When men
approach middle age, around age 45, health becomes a major concern. Now, more
than ever, it’s imperative to maintain a healthy lifestyle to help prevent
disease and injury later in life. But where do you start? Your doctor will
provide recommendations.
Here are
three other ways for men to stay healthy in middle age.
1. Make Exercise and Diet a Top Priority
If you’ve
never maintained a regular exercise routine, you’re not alone. But now’s a good
time to start – and stick – to one. Aim for 30 minutes of exercise per day.
As we age,
we naturally lose muscle mass and gain fat mass. Decreases in hormonal levels
and cognitive decline also become a concern in the latter part of middle age.
Maintaining a healthy exercise routine can help offset some of the effects of
aging.
Being
physically fit helps men live longer and lowers their risk of certain diseases.
Exercise can help:
- Increase testosterone levels
- Lower the risk of cardiovascular disease
- Lower the risk of some cancers
- Allow for a better quality of life
- Lower the risk of diabetes
As men age, testosterone levels naturally
decline, but research suggests that exercise can help counter this decline.
Some data suggests that just a modest boost in physical activity is enough to
increase testosterone levels.
It’s
important to maintain a healthy weight, and a balanced diet can help you
achieve this. As a general rule of thumb, aim for five servings of fruits and
vegetables each day. If appropriate for your body, you can also eat five
servings of whole grains each day.
Staying
physically active will also help prevent obesity, heart disease, depression and
osteoporosis.
While you’re
making these life changes, you may want to ditch old, bad habits that are
affecting your health:
- Quit smoking
- Cut back on alcohol
- Get enough sleep
2. Seek Help for Sexual Concerns
Men also
face sexual concerns as they reach middle age, some of which are the result of
naturally lower testosterone levels.
In middle
age, impotence is common and can be successfully treated. The cause may be
physical, medical or psychological. Talk to your partner, and then talk to your
doctor about treatment if impotence is a concern for you.
Like men of
any age, men in middle age are also at risk of sexually transmitted infections
(STIs), including gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis and herpes. Up to 10% of
HIV/AIDS cases in the U.S. are among people aged 50 and older. Using condoms
can help lower the risk of STIs and HIV/AIDS.
3. Keep an Eye on Your Energy Level and Attitude
The changes
that come with middle age can sometimes cause depression or low energy levels. It’s important
for men to keep an eye on their mood and energy levels.
It’s normal
to feel down once in a while, but if that feeling lasts for more than just a
few days, you may be depressed. Depression occurs when you feel hopeless or
down most of the time.
Depression
can be related to:
- Losing interest in activities you once loved
- Feeling cranky or tired
- Eating less or more
- Having issues with decision-making
Depression
is a treatable condition, and there is help out there. Talk to your doctor for
help if you think you might be depressed.
One final
tip: don’t skip doctor check-ups. All men in middle age should be checked for
colon cancer, blood pressure and prostate cancer.