Why It’s Important for Men to Take Care of Themselves?

Why It’s Important for Men to Take Care of Themselves

There are many reasons why it is of great importance for men to take care of themselves, especially in this day and age. 

This includes physical health, mental health, and emotional health. We are diving into it all here, discussing all things men and health so that you have the tools you need to have the most successful life as you age and progress.

Physical Health

There are many aspects of physical health that can be taken for granted. Little things you do over time have a huge impact on our bodies and how they help us survive. You get one body in this lifetime, how you take care of it and nurture it will determine how long it lasts you and how much ease or stress it gives you. When you are young, it can be easy to live carelessly and not worry about things like personal hygiene or taking your vitamins. You might stay up until 3 am playing Xbox and eating a full bag of Doritos and polish it off with a liter of Mountain Dew. Then you wake up the next morning, feel fine, and probably do it all over again the next night. The problems usually do not appear until years down the road. Say you are a little older now, and these late-night gaming and eating parties have become habits that are hard to break. Now you have a stable job and other responsibilities, but staying up and eating and gaming has become a habit in your life. Except for now, instead of waking up in the morning with no repercussions, you wake up in the morning and feel all sorts of terrible. You may have also found that you have put on weight, are more stressed, and more exhausted because you let your other responsibilities slide. Things start piling up, and it can easily affect your physical health more and more as time progresses. You see, little real-life scenarios such as this can sometimes lead to underlying health issues. For example, if not addressed, stress, lack of sleep, weight gain, etc., are all risk factors for Erectile Dysfunction development. Small problems can easily turn into larger problems or disorders if left untreated. 

Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is a common disorder in men across the globe. This disorder is more common as men age but can have early onset as young as age 25. Erectile Dysfunction is characterized by the inability to get or form an erection that is firm enough for sexual intercourse. Some other symptoms of ED can be fatigue, lack of interest in sex, or low sexual libido. It is not uncommon in a man’s life to have some form of trouble in this area once in a while. It is when it starts to happen more than 50% of the time that it becomes a medical issue that requires treatment. Factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, low Testosterone, alcohol, and drug consumption, lack of restful sleep, poor eating habits, weight gain, age, stress, and cardiovascular disease can have an impact on developing this condition.

Nutrition

How you eat seems like something so small in the grand scheme of things. Most individuals do not put a second thought into eating healthier until they get older. When you are young, it is easy to fuel your body off of packaged snacks and energy drinks. As you age, it is less easy, and well, just plain impossible to keep doing that. Food is one of the best mechanisms for change and wellness in your life. By changing what you eat, you can change how your body adapts, responds, and essentially runs on a day-to-day basis. You all have been told the importance of “eat your vegetables” as you grew up. Well, that advice could save you in the end. It has been found that when we eat a diet that is rich in antioxidants (eating more fruits and vegetables), we can prevent 20% or more of all cancer cases and avoid 200,000 deaths related to cancer each year. Fruits and vegetables should make up the majority of an individual’s diet. Eating healthier does not have to be a huge change you make overnight. It should not be a huge change you make overnight. Eating better is about making small changes to your eating habits over time so that you can develop better habits that are more sustainable. The key here is living a life and eating such that you will not have to be on a rollercoaster with your food choices. You can make small adjustments over time. Here are 10 ways you can adjust your eating habits for the better right now:

  1. Drink 100 oz. of water each day.
  2. Limit your processed snacks and foods.
  3. Make your meals at home.
  4. Pack your lunch to work.
  5. Include protein at each meal.
  6. Increase your fruits and vegetable intake.
  7. Do your own grocery shopping.
  8. Focus on your hunger and full cues.
  9. Plan your meals.
  10. Hire a nutrition coach or dietician if you need extra help.

Take a look at the 10 items listed above and pick one. Think about your day-to-day eating habits and if you currently practice that habit. If not, that is something you can work on this week. Once you feel like you have gotten a handle on it and do not have to actively struggle to accomplish it every day, move on to the next habit. Remember that no one is perfect. Even after you master a habit and it becomes a normal part of your life, you will find that some days are better than others. Some days you might drink enough water, but not eat enough protein at each meal. That is OK. Do not get discouraged and throw in the towel. Realize that you are human, and you will try again tomorrow.

