The live presentation goes something like this….
“If you are good with money, you’ll have more sex. If you eat more fruits, veggies and grains, you’ll have more sex. If you work-out, your body and brain will be healthier and you’ll have more sex. If you have friends and don’t rely on your partner for all your emotional needs, you will have more sex. And, if you have more fun, smile and laugh more, you’ll have more sex.”
HAVE I got your attention yet? I hope you will pay attention long enough to read on; I mention sex again later in the blog. (Disclaimer – I will also use a few more stereotypes.)
With the majority of diet, exercise, and aging information directed toward women, a lot of men don’t believe any of it applies to them, but that is incorrect. There’s a reason that men’s longevity is shorter than women; they carry with them a higher health risk. With testosterone comes competition, machismo, less mental health support, higher rates of suicide, and cultural expectations for men to be big and strong to protect others. If any of these factors apply to you or other men in your life, let me invite you to behave differently.
When I asked a fit 50-something friend about male health norms, his first answer was that “men think being fit is lifting weights and being strong, even with a ‘beer belly’.” He believed that men don’t have the pressure to look good to the degree that women do, and it’s harder to motivate men to take their own health seriously. We laughed a bit about some friends who were high school and college athletes who still view themselves through this lens decades later. My buddy was that athlete too. The only difference is that he’s kept up his disciplined fitness routine since school. Thanks, Coach.
Men, we need you to live longer. We like you, your kids love you, your partners love you, your coworkers need you, and friends and family desire to have many more experiences with you. Here are seven ways you can do your part:
- Save more money for your future and current lifestyle.
- You don’t have to be on a fad diet, yet reach for foods that are healthier.
- Reduce melanoma deaths by using sunscreen every single day.
- Add cardio work and stretching/flexibility exercises – in addition to weights – so you can pick your kids up and play with them.
- Tell people how you feel about them, or share with friends that you may be having a tough time. This does not mean you have to turn in your masculinity card.
- Be healthy enough to qualify for Life and Long-Term Care insurance.
- Enjoy vegetables, fruit and whole grains if you’d like to live longer than 76.
(The average life expectancy of men is 76 per the National Center for Health Statistics.)
If you follow this advice, with time, you may not have to wear your pants under your belly and you may also be able to recruit others to come along for the ride. You will feel better. You will have more energy. And while these changes can’t guarantee more sex, they will reduce the likelihood of fertility problems and erectile disfunction. (And the whole pants-not-under-your-belly thing certainly won’t hurt your chances for sex.)
Men, we want you to be healthy and live longer.