Have you spent the first month of 2021 trying to get the motivation to get your lazy behind off the couch and into the gym? Are you using lockdowns as an excuse to avoid fitness altogether?
You’ve probably seen hundreds of articles aimed at women on how to achieve that ‘bikini body by summer’, but what about the guys? Leading an active lifestyle as a man can reduce the number of health conditions that affect men more than they do women, and this should be your top reason for being active.
Being an Active Man
When it comes to being active, it’s not just about being fit. As a man, it’s about taking an active part in society and understanding what it means to be a man. Traditionally, your role has been to be protectors, and getting active is the first way you can step up and take that responsibility on.
Here are five reasons why you need to make being active a big part of your 2021 plans.
A Healthy Heart
It’s a fact that men are more likely to suffer cardiac arrest (heart attack) than women, and for anyone who’s had a heart attack, you’ll know it’s a terrifying experience that no one wants you to repeat in a hurry, least of all you!
Getting fit and doing exercise will improve your heart health, and you’ll work to lower your blood pressure too, which significantly reduces your heart attack and stroke risk.
This means making time to get up out of your office chair (or sofa) and go for that walk around the block at lunch. Raining? Put on a jacket.
Lower Cholesterol
Cholesterol can feel like a bit of a balancing act sometimes. Young men will have low cholesterol and don’t usually need to be too worried, but as you age, you’ll see these numbers reversing, and high cholesterol begins to take over. Combat this by eating better and getting active every day.
Lowering the Diabetes Risk
Type 2 diabetes is sometimes nicknamed ‘lifestyle diabetes,’ and just as much as you can develop diabetes, it is possible to turn it around and push your diabetes into remission. This can only be achieved by ditching your bad habits, getting fit, and getting active. Type 2 diabetes is caused by too much body fat, and there’s only one way to cure that; getting active.
Getting fit and active is a great start to reducing or staving off diabetes, but cutting the trash out of your diet and eating a little healthier will also go a long way.
Lowering the Risk of Erectile Dysfunction Risk
Did you know that being overweight and not exercising properly can lead to problems with maintaining your erection? An unhealthy lifestyle is one of the main contributors to erectile dysfunction and leads to all kinds of unpleasant side effects like stress and anxiety for both you and your partner.
Getting out and doing some exercise regularly helps the blood flow easier, which will assist against one of the main reasons for erectile dysfunction.
