Happy International Men’s Day! Be sure to let the men in your life know how much they mean to you whether it is your father, brother, husband, son, or friend! We would like to bring awareness to a few of the specific health challenges men can go through and mention some helpful tips and resources to aide in their journeys to become healthier. According to the latest CDC report, the leading causes of death in men are unintentional injuries, cancer, heart disease, and suicide. Here are some tips on how men can navigate these issues.
- Exercise to lower your risk of heart disease and some cancers. Move your body. Make sure you do 30 minutes of exercise, 5 times a week. Start slowly if you’re not normally active and build up from there.
- Manage stress. Life is stressful! That’s why it’s important to watch out for some symptoms that might indicate you are stressed like neck and shoulder tension, irritability, and overeating. Find a way to de-stress with exercise, meditation, and proper sleep.
- Quit smoking. This has immediate benefits and reduces your risk of cancer and heart disease. If you want help to quit smoking you can call the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Quit Line – for English speakers, call 1-800-784-8669; for Spanish speakers, call 1-855-335-3569.
- Eat a healthy diet. Add fruits and veggies to your diet every day, they’re full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber that help you stay healthy and live longer. It is also recommended to avoid processed foods which have excess sodium that can elevate blood pressure, sugary drinks that can lead to weight gain and heart disease, and fried foods.
- Seek help for depression. Be mindful of the symptoms of depression: persistent sadness, grumpiness, feelings of hopelessness, tiredness, decreased energy, and thoughts of suicide. Depression is very treatable. Through your MVT benefits, you can speak to a trained counselor, for more information contact the MVT Benefits Team. If you or someone in your life is in crisis call 911 or the 24-hour National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255).
- Get routine health checkups. Men are less likely to go to the doctor and on average men pass away about 4 years earlier than women. Even if you feel well, it’s still important to go to your doctor at least once a year. Pay attention to your BMI, cholesterol, glucose, and blood pressure.
As always, I am here to help! If you want to improve your health, join Rolling Strong, the MVT wellness program designed for drivers. MVT pays for your membership, so the program is free for MVT drivers. For more information, reach out to me: claudia.rodriguez@rollingstrong.com.