Men's Health

Why building healthy habits needs to be a priority for every male!

During the month of June we at Simply Stronger will be celebrating Men’s Health Week. This week is designed to encourage conversations with men and boys around men’s health, whilst also prompting them to take an active role in their health.

The theme of Men’s Health Week in 2023 is Healthy Habits. The idea is to educate and help men and boys to build healthy lifestyle habits that will protect their health long term.

Looking at the big picture of men's health.
In Australia, men have a lower life expectancy and a higher rate of chronic disease compared to women. In 2020 the leading cause of death in Australian men was coronary heart disease, dementia, and lung cancer. This is important for us to understand, especially when we look at the statistics around unhealthy habits in men.

Ninety seven percent of Australian men do not consume the recommended serve of vegetables and 71% the serve of fruit. Close to 18% of men over the age of 18 smoke on a daily basis and 26% consume alcohol at a level above the lifetime risk guidelines. These are habits that have consistently been proven to contribute to an increase in chronic disease risk.

​On top of this around 50% of men are physically inactive compared to the Australian National Guidelines for exercise and physical activity as we spoke about in January this year. That means only around half of the males in Australia are completing at the very least 30 minutes of exercise everyday, including at least two days of resistance training. This is something that needs to change as meeting these guidelines help reduce the risk of chronic disease and improve physical, mental and emotional health. 

Can We Change Habits?

The simple answer is, yes, of course you can!
However, changing these unhealthy habits is more easily said than done. Some of these unhealthy decisions have been engrained into individuals’ routines since they were young men, so they can be quite difficult to change. That is why it is important for men to know that they don't need to try and change these habits on their own. There are so many different health professionals available that are ready and willing to help, who have so much knowledge and understanding on the best ways to approach this with each individual.

Changes do not need to start big, small changes within a lifestyle is much more achievable and can support bigger and more long term changes in the future. And the best part is it's never to late to start changing behaviours. You can start these healthy habits for better health outcomes for yourself today, and even to be a positive role model for your children or grandchildren. ​

So What's Stopping Us?

The unfortunate reality around this fact, is that men’s engagement with the healthcare system is often characterized by delayed access and shorter commitments to appointments. This can be due to the reduced desire to seek out assistance from others, including health professionals, as men are more likely to ask advice from family and friends concerning health issues.
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This is why opening discussions around men’s health is so important in today’s world. We need to be open and aware of the impact an unhealthy lifestyle can have and of the help that is available to us. This will allow us to start moving towards a happier and healthier life. 

So if you have questions around what healthy and unhealthy habits you might have, and how to start changing some of those negatives into positives. Its never too late to start having a conversion with the men around you, check in with them, you never know who else may have the same questions as you. 

Our team of Exercise Physiologists are here to help guide you on this journey of change. Keep an eye out for our next blog that will go into more detail around the types of changes we can make, to start living with more healthy habits.

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