Most men have a lot on their plates. They have a family to take care of, a career to maintain and often a number of hobbies that they enjoy and that help provide them stress relief. It takes a lot to keep up with a lifestyle such as this, even for a healthy man. But what happens when a man’s health starts to take a turn for the worse? Whether it’s due to just getting out of shape or whether it’s due to something more serious like an injury or an illness, when a man starts not feeling his best, everything in his life begins to suffer and he can’t help feeling that he is letting everyone down. That’s why it’s so important for men to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle to prevent injury and disease and to make sure they can recover from these if they do end up happening. If you are a man (or have a man you love in your life), read on for some important tips on staying healthy.
The Importance of Stopping Smoking
With all of the evidence telling us how bad smoking is for us, it’s a wonder that so many people continue to do so and how many people actually pick up the habit every single day. If you smoke, it’s imperative that you stop as soon as possible. Here are just a few reasons why:
Money
Money is a great motivator, and you will save tons of it if you quit smoking. It may surprise you to know that you’ll probably be able to afford a cruise from the money you’ll save in a year. You’ll also save money on dry cleaning and don’t forget that smokers pay higher health insurance premiums.
Physical Benefits
There are many obvious physical benefits of quitting smoking. Your breath and clothes will no longer smell of smoke. Neither will your teeth and fingers be stained brown with nicotine. Smoking also ages you, so quitting will help you keep the wrinkles at bay for longer. Women smokers will love that their lipstick will no longer get smudged.
Health of Family
The health of your family and friends is compromised by passive smoking, which is inhaling second hand smoke that you breathe out or that your cigarettes give off. A smoker’s kids are at an increased risk of developing ear and respiratory infections. If you quit, your spouse will be less likely to develop heart disease or lung cancer. You will also save your unborn child from nicotine withdrawal.
The Importance of Exercise
Everyone benefits for increasing the amount of exercise they get every day. If you’re already an exerciser, you might want to consider visiting with a personal trainer or other expert in the field to see if you are doing everything correctly, if you can incorporate anything new into your routine and to have an outside motivator who can help you through slumps.
If you aren’t a current exerciser, consider the following benefits:
To Look Good
All of us want to look good. We all want to be in shape. Regular exercise is the key to a healthy look and an attractive body. Internal health is the key to a pleasant external appearance.
To Reduce the Risk of Heart Diseases
Daily exercise helps in strengthening of heart muscles. It helps maintain desired cholesterol levels. Daily physical activity reduces one’s chances of stroke and the risk of heart disease.
To Lower Blood Pressure
Daily exercise lowers blood pressure and improves blood circulation. Exercise helps in reduction of excess body weight and thus helps lower the blood pressure. Exercise results in the burning of calories. If supplemented with proper nutrition, exercise is sure to prevent obesity.
To Reduce the Risk of Diabetes
Daily exercise helps reduce the fat percentage of the body, thus reducing the risk of diabetes.
To Increase Longevity
Daily physical activity is the key to a long life! Regular exercise helps in the prevention of obesity, which is one of the important factors responsible for many severe diseases. Exercise helps in reducing the risk of diabetes, blood pressure and heart diseases.
Research has shown that people engaging in a daily physical activity live longer than those who do not exercise at all.
To Increase Overall Strength
Exercise is found to increase overall strength of the body. Rigorous exercise brings about an increase in stamina of the body. It also increases body’s endurance, thus resulting in an increase in a person’s physical capacity.
To Decrease the Risk of Osteoporosis
Carol Bozarth with Refinery Fitness offers the following information on osteoporosis in men: The National Osteoporosis Foundation has found that osteoporosis affects over 2 million men and about 12 million more are affected by osteopenia (which is a less severe level of low bone density). A study from the University of Missouri-Columbia has found that men that participate primarily in low-impact exercise (cycling and swimming) increase their incidence of osteopenia and that results in a doubling of their risk of bone fractures. Many of the effects of osteopenia can be improved by adding weight-bearing activities into a person’s lifestyles. Although this study was conducted in pre and post-menopausal women, it is still applicable to men. What is suggested by this study is that bone density will increase 2-3% after six months of resistance training. Those small changes in bone density result in a much larger change in bone strength. A 1% increase in bone density results in a reduction of risk fracture by up to 5%.
