- Food for thought:
To reduce your risk of chronic disease, one of the best things to do is follow a healthier eating pattern, which includes as wide a variety of foods as possible. The ‘Food Pyramid’ is a great tool to use to help achieve a more balanced diet.
- Let’s get physical:
Many men are not doing enough physical activity to ensure good health. Aiming for at least 30 mins of moderate exercise a day will help to improve physical health.
- Keep a clear head:
Discussing any problems you may be suffering with is very important. Talk as soon as possible and with someone you trust, a problem shared is a problem halved.
- Going up in smoke:
Most people know that smoking leads to lung cancer, however, it can also lead to other serious health problems like heart disease, stroke and much more. Cutting back is the single best thing that you can do to reduce the risk of these illnesses and improve your health.
- It’s your shout:
When it comes to alcohol, less is always more. Cutting back can have a positive impact on sleep, energy, heart health and your mood.
- The heart of the matter:
Some risk factors for heart disease are out of our control, e.g. being male, genetics, ethnicity, age. However some factors, we can do something about. Following a healthy diet, watching your weight, quitting smoking, avoiding stress where you can, getting enough sleep and moving your body more can all reduce the risk of heart diseases and stroke.
- Have a healthy sex life:
Sexual and reproductive health is an important part of our overall health. Being educated about the prevention of infections, giving and seeking consent as well as being proactive about using contraception all contribute to having pleasurable and safer sexual relationships.
- Check your bits and bobs:
Knowing what’s normal for your body will help you to identify symptoms that stand out and need to be checked out by a doctor. The sooner you spot something like cancer, the more likely you are to survive it.
- Get connected:
As humans we need social connections in order to thrive and survive. Being alone can lead to men feeling lonely and isolated. There are many things men can do if they are feeling loneliness or isolation such as: joining a sports team, enrolling in a hobby or class, volunteering or community work.
- Let’s not meet by accident:
Road traffic accidents and occupational accidents are a leading cause of injury and death for most men. Controlling speed, wearing a seatbelt and not drinking and driving are some of the many ways that men can stay safe on the roads. While strictly following safety guidelines at work and being cautious around equipment, machinery, potential hazards and heavy lifting are some of the ways that men can stay safe at work.
