Obesity, hypertension, and heart disease are three top issues that affect men’s health today. Men often make their health a low priority due to the lack of awareness of their own health or due to their busy lives. There are a few adjustments that men can make to help them stay healthy. If you’ve heard them before, it’s because they are worth repeating.
Eat Right. Aim to include 5 – 7 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Choose whole grains whenever possible. Keep the healthy oils in your diet such as canola, corn, olive, and peanut oils. Get plenty of protein from both animal and plant sources such as seafood, meats, poultry, eggs, nuts, seeds, and soy products. Should we push them to ChooseMyPlate.gov?
Exercise regularly. A good rule is to get 60 minutes of physical activity each day. Performing muscle strengthening activities that work all major muscle groups two or more days a week is ideal. We encourage you to always check with your doctor before beginning a regular exercise routine. If you need help choosing which exercises are best for you, we can help!
Read our post Top Equipment Free Exercises You Should Be Doing for more exercise ideas.
Get enough sleep. Often, men simply don’t realize that they need more sleep. Adults need between 7-9 hours of sleep. Period. Lack of sleep impacts many parts of men’s lives including memory, inflammation, creativity, and attention. Research shows that too little sleep is linked to a number of chronic diseases and conditions. If you can’t nap during the day or sleep in later, go to bed earlier to ensure you are getting the recommended amount of sleep.
Manage stress. Men often allow challenges or competitiveness to set the pace in their lives and that can cause stress. When men don’t manage stress, it can have an effect on diet and sleep, as well as exercise habits. On the flip side, when men can exercise regularly, eat right, and get enough sleep, they can more easily manage the stress in their life.
Read about more ways to manage stress in our post Stress Management and Response.
Avoid alcohol and tobacco. Both drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco increase the risk of developing hypertension. Beyond hypertension, smoking can also cause long-term damage to blood vessels. In order to help keep blood pressure in check, alcohol should be limited to no more than two drinks per day. Make a commitment to yourself to cut back or quit altogether.
Make these changes in your habits to live a healthier life. Again, we do recommend that you visit your doctor regularly for check-ups, and remember to include a physical therapist as part of our team. It’s important to have them for injury prevention, especially when establishing an exercise routine, so you don’t plague your success with injuries.
Consult with your team at Momentum by scheduling an appointment online or call (210) 888-1278. Be sure to follow us on Facebook as well for daily tips and success stories to keep you inspired and healthy!
