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You may already be attuned to providing some extra care and attention to certain men in your life this month (here’s looking at you, dads!), but it turns out that ALL men should take a little extra consideration this entire month.

June is Men’s Health Awareness Month, and at Fountain Hills Medical Center, we’re grateful that men’s health is getting some attention. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, men are statistically less likely than women to seek regular medical care. Medical News Today discusses a 2022 survey of men in the United States that found that 65% of men believe themselves to be healthier than others, and 33% of men do not believe that yearly physicals are needed, and 40% of men prioritize their pets’ health over their own.

These survey responses are sobering, considering that men face several unique health challenges including: men are significantly more likely than women to experience aortic aneurisms, kidney stones, gout, bladder cancer, and to become an alcoholic. Men have a shorter life expectancy than women, and are less likely to maintain healthy social support systems. And while men tend to seek medical care less often than women, men cost our society more in medical costs than women after the age of 65. The takeaway? Regular, preventative care counts in a big way.

Here are some real-life steps men can take to improve their wellbeing both now and in the future.

• Get checked

  You knew this was coming. Regular checkups are necessary for all men, even if you feel perfectly healthy. Here are just a few of the reasons why:

  • You can get screened for a variety of medical issues(blood pressure, cholesterol level, and prostate health to name a few), many of which don’t necessarily present with obvious symptoms. There are specific medical risks for all age groups, and making sure you’re healthy can provide you with a valuable peace of mind.
  • You can get to know us! We love to develop a good medical relationship with our patients so that if a serious medical issue does strike, you don’t have to spend unnecessary time or energy hunting around for any random doctor. We’ll already know you, have your medical history, and can concentrate more on the issue at hand.
  • Tdap, shingles, MMR, Hepatitis B – how up-to-date are you on your vaccinations? If you think you may have missed a few, now is the time to let us help you get caught up.
  • That nagging medical issue? It likely won’t go away on its own.

• Get moving

  We get it – starting and/or maintaining a physical fitness routine is daunting at best and can be exhausting and expensive at worst. However, we have good news – the rule of thumb we like to employ is this: some is better than none, and more is better than less. Take your physical health journey in small steps. If you’re inactive now, start with walking for 10-15 minutes, most days of the week. If you’re jogging 2 days a week, try to bump your cardio up to 4 days a week and add in some weight training. Doing nothing but weights? Fit in some cardio. We like our patients to get heart-accelerating, sweaty exercise at least 3 times per week for at least 30 minutes each time. And what if you’re not there? Some is better than none!

  Also, keep in mind that physical fitness can also include alternative practices such as yoga, stretching, or martial arts.

• Get food-savvy

  Just like with exercise, we find the best approach is with baby steps. It’s neither sustainable or reasonable to quit cold-turkey all your guilty pleasures. Start small by adding a serving of produce per day, or eating fewer second helpings per week. Slowly build on your healthy habits as you incorporate them, and soon you’ll have a diet regime that works for you.

  There are so many foods available that do wonderful things for your body, and there’s no reason to force yourself to eat something you hate. Eating the healthier foods you like will help ensure greater success.

Men, FHMC is celebrating you this month. We want to see you living your best and healthiest life. We look forward to helping you achieve your health goals and getting to know you better. Helping men be healthy in Fountain Hills is a big part of what we do so well for this wonderful Arizona community.

SOURCES

https://www.health.harvard.edu/
https://medlineplus.gov/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/

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