Men: Stay Strong. Stay Healthy.

Men’s Health Week is June 11-17, the ideal time to encourage the special guys in your life to take daily steps to live a safer and healthier life. Here are a few great pieces of advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

Get Your Check-Up

Just because you feel fine doesn’t mean you should skip your annual check-up. Some diseases and conditions do not have any noticeable symptoms, making annual exams an important step in identifying health issues early or before they become a problem.

Pay Attention to Signs and Symptoms

Shortness of breath? Excessive thirst? Problems with urination? Males should be aware of these symptoms and see a healthcare professional if they occur.

Practice Prevention

Men of every age benefit from preventive measures to improve health and potentially ward off disease.

For starters, keep track of your blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, body mass index (BMI) and other numbers. Knowing these numbers can provide a glimpse of your health status and disease risks and are numbers that should be shared with your healthcare provider. 

Don’t forget important annual vaccinations such as influenza and recommended vaccinations such as Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), hepatitis and zostavax (shingles).

Reduce Stress and Get Enough Sleep

Stress in high levels is proven to have an adverse effect on overall health. Be sure to unwind each day by doing something you enjoy, such as taking a walk, reading a book or spending time with your family. These activities will help put your body in a state of rest before getting ready for bed.

Insufficient sleep is associated with a number of chronic diseases and conditions and is also responsible for motor vehicle and machinery-related accidents that cause substantial injury and disability each year. Adults should get 7-9 hours of sleep per night, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

Be Smoke-Free

If you use tobacco products, make 2012 the year you stop. The Little Clinic offers the SmartPath™ Tobacco Cessation Program that is customized to meet your needs and support your efforts to quit tobacco for good. Not only is smoking dangerous for you, it’s dangerous to those around you.

Be Physically-Active and Eat What Counts

Be active at least 2.5 hours a week. Include activities that raise your breathing and heart rate and strengthen your muscles. By spreading out those 150 minutes over several days, physical activity can easily become a part of your lifestyle.

Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. Limit foods high in salt, sugar, fat and calories. Choose healthy snacks.

Visit www.cdc.gov/features/healthymento send an E-health card to the males in your life. Your encouragement may be exactly what they need to put their health back into focus.