For many men, health and wellness fall to the wayside as they age. Life gets busy. Work becomes a top priority and life commitments make it harder to focus on your own physical and mental health.
But taking the time to make your health a priority can help ensure that you’re there to take care of your loved ones in the future. Use health and wellness tips to help you live a happier, healthier lifestyle.
Men’s Healthy Lifestyle Tips
1. Make Exercise a Priority
Unless your job keeps you active, it’s important to make exercise a priority. Research has found that sedentary men tend to have more body fat, lower fitness, more depression symptoms and lower life satisfaction than active men.
Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate activity every day. Even something as simple as going for a walk will get your body moving and help you stay healthy.
If you’re just getting started with your exercise journey, start slow and work your way up to longer workouts at a higher intensity. Cardio exercise is important, but strength training can help you maintain or build muscle mass, support bone health and help you maintain a healthy weight.
2. Get Enough Sleep
The average adult needs 7-9 hours of sleep, but most people average 6 hours a night. Poor sleep can lead to weight gain, cognitive impairment and even chronic disease.
Make sleep a priority. Aim for at least 7 hours of shut-eye per night. To help you get to sleep on time, establish a nightly routine that promotes sleep and relaxation.
• Turn off the TV and put away your phone an hour before bed.
• Read a book or meditate to relax and unwind.
• Keep the room cool and dark at night.
• Invest in a quality mattress and comfortable, breathable bedding
• Avoid eating or drinking 2-3 hours before bed
When you make sleep a priority, you’re taking the necessary steps to protect your health.
3. Eat a Healthy Diet
Diet is just as important as sleep and exercise for men’s health and wellness. Eating a balanced diet will fuel your body with the nutrients it needs to stay healthy and energized.
Here are some tips:
• Eat the rainbow. Make sure your diet has a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins.
• Limit your intake of processed and sugary foods and drinks.
• Stay hydrated. Aim for about 3.7 liters of water per day.
• Keep it simple to stay on track. Cook and prepare easy, healthy meals that you enjoy.
Consider adding intermittent fasting into the mix. Intermittent fasting gives your body a rest from digestion, allowing your blood sugar levels to return to normal, human growth hormone levels to rise and your cells to repair.
Intermittent fasting can help you lose weight, and even if you’re at a healthy weight, it can still promote health and wellness.
4. Invest in a Massage Chair for Relaxation
Stress and anxiety can take a toll on your mental and physical health. Unfortunately, we live in a world that glorifies busyness and pushes us to do more. Over time, stress and burnout can lead to depression, chronic disease and a host of other issues.
Taking time to de-stress is important for men’s wellness. Massage is a great way to de-stress, alleviate tension and help combat anxiety. But visiting a professional massage therapist can be inconvenient and expensive.
Investing in a quality massage chair allows you to enjoy a relaxing massage right from the comfort of home whenever you want.
Massage chairs have come a long way and now offer a full-body experience with extra features that add to the experience, like built-in speakers, lumbar heating and Zero Gravity seating. The massage chairs from Human Touch deliver a full-body massage and can even pair with Alexa-enabled devices to serve as your virtual therapist.
A massage chair is an investment in your mental health and well-being, making it worth every penny.
5. Take Care of Your Mental Health
One of the most important men’s health tips that often gets overlooked is mental health. Depression, anxiety and other mental health issues are more common than you think. Getting help to overcome these issues will help you live a happier, healthier and more fulfilled life.
Even if your mental health is excellent right now, it’s important to take steps to keep it that way.
• Take breaks when you need them to avoid burnout, stress and depression.
• Take time to de-stress every day.
• Exercising and eating a healthy diet will also support your mental health.
• Set clear boundaries and learn to say “no.”
Mental health is vital for everyone. Mental disorders can increase the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke. Check in with yourself regularly to see how you’re feeling and whether you need to make changes to get back into a better mental state.
6. Spend Quality Time with Family and Friends
Humans are social creatures. We need socialization to support our mental and physical health. Isolation can lead to depression, anxiety and disease. One of the most important male health tips for mental health is to spend time with friends and family.
Research shows that those with strong social circles tend to have less stress, better well-being and greater happiness.
Make it a priority to spend more time with the people you love, whether it’s a game night at home, dinner or a Zoom call. Your mental health will thank you.
7. Take Up Hobbies
Taking time to do something you love every day or several times a week can go a long way in making you happier and more fulfilled. Hobbies are a great way to learn more skills, make new friends and get more joy out of life. There’s no better time than now to pick up a new hobby, especially if it’s something you’ve always wanted to try.
Taking steps to care for your physical and mental health can help you live a happier and more fulfilled life while reducing your risk of disease. Use these health tips for men to prioritize your health and wellness starting today.