Attention All Males - When was the last time you thought about your health?

Firstly I want to say happy father’s day to all the Dad’s around the centre. As father’s day was approaching last week, it made me think about men’s health and raised the question, are we really looking after our health?  

Five months ago I became a father and even though I try to live a healthy lifestyle, caring for someone made me think about it even more. Sometimes we don’t think about our own health enough and we forget to get regular check-ups, watch what we eat or go to the gym regularly.

There are many different organisations out there that are trying to raise the awareness which is great, but as individuals we need to take on that responsibility.

I know as my daughter grows up she’ll be looking to both myself and my wife as role models and we both want to instil the values of looking after yourself and leading a healthy lifestyle.

According to the Heart Foundation 98 men have a Heart Attack every day with 1 in 7 dying as a result. I’m not sure what you are thinking right now, but to me that is extremely alarming.  This number could be reduced significantly if we as individuals took better care of ourselves.

Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in Australia, but you can do something about it. Make that lifestyle change now; not only will your body benefit but you’ll be promoting good health to all your friends and family along the way.

You might think it’s difficult to make change, but it isn’t at all, start with small achievable goals.

Firstly aim to exercise 3 times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes each time. Not all that exercise has to be in the gym. Use a combination of both indoor and outdoor exercises. As well as working out in the gym I love going for a walk with my wife and daughter, especially in this spring weather. If you have pets, take them for a walk or even head to the local park to play with the kids.

The second change I want you to make is regarding what you are putting in your cupboard and fridge. Go through the different types of foods and ask yourself… Do I really need to eat this? If you answered no then donate it to charity. I want you to now hit two food targets a day, try to have 5 serves of vegetables and 2 -3 serves of fruit per day.

Ok now you have a couple of tasks to implement, get started of those straight away and begin the lifestyle change you need.

 

Tristan Simmons

Healthy Living Director - Mill Park Leisure