Written By Aaron an Exercise Physiologist, Strength and Conditioning Coach, and a team member of Movement Innovation which is a gym located in Burleigh Heads.
This week, June 13-19, is Men’s Health Week, dedicated to improving the health and well-being of all Aussie blokes. As we are all aware health and well-being is multi-factorial and involves many aspects of our lives.
Exercise is one important factor in developing a healthy lifestyle for all Australian men as they experience higher rates of chronic disease compared to women, three times higher rate of suicide and are more likely to be overweight or obese.
So, what can you do about it?
Exercise improves the quality of life, health, and fitness of men of all ages. It also has many benefits in the prevention and management of almost all chronic diseases. Most of these health conditions are largely preventable and certain risk factors are modifiable such as physical activity, diet, alcohol intake, and sleep, etc.
The benefits of regular physical activity and exercise are many and involve a healthy body and healthy mind.
PHYSICAL BENEFITS
Regular physical activity increases cardiorespiratory fitness, strength, muscle mass, bone density, mobility and flexibility, joint health, and energy levels. It also results in better management of blood pressure, blood glucose levels, and body weight.
PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS
Exercise can reduce stress, and improve mental health, sleep quality, mood, cognitive function, self-esteem, and confidence.
SOCIAL BENEFITS
Being active with others helps to develop friendships, confidence, and networking with others and makes it fun and more enjoyable. This can also help keep you accountable!
Some of the most prevalent chronic diseases in men and how exercise can help:
1. Cardiovascular disease – reduced risk of heart disease through improving cardiovascular fitness, heart health, aerobic capacity, and endurance.
2. Back pain – improve strength, movement, mobility, stability, posture, and pelvic control.
3. Mental health – increase feelings of well-being, endorphin release, reduce stress, improve sleep patterns and develop relationships and social networks.
4. Arthritis – improve musculoskeletal strength and resilience, joint mobility and range of movement, bone health, and pain management.
5. Asthma – manage symptoms, and improve cardiorespiratory fitness to reduce fatigue and breathlessness.
6. Diabetes – manage blood glucose levels, improve glucose tolerance and insulin resistance, increase muscle mass, and promote weight management.
What is the best type of exercise for men?
It depends on the individual but physical activity can include any type of movement, general daily activities, and incidental activity whereas exercise is planned, structured and goal focused. Men of all ages should be active on a daily basis, any physical activity is better than nothing, start slowly and gradually increase the duration as able.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MALES AGED 18-64:
- Perform at least 150min of moderate physical activity, or 75min of vigorous physical activity per week- eg. walking, running, cycling, surfing, swimming, group training, team sports, etc.
- Perform 2 strength training sessions per week- including lifting weights, body weight exercises, gym sessions, training in the park, circuit training or groups.
These are the basic recommendations only, for greater health and fitness benefits, exercise intensity and duration can be increased progressively depending on the individual’s goals and ability.
Take away recommendations:
1. Start NOW, anything is better than nothing, set a goal and commit to a routine and include some variety.
2. Include social activities and engage some mates along the way, make it enjoyable, attend group activities, participate in team sports or sign up for an event as a group.
3. Consider diet, alcohol intake, and other lifestyle modifications to further improve health and well-being for the long term.
If you are a bit lost and don’t know where to start, click here and fill in your details. We’d love to be able to give you the appropriate advice and support to get you moving towards better health for your kids, grandkids, and longevity.
For active members, if you’d like some extra support on this topic. Talk to a coach during your next session and we’d be happy to help.