Checked your cortisol levels lately? On Saturday, May 11, all Sam’s Club stores with pharmacies will offer several basic medical screenings for free, including one for the “stress hormone,” to get a reading on how well your adrenal or pituitary glands are working.

(This Mayo Clinic page explains what can happen if your cortisol goes haywire.)

You don’t have to be a member to take advantage of these screenings, so stop in.

And the gift cards?I’ll get to them in a minute. Don’t stress out.

Although the light is returning to Anchorage, summer is still quite some time off. That’s just as well, since I am sadly out of shape after far too many hours in front of the computer.

Maybe you’re as creakified as I am after a long winter. One possible answer: yoga. Yep, yoga, which provides gentle stretches of deskbound muscles and also de-stresses minds tied in knots about the tasks performed at those desks.

I took several yoga classes in Seattle and I really, really need to get back to it. Podcasts to start, maybe, and a class at the YMCA or some other Anchorage location.

Whoever wins this week’s giveaway can get a $50 head start on yoga gear, thanks to the Sports Authority. 

Got health insurance? If not, you can get some free testing this Saturday at any Sam’s Club location that has a pharmacy.

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., both members and non-members can take advantage of:

• Total cholesterol test
• Blood pressure reading
• Vision screening
• Glucose test
• Body mass index screening
• Oral health questionnaire
• “Dental tablets,” which show up any spots you’re missing when you brush

Oral health issues may indicate other health conditions. People with serious gum disease are 40 percent more likely to have another chronic condition. Dental health professionals will be on hand to offer tips about proper care for teeth and gums.

Should it turn out that you need glasses, see this article on Frugal Nation for info on getting your specs for less (as in, $7 or less). For tips on saving money on all sorts of medical treatment – or not having to pay at all — see “Surprising ways to save money on health care.”

If you don’t have insurance, by all means take advantage of the free screenings. Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to your health.

Last month several dozen personal finance bloggers collaborated in a Valentine-themed giveaway sponsored by Rather-Be-Shopping.com, a site specializing in online coupon codes. The contest generated so much response  that site founder Kyle James decided to do it again.

This time the theme is “spring and saving money.” The prize remains the same: $500 cash via PayPal.

When I was a kid I felt sorry for people with “hay fever,” the catch-all name for seasonal allergies. Those greatly magnified images of pollen on the Contac commercials gave me the creeps: Imagine all that pointy-edged stuff digging its way into your nose and eyes! (It didn’t occur to me that I’d inhaled the same li’l monsters.)

A few years ago I discovered that you can develop seasonal allergies after childhood. Lucky me.

So if you’ve noticed sniffles, itchy eyes and raw throat in the springtime but figured it was just an end-of-winter cold you couldn’t shake, you might have developed allergies as well. You can find out for free on Saturday, March 9 if you live near a Sam’s Club with a pharmacy.