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10 Good Health Habits For Men

Living a long healthy life is every man’s desire. Men want to live to see our grandchildren and great grandchildren. But in this dynamic world, that’s easier said than done. We are surrounded by things that kill us slowly but steadily. Some of it is the small things we do and we don’t even realize the harm they are causing.

From eating lots of sugar to staring at our gadgets for long hours to not getting enough sleep. These, and many more habits, are cutting our life’s short. But it is not all doom and gloom, if we, as men, develop good health habits, then we are more likely to lead long disease-free lives.

Here are the top 10 health tips that men should embrace:

Get enough sleep

Probably this is not the first time that you are hearing about this and I can guarantee you that this will not be your last time. Getting enough sleep has lots of benefits and thus it should be in every man’s routine.

Clocking 6 to 8 hours of solid sleep goes a long way in ensuring that you avoid quite a number of diseases. From chronic disorder to diabetes and of course sleepy disorders, sleep really improves your health. It is also important to note that over sleeping is also harmful to your health.

In fact, study shows that people who sleep for more than 9 consecutive hours are more likely to suffer from chronic diseases than people who sleep for 7 or 8 hours. It has also been found that using your phone while in bed also affects your sleeping pattern.

RELATED: Health Benefits Of Waking Up Early

So, in as much as it is a hard thing to do, avoid using your phone while in bed. It is also advisable to avoid stimulants, like coffee, some few hours before bedtime. It is common knowledge that stimulants affect’s our sleep. Thus, avoid them so as to get a good night sleep.

The quality and quantity of your sleep really determines how your day will turn out to be, thus be mindful of your sleeping patterns. A healthy man knows that sleep is paramount and thus he does not deprive the body sleep nor does he over indulge in it.

Avoid sitting for long hours

Given the nature of our modern-day society, most men spend a huge junk of their day sited at their office desk. The nature of their work dictates that they spend nearly all their day staring at their desktop. You don’t even know the harm that this does to your health.

RELATED: The Negative Effects Of Sedentary Lifestyle

Your inactivity harms your body a great deal. A study that was published in BMJ Open journal back in 2012 estimated that people who sit for less than 3 hours a day could add up to two years to their life expectancy. People who sit for long hours are more prone to heart related conditions and cancer than people who stand on jobs.

In fact, it is said that people who sit for long hours are less healthy than people who don’t exercise at all. Just imagine that. For a heathy lifestyle, develop a habit of walking more in the course of your day than you sit. Develop a habit of walking for over 9500 steeps daily and you will be surprised with the health benefits that come with it.

You are probably wondering that is even possible, right? It is pretty simple actually. Technology has made it possible to actually count the number of steps you take every day. With apps like pedometer, you can actually know the number of steps you have walked per day. Simply download it on your smartphone and you will be on your way to a healthier life.

RELATED: 10 Mind-Blowing Benefits Of Walking 15,000 Steps A Day

Avoid over staring at your gadgets’ screen

In this day and age, we spend most of our time staring at either the TV, your smartphone or even a computer. You phone is probably the first thing you touch in the morning, you then proceed to the office where you will spend the better part of the day in front of your desktop or laptop.

Then in the evening, you are back at your phone before turning on the tv, and the cycle continues. Man is constantly glued to his gadgets. As days go by, it is becoming more and more difficult to separate a man from this unhealthy habit.

What most men don’t know is the harm that comes along with it. Study shows that you are more likely to get stroke or a heart attack if you spend more than 4 hours a day glued to a screen. Also, did you know that you can add up to 1.4 years to your life expectancy if you reduce screen time to 2 hours or less each day? If only most men realized this and parted with their gadgets.

So next time you get hold of that smartphone or laptop, just know that the longer you stay on it the more you are reducing your life. Develop a way of avoiding your gadgets to increase your chances of living a longer and healthier life.

Drink lots of water

You have probably heard this one before, that you should drink at least 2000ml of H20 on a daily basis. Although this fact has never been proven, at least scientifically, it is paramount to drink enough water so as to keep your body hydrated.

Water goes a long way in ensuring that our bodies are functioning at their best. Develop a habit of drinking a glass of water every morning when you wake up. Water goes a long way in ensuring that your skin continues to glow. It is interesting to note that over 60% of our body is made up of water, so drink it, it is part of you.

Drinking lots of water is one health tip that is guaranteed to give you good health results. Institute this habit in your daily routine and watch your body thank you for it.

