Stay Safe Mate: 10-16 June is Men's Health Week

and we're talking about the P-Word below!

Men’s Health Week runs from 10-16 June (Father's Day). The purpose of Men’s Health Week is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men.

The week is used by care providers, the media and us as individuals as an opportunity to encourage men to seek medical advice and early treatment for diseases and injuries.

Did you know?

• 1 in 5 men die before they reach 65.
• 75% of premature deaths from heart disease are males.
• 67% of men are overweight or obese.
• 1 in 10 men have diabetes.
• 4 out of 5 suicides are males.
• 1 in 8 men have mental health problems

It’s tough to ask for help but if you don’t ask when you need it, things could only get worse. Be it your mental health or general health - it’s good to talk, or visit a healthcare professional and deal with any problems early and appropriately. Problems with your heart, strokes, cancer and mental health run in families. Make sure your GP is aware of your family’s health history. The NHS recommends that all adults over the age of 40 get their blood pressure checked at least once every five years, to make sure any potential problems can be detected early.

Many issues can be improved by making small changes to your day-to-day routine. It's well-known that the lifestyle and working patterns of drivers can lead to poor habits and poor health. It's too easy to snack on the road, pick up fast food on long shifts and not exercise as you’re sat driving for hours a day. This can be physically and mentally draining.

But, preparing lunches and bringing healthy snacks with you to work, will help cut out the urge to buy bad food. Having a healthy diet will improve your energy levels and improve your sleeping pattern. This means you’ll be better rested for a day’s work and have more energy for it! Exercise has been proven to help with both mental and overall health, so it’s important you try and do at least 30 minutes a day – you’ll notice the difference almost instantly.

Not smoking, drinking less than 14 units of alcohol a week, eating 5 portions of fruit and veg a day & at least 30 minutes of exercise a day - research has suggested that all these things add about 14 years to your life. (That’s three world cups!).

(In case you missed it, last month's Stay Safe Mate discussed the topic of Mental Health and has lots of top tips for staying mentally healthy - click here)

If you want any further advice or help visit www.menshealthforum.org.uk. to sign up for their newsletter for all the latest information.