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SIHF Healthcare Brings Focus To Making Men’s Health A Priority
Men’s Health Week was created to encourage men and boys to make their health a priority. Sometimes that means slowing down and taking steps to protect and improve your health or the health of the men in your life, to increase the chances of remaining healthy and living longer.
Men focus a lot of their time and energy on work and providing for their families.” It’s not unusual for men to shy away from looking after themselves, so it’s important to renew awareness of health issues that affect men, and remind guys to pay attention to the health cues their bodies are giving them to get proactive about their health care,” says Kevin McKinney, Male Involvement Coordinator at SIHF Healthcare.
Maintaining optimal health means making sure men monitor themselves, even when they do feel well. So in other words, take the time to do nothing and add a little idleness every now again to focus in on your health. Take time to go to that long awaited doctor’s appointment, perform a personal examination and pay attention to those eating habits or any new issues that may arise.
It’s important to make healthy lifestyle choices every day, regardless of your age. Do what you can to get adequate sleep at night, maintain healthy eating habits, get in tune with your current health status and take a break when you need it. “I also encourage dads to establish regular annual examinations to identify any issues early on, to not only take care of their health, but to set an example for their children about the importance of being proactive with your health,” says Kevin McKinney.
Tips to remember:
- Get adequate sleep. Without enough sleep, your brain and body systems won’t function normally and can dramatically lower your quality of life.
- Eat healthy. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. And limit foods and drinks high in calories, sugar, salt, fat, and alcohol.
- Keep track of your numbers. Keep track of your numbers like blood pressure and cholesterol, which can cause potential health issues if too high or low.
- Know and act on family health history. Share it with your medical provider at next visit.
- Get a regular check-up. Certain diseases and conditions may not have symptoms, so checkups help identify issues early or before they can become a problem.
- Take a break. Sometimes taking a break is what you need. Whether it’s five minutes, an hour, or a weekend; this time will give your mind an opportunity to decompress and reset.
By stopping to take the time to focus on making healthy lifestyle choices now, it will not only help your health today, but your future health as well.
If you need assistance with insurance or finding a doctor that supports men's health issues or have questions on how to set up your maintenance plan, contact Kevin McKinney our Male Involvement Coordinator at (618) 646-2509. Find our nearest health center online at www.sihf.org.
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