5 Simple Ways We Can Be Healthier Beyond Men’s Health Week

“Man up!” How many times have you heard that? The biggest risks to men’s health in Australia are heart disease, suicide and vehicle accidents, and we reckon this Men’s Health Week, from June 14 - 20 could be the perfect time to think about ways we can improve our overall health, from how much we move to how we think. And the best way we can all “man up” is to take good care of ourselves and our mates. Here’s 5 seriously simple steps we’re vowing to personally take to keep our health front of mind this June and beyond.

1. Keep moving
   According to menshealthweek.org.au, “inactive men are 60% more likely to suffer from depression than those who are active.” 
   With heart disease the number one killer of Aussie men, devastatingly, followed closely by suicide, it’s crucial that we keep our hearts and minds healthy through diet and exercise. 
   Clearing our heads with some time outside is an easy commitment to make this June. We’re starting with increasing our daily movement from walking to work to throwing a footy around with our nephews on the weekend and using our dormant gym memberships for a run on the treadmill. 
   
2. Kick the habit
   Smoking causes coronary heart disease and increases the risk of diseases like lung cancer, throat cancer and bowel cancer. However, just a month or two after you quit you’ll feel fitter and healthier and according to icanquit.com.au, “a year after quitting smoking, your risk of coronary heart disease is about half that of someone who continues to smoke,” and ten years after quitting “the risk of mouth and throat cancer is similar to someone who has never smoked,” and “your risk of lung cancer is less than half that of someone who continues to smoke.”
   
3. Eat your greens
   That doesn’t have to be boring! The Aussie Heart Foundation has done the hard work for you with grocery shopping lists and recipes to follow from Massaman curry to Mediterranean fish saganaki. Increasing vegetable intake is one easy first step to get on the right track.
   
4. Lower stress
   Life’s busy, the pressure’s on at work, we all know the feeling. But did you know that stress in all shapes and forms has been proven to increase blood pressure and cholesterol – major factors in developing heart disease. Repeated periods of stress can lead to inflammation in the coronary arteries and increase the risk of heart attack. So book in that annual leave, down tools on time and make sure you have a balance of work and play. 
   
5. Check in with mates
   The final commitment to make is perhaps the easiest of all. Men can tend more towards internalising what’s on our minds with less of a culture of getting stuff off our chests. Checking in with your mates regularly will help both yourself and them feel more connected and supported when the going gets tough.