Men today are busier than ever. Between demanding careers, raising families, hobbies and other activities, it’s no wonder that their health sometimes falls by the wayside. Whether it’s neglecting their nutrition and exercise, ignoring health conditions they should be seeing a doctor or specialist for or not taking the time to relax and letting stress build up, men can be doing themselves a lot of harm by not taking care of issues early. Fortunately, many men can still make life changes that will either stop or even reverse the health damage that has been inflicted and will be on their way to a long, healthy life.
Getting or Staying in Shape
“Most people know about the obvious health benefits of being in shape like lowering risk for cardiovascular disease and other lifestyle illnesses,” says Danielle Kleber with Athletes’ Training Center, “but being in shape also improves quality of life. The number one thing we hear our members say when we set goals is that they want to be fit so they are able to be active with their kids or grandkids.”
If they know how important being in shape is, why do so many men have a tough time doing it? “Even though they would have a hard time admitting it, a gym can be an intimidating place for men too,” Danielle Kleber says. “Knowing how to use the equipment, not knowing where to start in terms of programming, and trying to do too much on the first time out are common things that can become road blocks. Even athletes can have trouble staying in shape because they become accustomed to having a coach telling them what to do and when to do it. Once they are no longer in athletics, they struggle with being accountable to training routines or being able to push themselves as hard as they can. We can help athletes and non-athletes alike with a style of training called functional training which helps train them for everyday movements. Whether that movement is throwing a bag of mulch in the garden or moving the opposing lineman, the movement can be trained.”
If you’re getting into or getting back into a workout program, make sure you aren’t expecting too much too soon. “Don’t set yourself up for failure by expecting quick results,” Danielle explains. “Before making a commitment to get back into shape, consider how long it took you to get where you are at that moment. Make realistic goals and reward yourself periodically.”
Improving Nutrition
“Men’s health is more about long term than just ‘today’,” explains Jeff Dousharm with Tiger Rock Academy. “Fad programs that are looking to give quick fixes are starting to fade as people realize they don’t work. So, men today are left to search for sustainable answers. The big three areas to focus on are working out, nutrition and stress control. Of these three, the area that’s sometimes most confusing is nutrition. There are so many different messages put out by companies trying to sell you something that it’s hard to know what to believe. To make things worse, what we ‘knew’ before is sometimes totally different than what we know now…so facts are time based.
So, based on what we know NOW, here are just a few quick guidelines to tune up your nutrition plan, especially for guys who are busy and have little time for meal planning etc:
1. Up your water. Most would benefit from 100 oz per day as a goal and then go up from there, especially with how much caffeine most people take in.
2. Focus on protein. Most do not get enough protein in their diet and it’s crowded out by high carb convenience foods.
3. Cut carbs that don’t matter. What makes you more happy….extra bread on a sandwich or a piece of tiramisu? Ditch the bread, enjoy the dessert on occasion!
A couple easy tips or substitutions to make this happen:
1. Drop bread from sandwiches—aim for wraps or just eat with a fork—ie. hamburger etc.
2. Sub cottage cheese for fries when you can.
3. Add more vegetables to your meals—these are very low carb and take the place of eating tons of extra carbs.
4. Carry water with you wherever you go and put it on your desk—all the nutrients in the world don’t help you if they can’t get to the cells where they are needed.
5. Throw some healthier snacks in your desk, or wherever you can so you have something to eat and avoid grabbing candy and junk at least some of the time.
If you are trying to lose weight, generally avoid fruit juice at breakfast. Without the fiber of the fruit itself to slow everything down, the juice is a highly concentrated sugar spike to your system!”
Stress Reduction
Men typically experience more stress than women and usually have a tougher time learning how to relax. It’s vitally important for men to be able to keep their stress levels at a manageable level as stress contributes to numerous health conditions (including heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure and more) and can seriously affect their quality of life.
Stress reduction can be done in a number of ways. Options range from easy fixes such as scheduling a massage a couple of times a month up to large changes such as moving into a career with lower levels of stress. It’s important to evaluate your life and decide if big changes need to be made or if small tweaks and relaxation methods might be enough to get your stress levels in check.
Hearing Loss
According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, approximately 28 million Americans have a hearing impairment, and hearing loss is greater in men.
“We often see denial, procrastination and fear of how hearing aids will look cosmetically when it comes to dealing with hearing loss issues,” says Ken Stallons, audiologist. “It’s important to realize that you’re not alone, many people suffer from hearing loss. Similar to needing glasses for improved eyesight, you often need hearing aids for improved hearing. Today’s hearing aids aren’t like your parents’. They are far more technologically advanced, cosmetically appealing, comfortable, wireless, and have the ability to connect to many types of accessories that can truly enhance your quality of life.”
If you have hearing concerns, it’s important that you see a board-certified audiologist. “An audiologist has the experience and education that brings a high level of understanding of the different levels of hearing loss and the man treatments available,” says Ken Stallons. “Beware of sales that sound too good to be true. Also, be cautious of people who are simply trying to sell you a product instead of working to find the cause of your hearing problem and the appropriate solution. Hearing loss is relative to each person and therefore, each person often requires a different treatment. Hearing aids are not the solution for all hearing disabilities.”
ENT Specialists, PC, is proud to employ two board-certified audiologists, Ken Stallons, MS, FAAA and Misty Mueller, MS, CCC-A. Ken and Misty have 28 combined years experience in the field of audiology. In addition to leading the Audiology and Hearing Aid Division at ENT Specialists, PC, Ken is also currently serving as President of the Nebraska Hearing Society. The audiologists at ENT Specialists take pride in providing the best hearing improvement possible for all your listening situations.
Putting it All Together
Bringing everything together to have a comprehensive plan on remaining healthy or achieving a higher level of health is important as any area that is neglected can have a tremendous negative impact on your overall health. It may seem overwhelming to some men to put all the pieces together and, in these cases, it may be beneficial to get some health. This help may come from a life coach, a website, a counselor or even a friend or family member who can help them get on track and stay on track. Men often have the impression they cannot ask for help or it will show weakness, but it’s important for them to realize they can’t always do everything on their own. If getting some help is the difference between a long and healthy life or the alternative, it should be a no-brainer to seek out the help that is needed.
Men have a lot on their plates and it’s important for them to stay health so they can continue to take care of their careers and their families and still have the health and energy to pursue their other interests. Whether it’s a simple issue of exercising more and incorporating more vegetables into their diet or taking care of a pressing health concern such as hearing loss, getting the help they need is the key to reaching the optimal level of health.