Category Archives: Men’s Health

Proper Diet plus Exercise: The Road to Physical Fitness

The Situation

A certain research revealed that men are just as body conscious as women. Do you agree? Perhaps you need more insight on this particular topic, maybe another round of numbers and figures to let you know that, yes, men are also plagued by certain issues about their physique.

Facts and Figures

Male body image dissatisfaction has drastically increased to 45% over the past years. Among these concerns include having man boobs, love handles, beer belly, and not-so-great abs. In addition, a study which surveyed 2000 males showed that 58% of the respondents admitted having a fear of being overweight while 14% of them said they felt they did not have enough muscle mass. According to J. Walter Thompson (JWT) Intelligence Survey, 29% and 39% of the male species stress about man boobs and beer belly, respectively while 32% worry about their abs. In the face of tackling these body image challenges, the saddening thought is that men tend to ignore these things when in fact it should be properly acknowledged because men also need to feel empowered.

The Key to Success

And what better way to address and even solve male body image negativity than talking about proper diet and exercise? Before you even say that you cannot fit workout in your busy schedule, let me tell you that these exercises will not take longer than 20 minutes. This calorie blast workout consists of jumping jacks, triceps dips, walking lunges, calf raises, and mountain climbers plus push-ups on knees, plank, and squat jump. All you have to do is perform each exercise for 60 seconds. After finishing one set, you may rest for two minutes and then resume until you complete three sets. The benefits of doing this workout continuously without cheating are as follows: you will burn significant amount of calories; you will increase your muscle tone and improve body circulation plus you will not spend your banknotes on expensive gym training.

Of course you also need to observe proper diet to ensure the progress of your road to fitness. Diet does not mean depriving yourself of every food that you see. You can still enjoy your favourites provided that you consume them moderately and in small quantities. High fiber diet with heaps of fruit and vegetables are also essential if you want to lose weight. Conversely, you need to avoid processed and artificial food products. Alcohol and caffeinated drinks are also a big no-no as well as cigarettes. The best option for drinks are fresh fruit juices and most especially, water; plenty of water for it flushes toxins out of your digestive system and keeps you hydrated.

Negative body image and physical fitness are on the opposite sides of the spectrum. If you will keep on dwelling on the negative side, you will definitely not feel confident about yourself. However, if you start treading the road to physical fitness, you will find it easier to embrace the man that you are. Keeping fit is never a simple task. In fact, it is a priority and like other priorities in life, you should pay extra attention to it. You have to strive to achieve the best version of yourself not because of what others say but because you want to do it for you.

Once you start building the desired confidence brought by keeping your body fit and healthy, you will become an empowered man who is at par with the world around you.

Get rid of Holiday Fats and Shed them to get Fit.

Holidays are over and you used to eat a lot of food that was served on your table, aren’t you? Have you noticed your body gains weight maybe a pound or more? Think of the cakes and more sweets that you ate and now you realized you gain fats and not a muscle.

You are now overthinking of how you get rid of those fats and make youself light. Well, exercising is not enough but you must also be specific on progressive ways of diet. Such as walking, jogging, even cutting carbs and glutinous foods. Would you think these steps would be beneficial for you? That is the question.

Now what is the best workout to shed those fats and become a good looking guy. It just takes consistency, dedication and a good routine. Always think of it that muscles burn fat twice faster than fat burns fat. Usually, toning muscles can burn more often fats as you do exercise as a habit. The simpliest way of shedding off those fats is simply obey your plan of diet, exercise and refresh yourself with water. (Note: Energy drinks are not advisable for beginners, may cause weakness of bones)

EXERCISE

On your exercise routine, you must begin with a body warm up to avoid stressing your body from too much pressure. Start it with your head down to your toes, and breath normally as you do so.

Jogging or Walking is a common way to sweat up, follow with some cardio exercises that runs about 30-45 minutes a day. If you have an equipment such as threadmill or bicycle, why not to step on and run from moderate to intense.

But take note of your health condition before doing any cardio exercises, better to see a doctor first before doing it so.

FOOD

Let’s talk about your daily meal as you energize yourself. Losing weight is not worth it when you don’t exercise, and you need energy as long as you work on your body.