Exercise regularly

When you mention the word exercise, most men envision it as lifting weights or doing long vigorous runs. But there is more to exercise than just hitting the gym. To start with, every man should do some mental exercise to make sure he remains mentally sharp and focused.

Plan on doing regular mental tests and you will ever be on top of your game. Our busy schedules sometimes mean limited or no time for the gym at all, but that is not reason enough not to exercise. There are simple exercises you can do regularly to compensate our gym time.

For instance, you can use the stairs instead of the escalators, jog a bit in the morning, if possible cycle to work.

Take a vacation

Taking a break from our busy lives and going for a vacation goes a long way in revitalizing our lives. Sometimes all we need in chaotic lives is a holiday. Imagine what basking in the Caribbean would do to your life? What about a safari down in Africa? Now picture yourself enjoying seeing the Northern lights in Europe.

Or even visiting the Taj Mahal in India, amazing, right? This could be your life. Purpose to take break every once in a while, and the health benefits will be immense. Holidays don’t have to be an expensive affair, you can even decide to visit your home country and just relax and unwind.

And who said men don’t need some quality time alone? Treat yourself every once in a while, and just spend time and money on yourself, it works wonder.

Go for regular health check-up

You don’t have to be sick to visit the doctor. Schedule regular heath checkups so as to detect any ailments long before they become too complex. Compared to women, men tend to neglect their health. It is due to this factor, and many others of course, that women live longer than men.

As a man, you should visit your doctor more often. Get screened for prostrate and testicular cancer as well as other forms of cancer. Talk to your doctor about factors that can lead to lifestyle disease. Visit your dentist, make sure all your teeth are in check and that your oral health is at its desired level.

Good oral health means a good and healthy man. Make sure that you are always a step ahead of any ailments and not the other way around. These regular checkups can prove to be the difference between death and long healthy life. This is probably the most important health habit you can have.

RELATED: Health Problems That We Face In Our Daily Lives

Work on your stress

For ages, men have been known to be poor in handling stress. In fact, most men prefer to bottle up all their stress than speak it out. This is one area where women probably outdo us completely. For you to lead a good and healthy life, you need to find a way of dealing with your stress.

Bottling things up won’t do you good. You won’t be a lesser man if you speak out. Purpose to open up, don’t bear the stress of this life alone. Find a confidant, someone who always has your back no matter what, open up to them and see your life improve.

Take good care of your skin

Unknown to many men out there, the skin is an important factor in having a healthy life. However most men neglect this integral part of the body and it is no surprise that skin cancer is among the top 5 most common type of cancer in men.

The same is not with the women, in fact skin cancer is the 7th most common type of cancer in women. One of the most common factor is that men tend to spend most of their time outdoors and few apply sunscreen. Most shocking is the fact that even fewer men visit dermatologists.

Men should develop a habit of taking great care of their skins. Apply sunscreens whenever you are going to spend long hours outdoors, visit the doctor and drink more water for a radiant skin. Add some eggs, milk, fish and vitamin-D supplements to that and your skin will remain young and healthy, always.

RELATED: Top 8 Skincare Tips You Must Know If You Care About Your Skin

Avoid smoking cigarettes

You may be probably wondering what this has to do with you and you are not a smoker yourself. Well listen to this, you don’t have to be a smoker to be affected by smoking related diseases. As long as you are exposed to second hand smoke, you are in as much danger as a chain smoker.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), smoking damages nearly every organ in the human body and it generally lowers your overall health. In most places, smoking is leading to more deaths than any other preventable causes. It is due to this understanding that you should avoid smoking like a plague.

This includes cigarette smoke and second-hand smoke. Persuade your family members and friends who smoke to quit and you will be poised to see your old age.

Some of these habits should be done on a daily basis but others should be done every once in a while. It is said that it takes a total of 21 consecutive days to develop a habit. So, purpose to practice healthy habits for 3 consecutive weeks and it will be permanently engraved in your system.

All the above health tips are not so hard to institute into your daily routine. They only require a determined mind and a passionate heart. Some of them happen on a day to day basis but they have a lifetime impact. If you want to be that guy who is ever healthy, has a healthy life relationship, is ever happy and stress free, make sure you engrave the above health habits and people will be flocking at your place to ask for your secret formula.

It is said that you are what you eat, thus eat right, avoid unhealthy habits, drink lots of water, manage your stress, travel a lot and keep on checking your health. This will surely guarantee a long healthy life.

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10 Good Health Habits For Men

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