by Team Snapbac
Health and wellbeing may not be on your radar everyday of the year, but gentlemen, the month of June is your time to get refocused with your self-care and maintenance. Back in 1994, Men’s International Health Week was passed by Congress and set for June 10-16, in connection to Father’s Day, in order to bring awareness to mental and physical health conditions experienced by men. Organized by the Men’s Health Network in 2001, an annual meeting with the world congress began to take a deeper look at men’s health and launched a global initiative to take action on preventable health problems and early detection. Today this is a necessary reminder to put your health first, and we have seven tips to implement each day of Men’s Health Week as self-care becomes your priority!
We know life gets busy, but it will be a lot harder if disease sets in or takes you by surprise. This year the Men’s Health focus is ‘by the numbers.’ Here are the key figures: 37 and below is a healthy waistline, 150 is the minimum amount of minutes you should exercise each week, 5 is the quantity of fruits and vegetables you should eat every day, 120/80 is a healthy blood pressure. Make an appointment with your doctor and set up a physical and basic blood tests. Be sure to speak honestly about anything you may be feeling or experiencing in your body, moods or daily functions and processes.
Stress is deadly and most men live with it every day, all day long. This is what leads to a whole array of health issues including high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and much more. Experiment with different breathing techniques that allow you to stop at moments during your day and reconnect with your body. Even if you only have a second to take in a deep breath, hold it for three seconds, release the breath and hold for three seconds. Repeat this until you feel your tension release.
You heard the experts, 150 minutes a week. That’s only 25 minutes a day, six days a week. It can be as simple as walking to and from lunch.
Tending to meaningful relationships creates a loving and committed support group in life and has been shown to increase longevity.
We feel like we’re beating a dead horse here, but we’ll say it again. You need eight hours a night, so make it a priority. Sleep is when your body heals itself, hormones and chemicals reset and your mind has necessary down time. You can’t afford to skip it.
This week try to eat a different set of fruits and vegetables each day. If you’re getting the recommended five a day, break them into the colors of the rainbow, red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple, and find variety in your textures as well, like crunchy, spongy, soft, crisp, dry, etc.
Whether you are a spiritual person or not, having a mindful habit of yoga, meditation, prayer, attending church, journaling gratitude or conscious walks through the park, has been shown to increase happiness and life expectancy and decrease stress, depression and suicide rates. No matter what your style, carve out a few minutes each day to find center and connect with that other part of yourself.