First, never take too much stimulants for energy. They can damage your bones and become weak. Eat  food that is rich in Vitamin B and Potassium such as banana.

Also, you might want to take food that is rich in Vitamin C. This will help you increase stamina and boost your immune system. As long as you ate this food then you can achieve longer run for jogging. Orange, Brocolli, most of the fruits and vegetables are rich in Vitamin C.

And of course, lessen the carbohydrate intake or better yet, cut off the carbs. Rice and Potatoes are rich in carbohydrates that absorbs by your body and turns to fat. Better yet, eat more food that is rich in fiber such as wheat breads and oatmeals.

TIME

Consistency of exercise may lead to a better result. The more you work on it, the best way of sacrificing a lot for your muscle weight. By losing weight, you also lose the chance of having complications and symptoms of body aches and health risk.

Do this routine 3-5 times a week, continous workout and sleep for at least 7 hours. Never stress out yourself on exercise, may cause you overfatigue.

Monitor your body every week. Check your weight and your metabolism rate. Don’t be discouraged if changes are not yet seen. Work on for about 30 days and notice a drastic changes on your physical built. Try not to do the “cheat day” as you eat a lot. But if you do so, burn it and do workout twice as you did.

Whoever came to the superficial conclusion that grooming is just for women is wrong on so many levels. Surely, that notion must have stemmed from a bygone era where social norms are strictly followed but modern times are now breaking boundaries. The present society saw that grooming is not only for, us, ladies but also for the self-savvy gentlemen.

The state of a man’s health can be determined by the way you groom yourself. Appearance speaks a lot about your personality and what is going on inside your body so if you are sporting an unkempt hairstyle, unshaven facial hair, or your underarms are stinking; those things just give off the vibe that you might be ill or you are not man enough to present yourself positively. The best solution for that is to have your grooming must-haves at your disposal. So without further ado, here are the things that you need for you to become a well groomed man.

1. Men’s shampoo. Some men opt to use soap as cleaning agent for their hair but that is a big no-no! Shampoo is essential to keep hair soft and less prone to dandruff. Choosing the right shampoo will definitely make you ready for those hair-tugging and caressing moments.
2. Hair wax or gel. Along with shampoo comes these hair styling products that make your hair look even better. It also adds to your overall appearance. Just do not put too much or your hair would become icky and rough. Remember, men with good hair are more attractive.
3. Soap or body wash. Men need soap to cleanse off the dirt that accumulated in their body throughout the day. Aside from that, soap keeps the skin moisturized and healthy. A bonus tip: it is advised that men take a shower before going to sleep to rinse whatever is on the body.
4. Face wash. This product is often overlooked by the males, thinking it would just be a waste of their time but face wash is an essential good for men’s skin care. Here’s why. The skin around your face is delicate so soap is not an option because of its harsh components. You need extra care for this part of your body. Face wash moisturizes the face, keeps it from being oily, and most importantly, it lessens the chances of you having acne.
5. Need I say more? The natural body scent of a man is a major turn on, yes, but in a tropical country like the Philippines, you cannot rely on that alone because you will perspire a lot. You need a deodorant to ward off that body odor and to keep you smelling fresh all day.
6. Shaving set. Facial hair makes you look sexier but you would not want it to grow into a bird’s nest, right? You need to trim it, maintain it, or if you do not want to grow a beard or moustache, you can shave it all off for a clean-shaven look. Either way is a major turn on!
7. Lip balm. Oops, do not panic! This is not the same with a lipstick. It is applied on the lips to relieve its dryness and also to cure those pieces of skin that come off your lips. You will not regret using lip balm because it will give you softer and more kissable lips.

Grooming is a significant part of a man’s healthy lifestyle. Being well groomed speaks a lot of volumes. No, it does not make you vain or gay or whatever other people say. It does not make you a lesser man. A well groomed gentleman shows that if you can take on the simple task of taking care of yourself, you can also conquer and excel in other aspects of your life. So go, man, make yourself feel good! Happy grooming!

Sources:

http://www.menshealth.com/grooming

http://www.mensxp.com/buzz-on-web/lifestyle/6165-10-must-have-grooming-products-for-men.html