|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
By Maya Mackey
June is Men’s Health Month, and the week of June 10th-16th specifically marks International Men’s Health Week.
Health and Wellness are always great ideals we strive to possess but truly doing things to stay well, physically and mentally can be hard to maintain. Even harder for men who are taught from an early age to toughen up against pain, sensitivity and weakness. Essentially, boys are denied humanity from the jump. They are expected to be superheroes of the world. But, the tide is turning. . .
Mental Health care is starting to infiltrate the Male Collective’s Psyche. Millennial men are leading the charge in pioneering a new type of manhood which includes journeying through the waters of emotional intelligence. And if the mind is a focal point to be sharpened, I hope that body care will follow.
While a very small percentage of straight men are embracing skin care and yoga routines, most men are somewhat concerned about their physical health and build. The concern however can often be a superficial and vain one. Fitness as a means to attract women (or other men) or as a means to fit in and earn power and respect from other men is a tale as old as time. But when men are able to secure the partner and approval they desire, they often stop caring.
Abs and biceps begin to pillow and conscious eating habits begin to slip into carelessness. Topple that with a real barrier to healthcare in America, where it’s hard to take off work and even those who can, have to wait months just to get an appointment, maintaining one’s health is not as easy as it should be.
.
Men are notoriously less likely than women to schedule health appointments and inquire about any persistent ailments. The bottom line is men have to start caring for their health. Men have to find a way to break through the noise of culture and their own minds, and see themselves as fully human and fully capable of taking care of themselves, outside of maintaining their finances.
The following are some suggestions from the Men’s Health Network for men and women to help bridge the gap.
1, Families/Households should make health screenings a family necessity. If you’re married, and a mom of minors, consider scheduling joint appointments for the whole family around the same time. When health and wellness become something the whole family participates in, it sets the tone without having to nag.
Good fathers will hardly skip out on an opportunity to demonstrate being strong, wise and conscientious to their kids. Particularly if you have sons, show them while they’re young that doctors are not people to be feared, but partners that help us live as our optimal selves. If boys are used to seeing a doctor by their 20s, they will be less intimidated to schedule preventative screenings like checking their prostates in their forties. After the whole family gets checked up, treat them to a fun night out for being brave.
2. If you are familiar with warning signs, be sure to share them with the men in your life regularly. For example, if you feel even mild chest pains paired with soreness in your arms, that could be the sign of a heart attack. Call 911 and get to an Emergency Room immediately.
3. Ease the scheduling burden by seeing if clinics and physicians have weekend hours or late night hours during the week.
4. Demystify the experience by calmly discussing and inquiring about each other’s health. Casually ask when the last time your loved one has been to the doctor and if it’s been a while, don’t panic or judge. Simply suggest that they make an appointment soon. You can even help them come up with questions to ask the doctor so that they feel more personally involved in the process.
5. Find out whether he is more comfortable seeing a male or female health care provider and make sure he’s seeing the one he prefers. On a related note, try to avoid physicians who tend to scold.
6. Recruit male friends or relatives with good health habits to help reinforce your message.
Point out the connection between good health and good physical and mental performance in sex, sports, work stamina, and overall vitality.
7.Get healthy together. Whether you’re romantically partnered with a man or simply have male family members, friends or colleagues you care deeply about, make it a team effort to get fit. Testosterone gives men a competitive edge so make a bet, start a fitness club or simply invite the men in your life to join you on your next hike or gym session. Offer to treat them to dinner or a drink if they can outlast you in the activity of choice.
Hopefully, this list has provided some easy steps to get started or sparked some original ideas of your own. Visit menshealthmonth.org and menshealthnetwork.org for more information and tips on getting and staying healthy.