Exercise

Exercise and moving your body is a large portion of physical health. Creating positive habits associated with exercise when you are young will give you great strides towards a happy and healthy life when you are older. You might also experience fewer health issues as your body will reap the benefits of a consistent exercise routine over the years. Some positive benefits of exercise are:

  1. Stronger bones
  2. Decreased risk of colon cancer
  3. Weight loss
  4. Decreased levels of Anxiety
  5. Decreased levels of Depression
  6. Decreased risk of Diabetes
  7. Reduced risk of Erectile Dysfunction
  8. Improved Testosterone levels
  9. Lower Cholesterol
  10. Lower risk of high blood pressure

Exercise is not only beneficial to the body (as shown by the benefits listed above), but it is also greatly beneficial for the mind. When you exercise and start to get your blood pumping, your body gets good blood circulation to your brain. This increased blood circulation to your brain enables the production of more neurons. The production of neurons in the brain involves the areas that control memory and thinking. As more neurons are developed, more brain power is created, and the effects against memory loss and dementia greatly increase. Therefore, exercise is also a combatting factor against neurodegeneration. While we are on the subject of brainpower, let’s talk about another benefit that exercise has on the brain. Exercising increases the number of neurotrophins in the brain, directly correlating brain plasticity, learning, and memory. This tells us that the more you consistently exercise, the better memory and learning power you will have throughout your life. So how often should one exercise each week?  The Center For Disease Control (CDC) recommends the following:

  1. 150 minutes moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week -or-
  2. 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity each week
  3. 2 or more days a week of muscle or strength training activities 

Aerobic exercise can be considered anything that gets you breathing hard, such as brisk walking, biking, or dancing. Exercising at a moderate intensity means you can hold a conversation while performing the exercises. However, if you are working out vigorously, this should not be the case. A vigorous exercise regime should involve breathing hard and fast.

Mental Health

This is one topic that can be pushed under the rug more often than not. When life gets busy, self-care tends to be the first item on our list to get cut. Society has made the world believe that self-care is only important and notable for women. How often do you talk to a friend or see any advertisements for self-care motivating content for men? Probably not often. And yet, most men are the primary income builders for their family, meaning they have a full-time (most likely 9-5 job) that requires most of their time outside of the home. Men can benefit immensely from carving out time for themselves each week. Some ideas for activities in this area would be:

  1. Building a strong network of guy friends.
  2. Going to therapy.
  3. Setting boundaries with work commitments.
  4. Spending quality time with your family.
  5. Cultivating nourishing hobbies or talents.

The five options listed above can greatly and positively impact your mental health. They are even more reasons why it is important for men to take care of themselves. When you are actively taking care of yourself, you feel better. Levels of anxiety and stress decrease, you get better sleep, and you are better able to handle the unexpected day-to-day events that life throws at you. By eliminating these factors, you also eliminate issues that could arise from these factors. As discussed in the paragraph above, taking care of your anxiety, stress, sleep deprivation, etc., can positively affect your chances of not developing Erectile Dysfunction in your lifetime.

Emotional Health

Take a minute to take inventory of your relationships in your life right now. These can be romantic, friendly, work, and any relationship with another individual you participate in currently. What are these relationships like? Here are some questions you can ask yourself as you think:

  1. Are any of my relationships draining?
  2. Do I leave any interactions feeling drained?
  3. Do any relationships bring me joy?
  4. Am I involved in any relationships that bring me stress and anxiety?
  5. Are any of my relationships healthy and mutually giving?

Relationships are what life is all about. Friends, family, coworkers, confidants, lovers, etc. It is usually through friendship and connection that fulfillment and joy are found. Relationships can also be a large factor in developing Erectile Dysfunction if they are contributing to stress and anxiety in your life. 

Legacy

Do you want to leave a legacy behind for your kids or friends that will positively impact their lives? Most of the time, the answer to this question is a resounding YES. Being a role model for taking care of yourself and doing things that are healthy for your overall health and wellness is a great place to start. Model the good behavior of scheduling that therapy appointment. Model the good behavior of setting boundaries with your time and scheduling exercise or meal planning. Model the good behavior of doing things you love to do or developing a new talent. These skills are learned and are needed more than ever in a society where we are constantly taught to be like everyone else and overwork our minds and bodies.

Self-Confidence

It is a simple act of truth. When you invest in yourself, you feel better. When you feel better about yourself, you act differently. Acting differently leads to making better choices, and in turn, living with more joy and fulfillment. Living with joy and fulfillment leads to increased amounts of success. Self-confidence is rewarding. It is also contagious. Just like leaving a legacy of self-care habits, leaving a legacy of self-confidence is just as important.

Visit Genesys Men’s Health for Your Erectile Dysfunction Needs

We hope you have enjoyed this article on the many reasons it is important for men to take care of themselves. At Genesys Men’s Health, we value each individual that walks through our doors and genuinely want to help them lead better lives. If you are suffering from symptoms of Erectile Dysfunction, give us a call or come into our office. We are located in Sandy, Utah. Our phone number is (801)-671-7456. Contact us today!

Leave a Comment

Utah Men's Health Specialists
Genesys Men's Health Institute

7535 Union Park Ave (3rd Floor), Sandy/Midvale, Utah 84047

Phone: (844) CURE4ED