As June turns in to July, Men’s Health Month is coming to an end. Men’s Health Month is an observance across the country to raise awareness about healthcare for men and encouraging a healthy lifestyle to live longer lives. On average, men in the United States die 5.6 years earlier than women and are more likely to die from 9 out of the 10 leading causes of death. To prevent this, Men’s Health Month encourages men, boys, and the people around them to improve and promote a healthy lifestyle. Here are five ways to implement the goal of Men’s Health Month after the month of June.
- Exercising regularly – you probably hear it all the time, but not only does regular exercise control weight, it also combats health conditions and diseases. Exercising just 30 minutes per day can reduce risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol. You don’t have to do high-intensity workouts to see health benefits, it can be as simple as walking, swimming, or throwing a ball around.
- Getting regular checkups –Men are less likely than women to get routine physical exams and screenings. Getting regular checkups from your doctor not only saves you money in the long run, but it can save your life if diseases are caught early on.
- Eating healthy – you don’t have to change your entire diet but making sure that half of your plate has fruits or vegetables can reduce heart disease. Eating fruits and vegetables of different colors offers different nutrients. To figure out how many servings of fruits and vegetables you should be eating, use the CDC’s online serving calculator.
- Quit smoking – not only can smoking cause lung diseases, but it can increase your risk for heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, and other diseases. Smoking not only puts you at risk, but it also puts the people around you at risk as they can develop lung cancer, allergies, asthma, and other health problems. Even just 8 hours after quitting smoking, the carbon monoxide (a gas that can be toxic) in your blood drops to normal.
- Take care of your mental health – men are significantly less likely to take advantage of mental health issues compared to women, despite it being just as important as physical health. Men make up 75% of suicide victims in the United States, with one man killing himself every 20 minutes. Whether or not you feel fine, implementing the tips listed above can improve mental health and help your mental health. While therapy is highly suggested, simply talking to a stranger can help you feel less isolated than if you didn’t.
How will you include these tips in your everyday life?
Written by SBS Marketing Intern: Marielle Medina