Men’s Health

As family and work commitments spike many men, particularly in their middle years, allow regular exercise to drop from their priority list.
All men know the importance of regular exercise. However, when the kids are screaming for attention, the bins need taking out, work pressures are significant, exercise often slides down the ‘must do’ list of priorities. The urgent and important responsibilities take precedence over the important but seemingly not-urgent responsibilities such as engaging in regular exercise.
Even if you know exercise is good for you, it’s easy to tell yourself you’ll get to it when you have less on your plate. Even health problems and a little extra weight gathering around your spare tire may not be enough to encourage you into exercising regularly. Most guys know they need to exercise to burn calories and keep the weight off to look their best.

However, the benefits are more than skin-deep:

EXERCISE BENEFITS FOR MEN: HIGHER TESTOSTERONE LEVELS

Research suggests that exercise may help counter the drop in testosterone that occurs in men as they age. In one study, even a modest boost in physical activity increased testosterone levels. This was also true for men who hadn’t been exercising before. In contrast, the safety of taking testosterone supplements to raise their “T levels” is still in question as no science yet proves that taking testosterone booster’s work.

EXERCISE BENEFITS FOR MEN: BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE

Regular physical activity can improve overall quality of life by helping relieve tension, depression, anxiety, and anger. Most people report improvements in general well-being when they include physical activity in their routines. Research shows that as little as 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day can boost energy levels, improve your quality of sleep and self-image.

EXERCISE BENEFITS FOR MEN: LOWERS RISK OF SOME CANCERS

Men who are physically fit in middle age have lower cancer risks as they age. Research found that men who were the most physically fit in middle age were less likely to have lung or colorectal cancer as they got older. Other research has also shown that physical activity helps lower the risk of certain cancers.

EXERCISE BENEFITS FOR MEN: LOWERS RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

The bad news is that men are more likely to have a heart attack than women are, and men’s death rates from heart disease are also greater than women. The good news is that regular exercise improves blood circulation, which reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke. Moderate exercise also improves many risk factors for heart disease, including lower blood-cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure and improved blood-sugar levels.

EXERCISE BENEFITS FOR MEN: LOWERS RISK OF DEATH FROM DIABETES AND SLEEP APNOEA

Obstructive sleep apnoea is a disorder in which you frequently stop breathing during your sleep, and it’s associated with an increased risk of diabetes. For men with sleep apnoea and diabetes, moderate exercise decreases the risk of death from both conditions.

EXERCISE BENEFITS FOR MEN: LONGER LIFE

Need one more reason to stay fit? How about a longer life? For men, fitness levels can predict the length of life even better than body mass index (BMI) can, according to a study of more than 14,000 men. As a man’s fitness improved, his risk of death from all causes dropped 15 percent and his risk of death from heart disease was reduced by 19 percent. Changes in BMI didn’t show the same benefits.