Healthy Habits
Men’s Health Week is coming up next month from 12-18 June 2023. The theme this year is Healthy Habits which encourages men to identify small changes they can make to benefit their health and wellbeing.
Here’s a quick look at the current state of Men’s Health in Australia sourced by Western Sydney University from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS):
Here are some ways we can build healthier habits:
Get it delivered
There are so many options for healthy foods to be scheduled and delivered. There are a multitude of different suppliers of fruit and vegie boxes – you can even get boxes of ‘fugly’ fruit that help prevent food waste! Keeping healthy snacks stocked and visible is a great start to including more fruits and veges in our diets.
Exercise with a friend
Exercise is a fundamental building block of physical and mental health, but for too many of us, it’s easy to put off unless someone is counting on us. Making exercise a social activity can make it a lot more appealing. Sometimes hiring a personal trainer is a great investment to help us build a new exercise habit as it helps us to stick at it long enough to see gains.
Ask your GP
Knowing that mental health and sexual difficulties are experienced by nearly half of all men should help to break down the stigma of talking to a doctor about any concerns we may have. GPs can write up Mental Health plans or refer us for specialist help.
Get more sleep
A lack of sleep can have a serious impact on our mental health and our motivation to exercise and eat right. Setting a ‘go to bed alarm’ can help to remind us to build a new habit of going to bed earlier. Listen to your partner if they are saying you’re snoring too – this could be a sign of sleep apnoea and mean that you are waking up exhausted every morning.
Let’s build awareness of the health challenges faced by men this Men’s Health Week – building healthier habits benefits everyone. For more information go to: https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/mens-health-week/research