It’s an old cliché, but as with all clichés there is some truth to it. Men are problem-solvers by nature. When confronted with a problem whether it is physical, mental or emotional – they want to repair the damage and make it better. In fact, most men are more likely to try a repair themselves before asking or calling for assistance from a professional.
In one key area, their own fitness and health, men attempt the same whether they have the knowledge or the skills to meet their goals. It can be frustrating, because while men have a lot of fitness options – they may not actually be aware of the more solid repairs they can incorporate into their lifestyles. If your husband, brother, son, father or friend falls into this category, here are a few tips to help him lead a healthier lifestyle.
- Eat healthier – unsurprisingly, men respond to fad diets better than women do physically. My husband is a great example of how well Atkins can work, but Atkins like most other diets requires that you maintain eating that type of diet or you will gain the weight back. It’s more important to eat a healthier, balanced overall diet incorporating exercise and fitness to maintain their healthier weight than it is to fad diet
- Men are made to build muscle – this is a truism, but physically speaking, building muscle on men is a lot easier than it is on women. Their bodies were designed to be larger, with larger muscles and more muscle means less fat as the muscles require more calories. Regular exercise should be a part of their daily regimen
- Men need to learn better stress coping – there’s a lot of stress to being a man especially when he’s a husband and a father. There’s almost a biological imperative that they provide for their families and protect them. This places an inordinate amount of stress on them and they need to learn to take time to deal with stress because it can lead to heart disease and stroke
- Lose the alcohol – Men drink far more than women do and let’s face it, alcohol has very few benefits in large quantities
- See the Doctor Annually – Most men I know can’t be paid to go in for a regular physical and resist it even when they are sick or injured – a regular physical exam can help to identify early problems that can become large ones from prostate issues to heart disease
- Safety isn’t for pansies – Contrary to all popular opinion, men are not damage proof and they need to think about their physical actions and not take risks. Most of the aches and pains the men closest to me suffer from are due to leaving injuries untreated or overdoing it when they weren’t ready to perform some intense physical activity
- Learn how to seek and accept help – it’s not less masculine to work with a personal trainer, to look for advice from a dietician or to consult a physician on a medical issue – in fact, men who know how to get the help they need are far more masculine because they maintain their shape, their health and their mental fitness for the challenges of life
As a man, what concerns you more – the appearance of fitness or the idea of asking for help?
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