Men's Health Month: Take action daily to live a healthier and productive life.

Men can make their health a priority. Take action daily to live a healthier and productive life.

 

Take a bike ride. Toss a ball. Eat less salt. Try more veggies. There are many easy things you can do every day to improve your health and stay healthy.

Get Good Sleep

Insufficient sleep is associated with a number of chronic diseases and conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression. Also, insufficient sleep is responsible for motor vehicle and machinery-related accidents, causing substantial injury and disability each year. Sleep guidelines from the National Sleep Foundation have noted that sleep needs change as we age. In general, adults need between 7-9 hours of sleep.

• Sleep and Sleep Disorders

Toss out the Tobacco

It’s never too late to quit. Quitting smoking has immediate and long-term benefits. It improves your health and lowers your risk of heart disease, cancer, lung disease, and other smoking-related illnesses.
Also avoid being around secondhand smoke. Inhaling other people's smoke causes health problems similar to those that smokers have. Babies and kids are still growing, so the poisons in secondhand smoke hurt them more than adults.

• Smokefree.gov
• Protecting Our Children from Secondhand Smoke

Move More

Adults need at least 2½ hours of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (such as brisk walking) every week, and muscle strengthening activities that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms) on two or more days a week. You don't have to do it all at once. Spread your activity out during the week, and break it into smaller chunks of time during the day.

• Physical Activity for Everyone
• Physical Activity and Disability

Eat Healthy

Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. They are sources of many vitamins, minerals, and other natural substances that may help protect you from chronic diseases. Limit foods and drinks high in calories, sugar, salt, fat, and alcohol. Choose healthy snacks.

• Nutrition for Everyone
• Eat Less Salt

Tame Stress

Sometimes stress can be good. However, it can be harmful when it is severe enough to make you feel overwhelmed and out of control. Take care of yourself. Avoid drugs and alcohol. Find support. Connect socially. Stay active.

• Managing Stress
• Meditation

Stay on Top of Your Game

See your doctor or nurse for regular checkups. Certain diseases and conditions may not have symptoms, so checkups help diagnose issues early or before they can become a problem.

• Get the Preventive Medical Tests You Need

• Men: Stay Healthy at Any Age (AHRQ)

Pay attention to signs and symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, excessive thirst, and problems with urination. If you have these or symptoms of any kind, be sure to see your doctor right away. Don’t wait!

• Cancer and Men
• HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases
• Diabetes
• Heart Disease Signs and Symptoms

Keep track of your numbers for blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol, body mass index (BMI), or any others you may have. If your numbers are high or low, your doctor or nurse can explain what they mean and suggest how you can get them to a healthier range. Be sure to ask him or her what tests you need and how often you need them.

• High Blood Pressure
• Checking Your Blood Glucose
• Cholesterol
• BMI

Get vaccinated. Everyone needs immunizations to stay healthy, no matter how old you are. Even if you had vaccines as a child, immunity can fade with time. Vaccine recommendations are based on a variety of factors, including age, overall health, and your medical history.
Vaccines can protect you and your loved ones from serious diseases like: influenza (flu); shingles; pneumococcal disease; human papillomavirus (HPV) infection; and tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whopping cough)—all three of which the Tdap shot protects against.
Other vaccinations you may need include those that protect against hepatitis A, hepatitis B, chickenpox (varicella), measles, mumps, and rubella. Ask your doctor or nurse which vaccines you need to stay healthy.

• Vaccine Information for Adults

Content from CDC