International Men’s Health Week is celebrated from June 12 to 20 to create awareness about health issues faced by men and to encourage them to stay fit.
Men’s Health Week is annually celebrated during the week leading up to Father’s Day to ensure that extra attention is given to male members of the family during that time. It was created in 1994 to spread awareness about men’s preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment.
This year, the celebrations focus on the theme “Healthy Habits” to encourage men and boys around the world to make lifestyle changes for their better health and well-being.
Healthy habits to stay fit
1. Healthy diet – Cutting down on red meat and including more fresh fruits and vegetables is a great step toward better health. Health experts advocate minimizing sugar intake as it can lead to several lifestyle diseases, including heart disease, obesity, diabetes and even cancer. Sticking to a low-carb, low-fat diet to include a lot of lean proteins and nutrients will help in maintaining a healthy weight. Obesity can lead to health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, joint problems, depression and sleep apnea.
2. Regular exercise – Being physically active and having regular workouts not only helps in maintaining weight but can relieve stress, reduce mood swings, boost self-esteem and improve heart health, sex life and sleep.
3. Good sleep – Having a routine healthy sleep pattern helps prevent several health issues as lack of sleep increases the chances of diseases like hypertension, anxiety, obesity and heart disease.
4. Get regular health checkups – Having regular health checkups for monitoring blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes helps in early detection and reduces the chances of organ damage. Men need to take age-appropriate checkups such as colonoscopies and prostate cancer screenings after the age of 50.
5. Sit less – Sitting for long hours increases the risk of colon cancer, disability, diabetes, heart disease and obesity. A recent study has shown that taking short bouts of walking, for around five minutes, after every hour can prevent the damage caused by sitting all day.
Men’s Health Week was created to spread awareness about preventable health problems in men and to encourage to get early detection and treatment. Brad Neathery/Unsplash