June isn't just the month of Father's Day, it's also a month to bring awareness to issues of health for all boys and men. National Men's Health Month, started as part of a Congressional health education program in 1994, encourages us all to pay extra attention to the health of important men in our lives. Men's Health is an important topic, and there is a lot we can learn about how to take care of ourselves and our friends/family members.
Several active and healthy activities proposed by the Men's Health Network for Men's Health Month include:
- Golfing
- Tennis
- Bowling
- Pick up basketball
- Softball/baseball
- Pick up soccer
- Flag football
- Frisbee
- Bicycling
- Hiking
In Missouri, Governor Jay Nixon recently launched the 100 Missouri Miles initiative. This encourages all of us, men and women alike, to complete 100 miles of physical activity outdoors before the end of 2013.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also made recommendations for the week prior to and including Father's Day (Men's Health Week); these recommendations can be done at any time, so if you missed it, you can still participate. Just because this June is coming to a close doesn't mean that you can't continue participating in active and healthy activities!
The CDC also recommends the guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, which show that adults 18-64 need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity weekly in addition to doing muscle-strengthening activities 2 or more days a week. Adults 65 and older can follow the same guidelines so long as they do not have any limiting health conditions.
According to USA.gov, over the past year, men have been 24% less likely than woman to see a doctor. They provide the following recommendations for screenings and regular checkups:
The Federal Occupational Health summarizes it well when they recommend that men Man Up! in June. Take some time in the last few days of June to determine what specific actions you will take throughout the next year to make your health, or the health of a man you care about, a priority.