Men are more likely than women to suffer from heart disease, cancer, lung diseases, and other illnesses. But you may start the habits that lead to a longer, healthier life with knowledge, inspiration, and a little assistance from wellness experts and medical professionals like Labcorp’s workplace wellness coaches. These are seven suggestions for men who want to live better, longer lives.
- Give up dieting and eat a balanced diet
No one can follow the ideal diet or eating pattern. You should make an effort to eat more wholesome meals in a style that suits you, rather than blindly adhering to diet fads.
For instance, you might discover that eating healthily is simpler when you have two well scheduled meals a day, or you might perform better when you have up to six smaller meals a day. Making more place for nutrient-dense, healthful foods that men require—such as raw veggies, fatty fish, shellfish, bananas, broccoli, cherries, berries, sweet potatoes, Brazil nuts, tomato sauce, avocados, spinach, and yogurt—is what counts.
Try the 80/20 rule, which suggests devoting 80% of your time to eating these healthful meals and 20% to sometimes indulging in other foods you enjoy, if you’re seeking for some inspiration. You may find a lot of tools and applications to assist you with this method.
Your body needs different amounts of healthy fats, proteins, carbs, vitamins, and minerals depending on your age, sex, and degree of fitness.
- Give up smoking and chewing tobacco.
Regardless of substance usage, men are more likely to acquire gum disease, throat and oral cancer, and gum disease. Because of this, giving up cigarettes is a crucial first step towards bettering your health, and many of the advantages start to show right away. When you stop smoking, for instance, your blood pressure drops, your body’s oxygen level rises, and your senses of taste and smell may improve within 48 hours.
Long-term advantages also include decreased chances of heart disease and some malignancies, better health, and longer life expectancy. Coughing and shortness of breath are also less common.
- Control your waist or weight
Keeping your body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9 can be a crucial step towards leading the healthiest possible life. BMI is a popular screening measure that divides results into four categories: underweight, healthy weight, overweight, and obese. It is computed using your height and weight.
If maintaining a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is not practical for your body type, composition, or frame, you should also take your waist circumference into consideration. BMI alone may not be sufficient to identify a healthy weight for you. Generally speaking, men should aim to keep their waists smaller than 40 inches.
- Remain upbeat and take pauses.
Maintaining your general health and well-being depends on taking care of your mental health. Everyone has a different definition of what it means to take care of their mental health, but here are some easy suggestions for maintaining your positive outlook and making time for yourself:
a. Do something good for others and yourself each day.
b. Don't reserve all of your enjoyment for travel: Make small daily efforts to unwind.
c. After work, shoot baskets in the driveway.
d. Bring the family to the park.
d. Sit back with a drink of iced tea outside. - Consult with your physician frequently
It’s critical to have yearly physicals as well as age-appropriate testing and screenings since routine, preventive treatment is crucial. Exams for teeth and eyes work in the same way. Knowing your family history and discussing it with your doctor are important parts of taking charge of your care. By acting now, you can lower your chance of developing health issues down the road.
It’s also critical to pay attention to your body. If something doesn’t seem right, talk to your doctor about it as soon as possible rather than waiting until your yearly exam.
- Make physical activity a priority and vary your exercise regimen.
Try to get in at least 30 minutes of moderate activity each day, and switch up your routine from time to time to keep your heart and muscles challenged. Thankfully, you can work out without a gym membership or costly equipment—in fact, one of the healthiest types of exercise doesn’t even involve such things. A little over 20 minutes a day, or just 150 minutes a week, of moderate-intensity walking, will benefit you: a. Retain a healthy weight
b. Control or avoid diabetes type 2, heart disease, some types of cancer, and more.
c. Elevate your emotions
d. Decrease tension
e. Boost cardiac function
You should think about seasonal sports and both indoor and outdoor cardiovascular exercises in addition to walking. Additionally, you can schedule flexibility and resistance exercise on different days.
- Give sleep priority.
Nothing can replace regular, sound sleep on a regular basis. The quality of your sleep has a direct impact on your mood, memory, problem-solving abilities, hunger, and many other aspects of your physical, mental, social, and emotional well-being. Adults should aim for seven to eight hours of sleep per night.