If men want to stay healthy or improve their health, they should listen to the women in their lives, says Douglas Linz MD, MS, Medical Director of TriHealth Corporate Health.
"The number one recommendation for men is to listen to women, and I hate to say that, because I'm kind of copping out to my buds," says Dr. Linz. "But women are the health care drivers for their families and their loved ones, and this is not just true in this country, it's true throughout the world."
According to this fact sheet from the United States Department of Labor, women make approximately 80 percent of health care decisions for their families and are most likely to be the care givers when a family member falls ill.
Dr. Linz says men can also make a difference in their health by abiding by the general recommendations for annual screenings and doctor's visits. Learn more in the TriHealth.com Health Library:
"There's a real tendency among men to not abide by general recommendations for annual screenings and doctor's visits," says Dr. Linz. "Even when something goes wrong, our tendency is to wait until it gets better, even though it's not getting better. So when there are problems, men tend to be in a more advanced state of illness or injury before we seek help."
A healthy diet along with regular, high-intensity exercise can do wonders for your well-being:
Dr. Linz recommends short bursts of high-intensity exercise as an alternative to prolonged, casual exercise, such as walking.
"Everybody's always recommending people go out and walk. That's fine, go out and walk, get your 20,000 or 10,000 steps. But if you're trying to do something to lose weight, to feel better, to look better, to perform at a higher level, walking will not get it done for you," says Dr. Linz.
He says to focus on intensity, even if it's only for brief periods.
"The latest studies show that you don't need to exercise for 30 to 35 minutes at some sustained heart rate to benefit. You get the same benefit from three sessions of 10 minute exercise as you would from a sustained session of 30 minutes," says Dr. Linz.
For regular health tips: