Guys, Take Your Health Seriously

by Michelle Sutton-Kerchner

If you only see your doctor after lengthy attempts to shake an illness, you are like many men. It’s time to show some real strength and be proactive with your health …

June is Men’s Health Month, a time when the nation brings more awareness to health issues specific to men. Hopefully, you do not have any health issues in need of attention. Avoidance of well visits for preventative exams are perhaps the nation’s top concern, though. Here is why you should schedule that checkup.

Why a Well Visit?

You look and feel good. Things are going well, with those abs of steel and well-sculpted biceps. Why stop there! Stay on top of the world. Check under the exterior of this well-oiled machine you call your body. Appearances do not always reflect your true health.

Here’s what routine exams can do:

• Provide screenings for diabetes, certain cancers, and heart disease.
• Deliver peace-of-mind about worrisome symptoms. (The ones you’ve been trying to ignore. We all have them.)
• Establish a baseline of that which is normal for you (e.g., heart rate and blood levels)
• Improve quality-of-life. Knowledge is power. (Perhaps you don’t need to be sluggish every day. Maybe there is a treatable reason for it.)

You deserve this valuable insight, which can enhance everything from your workout to your ability to better enjoy the weekend. Share this information with a personal trainer and the Center nurse to complement your routine assessments. Create a truly customized fitness program. A trainer can more accurately guide you with a routine based on your body’s unique needs.

As part of a medically based fitness community, you may find solutions to help improve health concerns without the need for more aggressive treatment. For example, the Center’s Wellness Programs can help with problems like obesity or diabetes. Professional support is especially useful when health issues are newly discovered. The Center’s personal trainers can work with your physician to develop a unified plan for your best outcome.

How to Proceed

Hopefully, you are convinced now to schedule your routine exams. If not, get your spouse/partner involved. Studies show this is how most men finally agree to sport the exam gown. Here is how to make it happen:

• Share your health concerns with a buddy as you shoot hoops or watch your kids’ baseball game. (You know, like they do in TV commercials.) A friend can offer encouragement and help you remain accountable to your health, on the Fitness Floor and beyond. Get recommendations on physicians and ask about their experience with health screenings.
• Find a reputable physician with whom you feel comfortable. Often, practices allow interviews with their physicians before you entrust him/her with your healthcare needs.
• Schedule personal checkups around your car’s maintenance. It’s an easy reminder: oil light on, schedule blood work. Our minds are full of meetings, family obligations, game-plays, and that elusive fishing trip. When downtime finally arrives, we don’t envision spending it in a doctor’s waiting room or chatting about prostate health. Commit to the appointment anyway.
• Follow-up appointments/diagnostic tests should be scheduled within a week or two of your initial exam. Keep the momentum going.
• Get the basics done on-the-go. The Center and other community venues offer health fairs where standard screenings can be performed in a nonthreatening, convenient manner– and without an appointment. Just casually approach the display tables, stick out an arm, and get started in a noncommittal approach. Trick yourself into making your health a priority!

You may not be in your fittest physique today. Perhaps you have a vague recollection of elevated cholesterol from an old blood test. Maybe you haven’t really convinced yourself that heart flutter is nothing. A visit with your doc can seem intimidating. Don’t let fear get in your way. Be your own superhero—before it’s your health that needs rescuing.

Sources

CDC.gov.

“Why Men Skip Doctor Visits,” by Miranda Hitti at webmd.com.

Image Credits

Friends: pixabay.com/en/friends-sky-landscape-summer-lake-1209449

Appointment: pixabay.com/en/time-doctor-doctor-s-appointment-481445

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• Real Men Visit the Doctor
• Men, Take Your Health Seriously
• Exercising with Diabetes
• Breast Cancer Protection Strategies
• The Truth about Cholesterol