Today's world is more fast-paced than ever, and it can be especially tough for men to stay on top of health and wellness needs. At Evidation, we're here to help. Our app utilizes the health data you're already tracking (with your permission) to provide you with personalized advice and insights to help you achieve your health goals.
Here, we'll take a look at men's health concerns, discuss steps that you can take to feel your best, and explore how technology can support your health journey.
Men's health concerns and conditions
In today's society, many men are expected to be self-reliant. This can make it tough to discuss and ask for help with self-care and wellness issues. Doing so, however, can be life-saving.
The Evidation app works to provide you with targeted action steps designed for your specific needs. We utilize your health data to give you the information you need to move your health forward, one action at a time.
Some of the data points that you may choose to share with Evidation include:
- Daily steps
- Workouts
- Food tracking
- Water consumption
- Heart rate
- Sleep data
- Weight
- Body fat percentage
- Blood pressure
We'll also ask you simple, quick survey questions that will help us get a better picture of your overall mental and physical health, so we can provide you with the articles and insights you need to feel your best.
While we love providing our members with personalized tips that help them move forward. We're also here to support your health with action steps that fit well into the health plans of most men. Let's take a look at behaviors you can begin to incorporate into your daily life to give your wellness a boost.
Incorporate regular exercise
It's easy to get into a rut when it comes to exercise. Maybe you've fallen into the "I'll start on Monday" trap, only to find yourself perpetually waiting for a fresh start. Perhaps you're hitting the gym, but spending more time searching for the perfect playlist than actually hitting the weights.
When you sync your fitness tracking app with Evidation, you'll get tips and tricks that can help you make the most of your workouts. Challenging your body is key to boosting your fitness level, and to maintaining the gains you've already made.
First, consider your expectations. Focusing on how great you feel after a good workout—rather than how fast your biceps are growing or how quickly the scale is changing—can help you stay on track even when your results take more time than you'd like to come through.
It's also key to remember that some exercise is better than none. Going for a 15-minute jog after dinner might not get you the same results as spending hours in the gym, but it still contributes to your overall health.
Finally, consider what types of exercise you enjoy. If you love playing soccer, for example, check out adult leagues in your area. If you can't get enough time outdoors, ask a friend or family member to join you for a hike next weekend. Exercise you enjoy is just as effective as exercise you hate. While it can be tempting to overdo it when you're working to get fit, doing so can contribute to burnout.
Follow a balanced diet
Eating within your daily caloric limit is smart for maintaining your weight, and one of the keys to feeling your best is ensuring that you're including foods that support your health in your nutrition plan. When you sync your food tracking app with Evidation, we'll provide you with tips and tricks that can help you move toward your health goals.
Foods that support men's specific health needs include:
- Turkey breast: With seven grams of protein per ounce, it's hard to beat turkey when it comes to fueling your workouts. Turkey is also loaded with zinc, B vitamins, and selenium, a cancer-fighting mineral.
- Cherries: Men experience gout more frequently than women, and research has shown that eating cherries regularly can help to prevent the condition. Cherries are also packed with anthocyanins, an anti-inflammatory compound.
- Seafood: Oysters, shrimp, clams, crab, and other shellfish contain loads of zinc, which can boost testosterone levels and support prostate health. Salmon, halibut, and sardines are great sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which work to reduce inflammation, lower the risk of heart disease, and reduce levels of unhealthy fats in the bloodstream.
- Blueberries: Snacking on a handful of blueberries doesn't just give you a boost of antioxidants—they also pack vitamin K, vitamin C, and flavonoids, which can help support men's reproductive health.
Prioritize mental health
We know it can be tough to talk about mental health, especially if you typically manage your emotions in private. Mental health issues can be caused by myriad factors, including genetics, past trauma, family history, brain chemistry changes due to medications for other issues, and more.
Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness. Around the world, men are twice as likely to die of suicide than women. Mental health is the same as any other type of health. You wouldn't try to tough your way through cancer without treatment, and there's no reason to try to tough your way through a mental health issue.
Reaching out to a counselor is a great way to start talking about mental health. If you’re unsure of what to expect when starting therapy, you aren’t alone. Your therapist isn’t there to judge you or criticize your choices. Rather, they’re there to provide an impartial, third-party view into your life, allowing you to talk through problems, consider new ideas, and work through issues that may be affecting your current happiness.
If you're having thoughts of suicide, or you're experiencing a crisis, call or text 988 to talk with a mental health professional for support.
Get quality sleep
Racing thoughts, anxiety, digestive issues, late-night work emails—there are countless factors that can make it tough to get the quality sleep you need to thrive.
Using a sleep tracking app can be a smart way to understand how much shut-eye you're actually getting, and syncing your sleep tracking app with Evidation can help us provide you with the information you need to boost the quality of your rest.
Some tips to boost your sleep quality include:
- Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day
- Stay away from alcohol within six hours of bedtime
- Avoid eating large meals or exercising before bed
- Keep your bedroom cool (around 65 degrees) and dark
If you're consistently tired despite seeming to get enough sleep, contact your healthcare provider, as this can be a sign of a health condition like sleep apnea.
