarity
Many women walk into January feeling in the dark about their labs, unsure whether anything is off or trending in the wrong direction. To make this section more engaging, let’s look at why annual labs matter through a brief example.
Imagine two women who feel equally tired, stressed, and low on energy entering the new year. One assumes the fatigue is normal and pushes through. The other completes a full panel of preventive labs in December. Her results reveal low iron, a thyroid shift, and signs of insulin resistance.
Both women have the same symptoms, but only one has the information needed to make targeted changes.
Key labs to consider as you prepare for 2026 include:
CBC and metabolic panels
Thyroid function
Iron studies
Vitamin D levels
Lipid panel
A1C or glucose testing
Hormone labs for perimenopause or menopause
Inflammation markers, if symptoms indicate a need
These labs help identify early trends so we can intervene before symptoms progress.
Lifestyle Planning: Make Your Health Goals Realistic
Women often create ambitious goals for the new year. More movement. Better sleep. Less stress. Healthier meals. But goals only stick when they are grounded in realistic daily routines.
Here is a different approach to planning your lifestyle habits for 2026. Instead of deciding what you want to change, start with what you want to protect.
Think about:
Energy
Sleep
Time
Mental bandwidth
Mobility
Mood
Relationships
Hormonal changes
Protecting these areas creates a stronger foundation than simply adding more tasks to your plate.
From there, choose one or two habits that genuinely support how you want to feel. Maybe you commit to walking three mornings a week. Maybe you prioritize an earlier bedtime. Maybe you focus on building meals that keep your blood sugar balanced. Maybe you finally schedule the physical therapy your body has been asking for.
Lifestyle planning works best when it is personalized and steady, not rigid.
How Concierge Care Helps You Build a Personalized 2026 Plan
Many women tell me they avoid year-end health planning because they do not know where to begin. Others feel unsure whether they are overdue for screenings or labs. What they need is not more information. They need guidance.
This is where whole-person concierge care becomes invaluable.
At Manifest Health Concierge Medicine, year-end planning is not rushed. It is intentional. Here is what that support looks like:
Longer appointments that allow time to review health history and current symptoms.
A clear checklist of overdue screenings or labs so nothing is forgotten.
Personalized lifestyle planning based on your goals, energy levels, health risks, and life stage.
Care coordination for imaging, specialists, and follow-up tests.
Support for perimenopause, menopause, thyroid disorders, fatigue, cardiovascular risk, and other concerns that often get overlooked in brief visits.
Women deserve care that connects the dots rather than leaving them to piece the information together alone.
A New Year Built on Steady Health
Preparing your 2026 women’s health plan does not need to be complicated. It simply requires attention, clarity, and support. Start with a health inventory. Review your screenings. Update your labs. Map out a lifestyle that supports you instead of draining you. And let your doctor help you build a plan that honors the whole picture of your health.
If you want guidance in creating a preventive care plan for 2026, I welcome you to reach out. You deserve to begin the year informed, supported, and grounded in your well-being.
To schedule an appointment or learn more, visit manifesthealthcm.com or call 720-439-4002.
Your health deserves a thoughtful start to the new year. Let’s map it out together.
