With Father’s Day this Sunday, many of us are focused on our husbands and fathers.
June also happens to be Men’s Health Month.
According to MensHealthMonth.org, “The purpose of Men’s Health Month is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys.”
As a trainer, I often find that some women allow some of our guy’s bad choices to affect our lifestyle. We need to be strong for ourselves and our families, but also understanding why some men continue to make those choices.
According to the National Institutes of Health, men are less likely to pay attention to their health. The NIH said, “Several things work against men. They tend to smoke and drink more than women. They don't seek medical help as often as women. Some men define themselves by their work, which can add to stress.”
With the unemployment and underemployment rate still stagnant, that added stress can lead to poor health choices which again can affect the whole family.
While it is by no means our responsibility to cater to the men in our life, there are a few things that we can do to support a healthy lifestyle.
First of all, do not blame or use their unhealthy choices as the reason you are not leading a healthy lifestyle. You do not have to eat what they eat nor be as sedentary, or whatever their situation might be.
Make the changes for yourself and your positive influence could be contagious, helping him get a handle on his own health.
If you do the food shopping in the family, seek out alternatives to his requests for junk food, such as healthy Trail Mix instead of chips, protein shakes instead of ice cream. If you do the cooking, grill and broil instead of fry.
If you find that doing the shopping, cooking, working full-time, taking care of the kids, etc., is too much, ask for help. Many times we resort to their unhealthy habits because we try to take on too much ourselves.
Involve your guy in the household choices and speak up. They do not know what is going on if we try to be superwoman and not clue him in on the healthy direction toward which you’re trying to steer your family.
The CDC suggests that men be active for at least 2½ hours a week. Try to plan healthy family activities together to really make a difference as a family unit.
Be positive in your approach without being defensive or accusatory. It is amazing the power we as women have with our families and specifically the men we love.
ONLINE REFERENCES:
“Men’s Health Month – MensHealthMonth.org” Men’s Health Month. Web June 15 2012.
http://www.menshealthmonth.org
“U.S. National Library of Medicine - National Institutes of Health – NLM.NIH.gov. “ The National Institutes of Health. Web June 15 2012.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/menshealth.html
“Men’s Health – CDC.Gov” Centers For Disease Control and Prevention. Web June 15 2012.
http://www.cdc.gov/Features/HealthyMen
Joanne Sgro-Killworth is a Television Fitness Expert, Certified Personal Trainer and Sport Nutritionist. She is Certified in Pilates, Pre-natal/Post-Partum, Yoga and Senior Fitness. She specializes in Weight Loss, Post-Rehab and Post Cancer Training.
Joanne's fitness plans and recipes are available globally on her website www.fitnessanswer.com/ She resides in the Phoenix, AZ area with her husband and son, where she runs her personal training business, Fitness Answer, LLC.
Reviewed June 15, 2012
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith