International Men’s Health Week
‘Men United – For Health & Wellbeing’
International Men’s Health Week (MHW) always begins on the Monday before Father’s Day and ends on Father’s Day itself. During 2016, it will run from Monday 13th until Sunday 19th June. It is celebrated in most European countries, as well as in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and a number of other places worldwide. The overall aims of MHW are to:
- Heighten awareness of preventable health problems for males of all ages.
- Support men and boys to engage in healthier lifestyle choices / activities.
- Encourage the early detection and treatment of health difficulties in males.
Each year, there is also a focus upon a specific theme. The theme for 2016 in Ireland will be: ‘Men United – for health and wellbeing’.
Health Threats
Do you know the top men’s health threats? The list is surprisingly short — including heart disease, cancer and unintentional injury. Thankfully, most men’s health threats are largely preventable. Make healthy lifestyle choices, such as eating a healthy diet and including physical activity in your daily routine. It’s also important to manage risky behaviour, such as drinking too much and engaging in casual sex.
Take Action
Take action to be healthy and safe and encourage men and boys in your life to make their health a priority. Men can take straightforward steps each day to improve their health.
- Good Sleep: Adults need between 7-9 hours of sleep. Insufficient sleep is associated with a number of chronic diseases and conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression.
- Eat Healthy: Eat a balanced diet including a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. Fruits and vegetables have many vitamins and minerals that may help protect you from chronic diseases. Limit foods and drinks high in calories, sugar, salt, fat, and alcohol.
- Manage Stress: Stress can be harmful when it is severe enough to make you feel overwhelmed and out of control. Take care of yourself. Avoid drugs and alcohol. Get support. Connect socially. Stay active. For more information, please see our CSS eGuide on Stress Management.
- Regular Exercise: Moderate aerobic activity every week is essential. Muscle strengthening activities that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms)
on two or more days a week is recommended. You don’t have to do it all at once. Spread your activity out during the week, and break it into smaller amounts of time during the day. - Quit Smoking: It is never too late to stop smoking. Quitting has immediate and long-term benefits for health and lifestyle. It improves your health and lowers your risk of heart disease, cancer, lung disease, and other smoking-related illnesses. For more information, please see our CSS eGuide – Quit Smoking Today!
Get checked today! Book an appointment with one of our Doctors at www.cssdoctor.ie for our comprehensive Well Man Health Check, to discuss your health generally or to address an ongoing medical problem.