If you didn’t know already, June is Men’s Health Awareness Month. This is an important time to reflect on the benefits of prioritizing not only your health, but the health of all men in your life as well. With how busy our lives can get on a daily basis, it’s important to remember to take care of yourself. We often downplay the long-term impacts of taking your body or health for granted. Use this time of the year to reset and make your wellness a priority, no matter how busy you are.
For starters, here are four tips that anyone, but especially men, can incorporate into their health routines.
See All Your Doctors
Not too many people like going to the doctor, dentist, or optometrist, but attending annual appointments is crucial in keeping up with and maintaining your health. By making the effort to go to these visits, you significantly reduce the risk of having a health issue slip under the radar. These checkups are even more important if you do have a health issue as the professionals will be able to monitor how you are progressing over time. While people used to think it was enough to just go to a routine physical, more people are realizing that they require specialized care and shouldn’t just be seeing their doctor annually. While the specialist will depend on your situation, the increased sun exposure that comes with June makes now an excellent time to schedule both an optometrist and dermatologist appointment.
As you get older, the eyes are a huge indicator of your overall health. If you notice a direct change in your vision, be sure to contact your eye doctor as soon as possible. Years of sun exposure can lead to a degradation in your vision health, so getting a routine checkup before summer is in full swing is a great idea. After this appointment, make sure that you regularly update your eyewear every year or so. Luckily with the rise of online shopping, there are many affordable and durable men’s eyewear options available in a variety of styles. Besides updating your lenses, it is also a good idea to invest in sunglasses, a hat, or some sort of face-covering to protect your eyes from harmful rays.
Besides your vision health, focusing on your skin health will be a must this June. Use this time to attend a dermatology appointment so you can get a head-to-toe skin check. Just like with your eyes, the sun’s rays can have negative impacts on your skin health. Years of abuse can lead to issues like wrinkles, leathery skin, liver spots, and melanoma. This complete exam will help rule out any issues caused by the sun and the doctor should give you advice and products to help to protect yourself from the sun for years to come.
Exercise Regularly
Staying active is a huge asset to your health. A lot of people think that exercising is just a physical benefit, however, it helps you mentally just as much. Even if you dedicate just thirty minutes out of your day to work out, you will notice a huge difference in how your body and mind feel. Exercise has been proven to show increased signs of relaxation, better sleeping patterns, increased mental health, and other positive benefits.
Just like going to annual appointments, exercise can immensely reduce your risk of any serious diseases developing within your body. There are also many different ways that you can incorporate workouts into your daily routine with your family, and one of the most exciting ways is to exercise with your kids. Not only do you get to spend more time with your loved ones, but you will also find that having a workout buddy will increase motivation.
As a tip, we recommend buying some workout gear to have at home, over just getting a gym membership. Having something as simple as having an adjustable dumbbell set at home can open up the number of workouts you can achieve from home. This can make it easier to get a quick 30-minute lift in, as you cut down on the time spent traveling back and forth to the gym, a huge benefit for anyone with kids.
Maintain a Healthy Diet
Making sure to eat nutritious meals over fast food or other quick and easy solutions is extremely important to your health. By fueling your body with fruits and vegetables, you will notice a huge improvement in your energy levels. You may also even notice a difference in skin feeling more refreshed since there are so many other benefits to eating healthy aside from feeling energized.
If you find yourself having difficulty figuring out what to eat, consider making a meal plan or schedule to help keep you on track. There are tons of benefits to prepping your meals ahead of time, so consider what system will work best for your lifestyle. To take this a step further, consider keeping a food diary to gauge exactly how certain foods interact with you. Food diaries just allow you to add some qualitative data to the mix, so you aren’t just counting calories and carbs.
Finding and maintaining a balanced diet is a great way to improve your health across all fronts. Use the summer grilling months to start eating cleaner white meats and veggies.
Prioritize Mental Health
Making sure that you make your mental health a priority is extremely important for your overall wellness. Oftentimes, mental health care can be overlooked when it comes to thinking about ways to benefit your general health, especially for men. Your mental state is just as important as your physical one, so you should always make an effort to keep track of it just as you would with other parts of your body.
Implementing a self-care routine of some sort is a great way to keep your mind and body at ease. Taking time to stretch or start a skincare routine will not only help you on the outside, but your insides will feel wonderful as well.
If you find that you need to take this a step further, consider making an appointment with a mental health specialist. Today, there are a variety of online therapy services available to choose from, meaning you can get the help you need, from the comfort of your home.
So, remember this month to give extra attention to your health. With our busy day-to-day lives, health can often be put on the back burner until an issue arises. Taking even just a few minutes out of your day to focus on your health can affect the body greatly. Men’s Health Awareness month is a great time to reflect and spread the word about healthy habits for the male body.