Weight-bearing activities such as running, jogging, jumping rope and weight lifting are all too important for the health of your bones.
Unfortunately, low bone density is often undiagnosed in men therefore inadequately treated. Ask your physician if you should have your bone density tested. But in the meantime increase you weight-bearing activities and consider supplementing your diet with Vitamin D and calcium!
The Importance of Seeing a Chiropractor
“In recent studies, it is shown that women use preventative and annual doctor visits 97% more than men,” states Dr. Kristin Morgan with Morgan Chiropractic. “So why do men present to a Chiropractor? They usually present because their low back pain or neck pain that started 20 years ago still hasn’t gone away or has gotten worse in recent months. These are one of cases I see the most of, usually a sports injury in high school or college that never was given the proper care and rehabilitation. 20 years later, the pain and discomfort still persist. Chiropractic care has shown tremendous relief for low back pain and neck pain. The use of acupuncture to control the pain and decrease inflammation in early stages of care puts patients on the fast track to healing.
Currently most male patient that present to my office are athletes or labor workman with current injuries, some very passionate athletes determined to compete injured or not. The use of acupuncture and Kinesio-Tape, along with chiropractic adjustments to increase nerve function, helps the healing process and increases the patient’s performance during sporting events. The use of acupuncture will decrease inflammation and pain with Kinesio-Tape will support the area of injury providing support during movement.
Skilled athlete or not, Chiropractic and Acupuncture care is great for all males! These combined treatments will put your body into full force healing by decreasing pain, decreasing inflammation, and increasing immune functions so you are able to get back out to the things you love to do!
The Importance of Keeping Regular Appointments
Men have a tendency to avoid going to the doctor. They either insist they are fine even if they aren’t feeling great or put off going to their regularly scheduled check-ups or teeth cleanings or other routine visits. It may not seem dangerous to skip a yearly dentist appointment or an annual physical, but the truth is that many dangerous issues that could have been caught and cured early will turn into much more threatening (or even life-threatening) issues if they are not caught in routine check-ups. Here are just a few that the normal man should have on his radar:
Colonoscopy If you have no family history or other increased risk of colon cancer, you should have your first colonoscopy around the age of 50. If no dangerous polyps are found, it will probably be recommended that you have it repeated in another ten years.
Prostate Exam Prostate cancer screening can help identify cancer early on, when treatment is most effective. It’s recommended that men 40-75 years old have a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test to screen for signs of prostate cancer.
Dental Check-Up Men with healthy teeth should have a regular dental check-up and cleaning twice per year.
Regular Physical There are many different opinions on how often men should get a regular physical. In healthy men with no risk factors or pre-existing conditions, it’s generally every three to five years before the age of 40, every other year between 40 and 50 and every year after age 50.
The Importance of Preventing Cancer
Every year, cancer claims the lives of nearly 300,000 men in America. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent it. Here are eight of them:
Avoid Smoking and Second-hand Smoke
Practice Safe Sex Not only does unsafe sex put you at risk for STDs like AIDS, it also puts you at risk for developing HPV, a virus linked to several types of cancer.
Stay on Top of Prostate Health
Hit the Gym As stated earlier, regular exercise has many health benefits in addition to preventing some types of cancer.
Eat a Sensible Diet A diet low in animal fat filled with fresh fruits and veggies is ideal for risk reduction. Studies have shown that diets high in animal fat increase the risk factor for many types of cancer. Fresh fruits and veggies are high in cancer fighting anti oxidants.
Be Sun Savvy Men, especially those who work outdoors, need to wear sunscreen year round. Over one million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year.
Perform Monthly Testicular Self Exams Did you know that testicular cancer can strike in young men as young as 15 years of age? Performing regular testicular self exams may help detect testicular cancer early.
Know Your Family History of Cancer Knowing your family history is very important to assess your risk factor for certain types of cancer. We know that cancers like breast, colon, and possibly other types can be hereditary. If you know what a certain type of cancer runs in your family, let your doctor know.
It’s very important for men to maintain their active and healthy lifestyles, not only for themselves and their busy lives, but also for all those who depend upon them. Exercising, not smoking and seeing the correct professionals are all ways to do your best to stay in prime condition.