Maintain a healthy weight
Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is just one facet of wellness. People who have obesity or are overweight are at higher risk for a variety of health conditions, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, osteoarthritis, mental illness, chronic pain, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and more.
Keeping track of your weight, exercise, and nutritional intake can all help you work toward and/or maintain a healthy weight. Be sure to sync your fitness and nutrition trackers to Evidation so we can provide you with the information you need to get to or maintain a weight that's right for your body.
Manage stress
Stress is an unavoidable part of life, and learning how to manage stress well can make a major difference in your overall well-being. If you're exhibiting signs of stress like trouble sleeping, difficulty concentrating, irritability, or using substances to cope, it's time to develop an effective stress management plan.
Some tips to lower stress levels include:
- Prioritize social connection
- Get higher-quality sleep
- Increase physical exercise (get outside if you can!)
- Talk to a mental health professional
Stay hydrated
Drinking water is vital to feeling alert, fighting illness, and getting the most out of your workouts. Carrying a large water bottle throughout the day can make it easier to get the hydration you need to thrive.
Using a water tracking app can help give you reminders to drink throughout the day. If you have a water tracking app, sync it to Evidation so that we can support you in meeting your hydration goals.
Limit alcohol consumption
Alcohol affects people differently. While some men have no problem having a beer once a week, others struggle to limit their alcohol consumption.
Risks of heavy alcohol consumption (consuming 15 drinks or more per week, or consuming more than five drinks in a period of two to three hours) for men include:
- Higher risk of violence and injury
- Increased likelihood of risky behavior
- Sexual dysfunction and endocrine issues
- Increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancer
Don't smoke
This one is a no-brainer: smoking increases your risk of cancer, harms your respiratory and circulatory systems, and can wreak havoc on your teeth. If you smoke, quit. If you're having trouble quitting, talk to your healthcare provider about how you can stop smoking for good.
Prioritize preventive care
It's easy to put off regular check-ups, skin cancer screenings, colonoscopies, dental appointments, and other important health-related appointments. Doing so, however, can be harmful to your health.
Health screenings can help your care provider detect conditions early, which can increase the likelihood of an effective treatment plan. If you're not sure whether you're up to date on health screenings, reach out to your care provider(s) to schedule any necessary appointments. Good news: most health plans are legally required to cover preventive care services at no cost to you.
Practice safe sex
Practicing safe sex habits can protect your overall health. Talking to new partners about their sexual history and contraception, using condoms, and getting regular tests for STIs can help you stay safe.
If you're at risk for HIV, it's a good idea to talk with your healthcare provider about pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, a medication that reduces the likelihood that you'll contract HIV after exposure. Your doctor can work with you to help you decide if this is a good option for you.
Cultivate social connections
Connecting with others is key to boosting your well-being, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Supportive, stable relationships with family, friends, and others in your community can make it easier to cope when life gets tough.
If you're working to build your social connections, it's OK to start small. Sending a text to a friend you haven't talked to in a while, reaching out to your parents to see how they're doing, or making small talk with your neighbors can all be solid starting points in creating the relationships that will support your mental health.
Protect your skin
After age 50, skin cancer becomes more common in men than women, and about 1 in 27 men will experience melanoma at some point in their lifetimes, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.
Thankfully, there are some simple steps you can take to protect your skin from sun damage, including:
- Stay out of the sun between 10 am and 2 pm, when the sun is at its peak
- Use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30
- Cover your body as much as comfortably possible when outdoors
- Stay away from tanning beds
- Seek shade outdoors whenever possible
Limit screen time
Falling into the trap of non-stop scrolling? You're not alone. Worldwide, people spend about 40% of their waking hours on screens. Not every moment spent looking at a screen is detrimental, but cutting down on the amount of time you spend looking at your phone can help you reconnect with the people who are around you in your real life.
Try these tips to cut down on your screen time:
- Know where you're starting. Checking your screen time on your phone can give you some insight. Remember, watching TV, scrolling on a computer or tablet, and playing video games also count, so your phone's screen time tracker isn't the end-all-be-all when it comes to understanding your screen time.
- Make it harder to grab your phone. If you can, place your phone in another room for an hour or two a day. Notice how often you reach for your device—despite not actually needing it.
- Create screen-free times at home. Setting your phone aside while you're eating, playing with your kids, spending time with your partner, or enjoying a hobby can help reset your brain so that you're not constantly craving a quick scroll.
Seek professional help
No matter how hard you try, no man is an island. Reaching out to others for help is vital in keeping your body healthy and getting the support that you need. Working with a personal trainer, a psychologist, a psychiatrist, or simply getting that check-up you've been putting off for years can work wonders in helping you protect your health.
Exercising regularly, prioritizing your mental health, getting out of the constant scrolling habit, maintaining a social life—taking care of your own wellness can feel like a full-time job, and we're here to help. June is National Men's Health Month, and there's no better time than the present to start the process of taking control of your health. At Evidation, we're excited to partner with you and help you take the steps necessary to feel your best. Click here to download Evidation and learn more about how our app can support you.
