When you hear someone mention “Men’s Health Week” your mind might immediately go to six-pack abs, free weights and protein shakes. While these stereotypical factors may contribute to physical health, there are other aspects to improving your overall well-being. Men’s health is more than just what happens at the gym — it’s also about what’s going on in your mind, on your plate and in the bedroom. Focusing on balancing these four factors of your health can improve your overall way of life and performance.
- Mental Health
Mental health is such an important and vital part of overall health, yet is often ignored and categorized as a weakness or embarrassment, especially in men. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly one in ten men in the United States experience depression, anxiety or other mental illnesses, and six out of ten men have experienced trauma in their past. Here are some tips from the Mental Health Foundation on how to cope when you notice your mental health starting to decrease:
- Reach out to a buddy when you catch yourself isolating
- Follow social media accounts/blogs that are relatable
- Get outside for a quick walk
- Stop, pause and practice mindfulness through meditation or writing 🧘♂️
- Watch a movie
- Do something new
- Listen to a new playlist
- Watch a motivational speech for a new perspective
- Ask a friend how they are — helping others can often help you
According to Mental Health America, 6 million men suffer from depression every year. However, men are incredibly less likely to seek help and treatment due to social norms, downplaying symptoms and reluctance to talk. These coping tips can help you on your journey for a healthy mind.
- Sexual Health
Sex and sexuality are a natural part of leading a happy and fulfilling lifestyle for adults. Healthline details how there are many reasons why a healthy and strong sex life can actually improve your overall well-being. It can benefit your physical, intellectual, emotional, physiological and social life in many different ways.
According to Men’s Health, not only does sex help you “hate your job less,” but there are actually many physical health benefits to it. A safe and consistent sex life can lower blood pressure, strengthen muscles, increase libido and even reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and hypertension.
Specifically, in men, those who had consistent and healthy sex were 36% less likely to develop prostate cancer. For men, sex even has an effect on life expectancy and mortality risks. One study conducted by the Planned Parenthood Federation of America concluded that those who had a more frequent and consistent sex life were 50% less likely to develop a mortality risk. In other words, you might be able to say a healthy sex life saves lives!
With all of that being said, we know a healthy sex life is something that most people strive to have. We also know that erectile dysfunction is one of the most common sex-related problems faced by men. At KC Wellness, our erectile dysfunction treatment is a complete rejuvenation program that fully restores circulation and overall function. We are here to help you get your sex life under control and your sexual health back to normal.
- Nutrition
Food can make you go from feeling like a helium-filled balloon one day, to feeling like a lean bodybuilder the next. If you’re like most people, you want to focus on feeding your body to become the machine you aspire to be. Nutrition is a huge part of getting your body to that point. With a little bit of insight on which foods your body needs, your overall health can change dramatically. Men’s Journal details just which foods and the serving size men need to incorporate into their lives per week in order to improve their health:
- Almonds – 3 servings (½ oz)
- Turkey Breast – 3 servings (3 oz)
- Quinoa – 2-3 servings (½ cup)
- Olive Oil – 2 tbsp per day
- Green Tea – 1-3 cups per day
- Black Beans – 2 servings (1 cup)
- Eggs – 3-7 per week
- Beef – 3-4 servings (3 oz)
- Water – 8 glasses per day (8 oz)
- Spinach – 2-3 servings (1 cup)
- Salmon – 3-4 servings per week
- Sweet Potatoes – 1 per week
Here’s a delicious and easy recipe from Men’s Journal to get you started:
Citrus Baked Salmon 🍊🍋
Ingredients:
4 (4 ounces) wild skinless salmon fillets
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt, to taste
Lemon pepper, to taste
Juice of one lemon
4 slices fresh lemon
4 slices fresh orange
4 sheets of aluminum foil
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat both sides of the salmon with olive oil. Season with lemon pepper and sea salt. Place the salmon fillets into the center of each piece of aluminum foil. Squeeze a small amount of lemon juice over each fillet. Cover each fillet with one slice of orange, one slice of lemon.
- Fold the sides of the foil over the fish, covering completely and sealing the packets closed. Place the foil packet in a 9 x 13 baking pan. Repeat until all of the salmon have been individually wrapped in foil and placed on the baking sheet.
- Bake for approximately 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until salmon is cooked through. You may need to open one of the packets to check. Enjoy! 😍
- Fitness
Now that you have the tools for a healthy mind, diet and sex life, let’s circle back to the physical aspect of men’s health. Exercise Right has some great fitness guidelines to help you take control of your body:
- Cut down on alcohol
- Keep yourself motivated
- Stick to exercise guidelines and routines
- Incorporate weight lifting
- Take the stairs
- Keep fitness social (bring your buddies!)
- Stretch while watching TV
- Work on your core
- Take up swimming
- Keep track of your heart rate
- Don’t forget to take time to recover after physical activity
Getting to the gym and knowing where to start is the hardest part for most people, but dedication to these guidelines can dramatically change your overall physique. It can often be difficult to plan your fitness regime around your busy schedule — which is why HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) is such a good way to fit in a quick yet fulfilling workout. HIIT workouts use quick sets of different cardio exercises to get your whole body moving.
Don’t know where to begin? Here’s a quick four-round HIIT workout that’s sure to inspire and get your heart rate pumping!
Courtesy of Mike Duffy, owner and head trainer at Mike Duffy’s Personal Training Studio.
Four Round Fat-Burning HIIT Workout
Round 1:
- Burpees (10x, 15x, 20x)
- Mountain climbers (10x, 15x, 20x)
- Jumping jacks (10x, 15x, 20x)
How to do it: Complete 3 circuits of Round 1, performing 10 reps in the first round, 15 reps in the second round, and 20 reps in the third round. Take no rest.
Rest 1 minute
Round 2:
- Walking lunges with kettlebell exchange under your legs
- Pushups
- Lunge jumps
- Walk-outs (inchworms)
How to do it: Complete 3 circuits of Round 2, performing each exercise for 45 seconds, taking a 15-second break between each exercise and circuit.
* Jump rope 3 minutes *
Rest 1 minute
Round 3:
- Traveling kettlebell squats
- TRX pullups
- Box jumps
- TRX jack knives
How to do it: Complete 3 circuits of Round 3, performing each exercise for 45 seconds, taking a 15-second break between each exercise and circuit.
Rest 1 minute
Round 4:
- Traveling side lunges
- Dips
- Speed skaters (lateral jumps)
- Plank to pushup
How to do it: Complete 3 circuits of Round 4, performing each exercise for 45 seconds, taking a 15-second break between each exercise and circuit.
KC Wellness is Here to Help
While working out, eating right and focusing on mental health are all fantastic ways to reach your healthiest self, doing so can be extremely time-consuming and difficult. That’s where we come in. Here at KC Wellness, we offer many services that can kick-start your health including medical weight loss services through coaching, supplements and injectables. Specifically for men, we also offer BHRT (Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy) that helps your body regain and maintain optimal testosterone levels. And if that’s not enough to inspire you to get on board and work towards your best self, our vitamin therapy sure is. Through the use of IVs, we replace all of the nutrients lost on a day-to-day basis back into your body for instant energy and relief. From colds to migraines to heart health, our therapy brings your vitality forward. KC Wellness is here to make your Men’s Health Week one to remember! Call us at 816-214-5276 or click here to see us!
