3 Health Tips For Men in Their 40s and 50s

Sometimes the concept of “getting healthy” is overwhelming. We all want to be our healthiest but we’re given so much conflicting advice and information. Much of the time, our attempts to change our lifestyle fall to the wayside. As we fail in our attempts, we start to believe we can’t improve ourselves and we stop trying. However, it’s never too late to start developing healthy habits! If you feel like a healthy lifestyle isn’t attainable, try focusing on a few smaller tasks. Once you start to see success and your confidence grows, you can expand your efforts. That’s when you’ll really start to see results!

1) Lose some inches

Losing weight often feels impossible. While it’s true that losing weight is challenging, the good news is that you don’t have to lose a ton of weight in order to find reap health benefits. In particular, fat accumulation around the midsection is of the greatest concern as it’s a significant predictor of heart disease and diabetes. Abdominal or visceral fat, which pads the spaces between our abdominal organs, causes a variety of health problems. This type of fat can raise your bad cholesterol and blood pressure while increasing your risk for Type 2 Diabetes. One way to determine if there’s a problem is to measure your waist circumference. If it’s over 40 inches, then you should try some lifestyle changes to improve your health. While spot-reducing is a myth (so you can ease up on those crunches!), you can still focus on performing aerobic activity, avoiding sugar and alcohol, and getting enough sleep.

Aerobic activity: Most guidelines recommend getting 30 minutes of activity every day. Try starting with a brisk walk around your neighborhood. Listen to music or a podcast to make the experience more enjoyable. If it’s difficult to find a spare 30 minutes, split up your walk into ten minute segments throughout the day, whenever you have time to do so. You’ll still get  cardiovascular benefits as long as you get out of breath. Abdominal fat responds well to regular exercise that elevates your heart rate.

Avoid sugar and alcohol: These substances are more likely to end up as abdominal fat so it’s recommended to avoid them. If you currently consume a lot of sugar and alcohol, start small. Instead of having two drinks, have one. If you put two spoonfuls of sugar in your coffee, cut back to one. If you have dessert every night of the week, go one or two nights without. Once you get used to cutting back, you can reduce more drastically.

Get enough sleep: Studies have indicated that people who sleep less gain more abdominal fat. It’s believed that sleep affects how fat cells function. Not enough sleep means that your fat cells can’t respond to the hormone insulin, which regulates energy. Additionally, when we’re tired, we’re more likely to succumb to stressed or emotional eating and skip our workouts. Getting enough quality sleep can be hard!

• Avoid screens before bed since their blue light reduces the body’s levels of melatonin, a hormone that controls sleep cycles.
• Warm baths regulate your body’s temperature and help you get ready to sleep.
• An antioxidant in chamomile tea is thought to initiate sleep.

2) Find ways to relax

Finding ways to manage stress is so important. From lowering blood pressure to improving mood to improving sleep quality, there are a myriad of health benefits to reducing stress. In general, relaxation techniques help you focus your attention on something calming while increasing awareness of your body. Initially, it might be difficult to calm your thoughts and your body but don’t worry – it gets easier with practice! It’s also important to find a technique that works well for you and is enjoyable. You might try mindful meditating with an app like Calm, practicing yoga through YouTube videos, or employing visualization or muscle relaxation techniques. Once you find a technique you like, set aside 10 minutes every day to practice. When expected or unexpected stress hits your life, you’ll have a trusted method of managing it.

3) See your doctor

Men are much less likely to receive regular checkups than women. When you’re feeling fine, it’s easy to delay an annual checkup. But just like your car needs tune-ups, so does your body. By receiving all the required screenings, you’ll be more likely to catch any health issue before it becomes a major concern. Additionally, make sure to see your doctor when you do have concerns. Certain things changes in bathroom or sleep habits, unplanned weight fluctuations, changes in moles, and cuts that don’t heal are all reasons to make an appointment. Invest in yourself and your health!

You can do it! Focusing on a smaller goal means you’re less likely to get frustrated and give up. If you have other concerns, the Natural Path can help you with hormone therapies and erectile dysfunction treatments. Call us today at 503-347-4625!

Categories: Mens Health