3 Quick Health Tips for Men To Improve Their Life

There he was at the age of 55, with his friends and family surrounding him. Everyone lined up one by one, gently placed a flower on his casket and then said their quiet goodbyes, before he was slowly lowered into the ground.

The above is a sad but often true story for many; perhaps maybe even you.

But aside from the sadness, there also comes other emotions including anger, frustration, confusion, questions that start with, “If he only…”, and all of this often results in women and men affected by the passing of their beloved asking themselves what they could be doing starting immediately to make sure that this doesn’t happen to them.

Canadian Men are Not Healthy

According to the Men’s Health Foundation, Canadian men are not healthy.

55% of Canadian men are unhealthy sleepers
49% of Canadian men don’t exercise enough
62% of Canadian men are unhealthy eaters
39% of Canadian men have unhealthy alcohol consumption
20% of Canadian men still smoke
75% of Canadian men are borderline unhealthy and/or unhealthy
25% of Canadian men are considered healthy/very healthy
70% of chronic diseases and conditions may be prevented by adopting healthy lifestyle habits

These statistics are alarming and are not well known among the Canadian population. Most of us north of the border only look at our American neighbours to the south and see an abundance of obesity, diabetes, and other health issues, and therefore believe that because we are not as obese, we must be much much healthier. While this may be true, it still doesn’t mean that Canadians are out of the hot water.

Men’s Health Week – June 10 to 16, 2019

Canadians across this country should be aware that from June 10th to 16, 2019, we will be recognizing men’s health and wellness.

If you’re a man reading this, what are you going to do during this time to improve your health?

If you’re not a man and you have at least one male in your life, whether it be a co-worker, a friend, a brother, a father, uncle, or grandfather, what are you going to do to help spread the awareness about men’s health to them?

Either way, please read on as we’re going to share with you 3 simple tips that can help to improve the health and wellness of men.

Simple Tips for Better Health for Men

Improving your health actually isn’t that difficult. For many it’s just a matter of changing a few small areas in your life; it could be in your diet, your physical activity, or your mindset.

Of course you should be eating healthy, nutrient dense and rich foods, so we’re not going to talk about that in this article.

Here are 3 quick tips that you can start right away that could help you extend your life, improve your health and happiness, and get you feeling better with more energy every day.

1. Breathe, man, just breathe…

We need oxygen to live. There’s no debate about that. But many men do not use the full capacity of their lungs and therefore aren’t getting all the benefits of having optimal levels of oxygen in their bodies.

Oxygen is used for so many processes within the body including burning food to release the energy stored within it, and repairing tissues and cells.

So how can you get more oxygen into your body? Breathe, man, just breathe.

Whenever you’re feeling stressed out, or even before eating a meal, take 30-seconds to take 5 deep breaths. You do it naturally when you’re stressed, but when you do it consciously, you’ll lower your stress at an even greater rate.

As for your digestion, when you take 5 deep breaths before eating, you calm the nervous system down, get your stomach juices going, and allow your body to digest more efficiently.

2. Go ahead and move that body!

Physical activity doesn’t have to involve you going to the gym and pumping iron, or running swiftly down the sidewalks and trails in your latest Nike gear.

For those who are not physically active (you know who you are), simply start moving your body. Here are some ideas that might spark some motivation in you:

If you sit a lot at work, or at home, do some leg lifts! While you’re sitting, lift your knees so that your feet lift off the floor a couple of inches for 5 to 15 seconds at a time, to engage your core. Will it get you a flatter belly? Maybe, maybe not, but it will help you to gain core strength which is crucial for overall physical wellness.
At a computer a lot? Set a timer on your phone or in your computer schedule to remind you to stand up every 15-minutes. All you have to do is stand up, raise your arms, give yourself a nice little stretch, and then get back to work. This shouldn’t take much more than 15-seconds but does so much to help blood flow to every part of your body.
Take the stairs! Wherever and whenever you can, skip the escalator or elevator, and take the stairs. If your health is not great, start out small by taking only one flight of stairs. Just make sure to hold onto the handrail if you’re new to doing this.
Park where no one else parks. Let’s be honest here…you don’t really need to find the closest spot to the entrance. Hovering for minutes on end waiting for someone to leave their spot is a waste of time, is bad for the environment, and doesn’t help you get the exercise you need. So next time you hit the Home Depot, park in the furthest spot you can, and happily walk the extra 50 metres so you can get those extra steps into your day.

3. Take a mental picture (or movie)

You’ve done it before. You closed your eyes and imagined yourself driving behind the wheel of your favourite sports car, cruising down the winding mountainside road, with the sound of the engine making sweet music to your ears.

And then you opened your eyes.

The car was gone and the road was no more. The sound of the raw power from the engine was silenced, and the only thing that remained was the smile on your face.

THAT’S the feeling of joy and happiness, and that’s your body releasing stress.

Practice visualizing more often in order to reduce stress levels, and increasing your happiness in your life. You can do it almost anywhere and at any time!

All it takes is a little bit of imagination and a few minutes of your time, and in moments you can be whisked away back to that winding mountainside road.