Monday October 21st 6.30 - 7pm
Father’s Day is around the corner, so this week, I thought I would focus on men’s health.
And ladies, please do take the time to read this because the probability is, that like me, many of the men reading this will already have stopped at the suggestion that they should be doing things differently.
So, what I will do in this blog is simply give you my suggestions on how as men we can improve our health and why that might be important to us.
At the end of the day there is only ONE person who can get us well, heal us from illness and improve our health… yes that person is YOU!
Why should we be focusing more on our health? Over the last year there has been a lot of media focus on health and avoiding illness, however, there has been very little sound advice on how to actually be healthy.
Reading that may cause a bit of discomfort inside, but I raise the topic because I genuinely care about you and your health. Getting healthy is simple but sometimes it is NOT easy. It is far easier to choose convenience and comfort than exercise and nutritious food. So, to help us make the right choices we have to go further than just focusing on the choice…
We have to ask ourselves WHY do we want to try and be healthy in the first place? Here are a few of my reasons and my suggestions for you:
1. To enjoy my retirement, to move freely and explore.
2. To be fit to play with my kids as they grow, not just when they are young, and to play with my future grandchildren.
3. To avoid having to take sick days from work and provide for my family.
4. To be able to keep up with my partner and enjoy life’s experiences together.
Whatever it is that motivates you, think of that reason the next time a chocolate bar and a ham salad are having a standoff in your mind.
But for men in particular, what are some areas of focus?
Here are my Top Tips for men’s health:
1. Be aggressive.
Men need to be physical. A naturally occurring hormone in men as I am sure you know is testosterone.
It is important for men to be physically active and use their aggression as a natural regulation of this hormone. If not done, it can lead to hormonal imbalances and emotional disturbances.
Make a conscious choice this week to exercise and exert your testosterone.
Here are my top 3 exercises!
Choose something that is within your capability but push your comfort zone to get the best results.
2. Switch off a little.
“Since that day [I opened up about my emotions]. It’s just been so much easier to live and so much easier to enjoy my life.” Michael Phelps
One of the biggest barriers to health and healing is our emotions. Yes, you heard that! Your emotions can be the reason for your physical pain or the reason you’re not out of pain yet.
If we are living a stressed life, feeling stressed or constantly on the go, our body never has the chance to recharge and recalibrate.
Speed up your recovery and take 5 minutes each day to breathe and switch off.
3. Talk about it.
“Recognising and preventing men’s health problems is not just a man’s issue. Because of its impact on wives, mothers, daughters and sisters. Men’s health is truly a family issue” Bill Richardson.
I see this all the time and I want to let you know it is ok to ask for help!
I so often see the women in the family ‘convince’ or refer the men of the house to see me. And just like me, that man was maybe too stubborn to ask for help.
Conversely, I see a lot of men come seek my help but request I keep it from their loved ones.
I want to shine the torch on both these issues today and say, if you are struggling, it is ok to ask. Not seeking help could have far worse consequences.
With love,
Tom
