When it comes to men’s fitness, there are several schools of thought. Some believe the important thing is to burn calories, while others focus on muscle development and visible external gains.
No matter your stance, you should also look into other fundamental aspects of your health. They include preventive care, regular checkups, and trying out new things.
Preventive Care and Recovery
A lot of guys, especially those in their twenties and thirties, love doing explosive exercise. Examples include high-intensity interval training, cross-fit, mixed martial arts, sprinting, and vertical jumps. There are several reasons for this. First, explosive exercise is a great way to train for cardiovascular endurance and stamina. Second, it allows for the development of lean muscle. Third, it sounds masculine and sexy. What lady doesn’t want her man to be strong, brave, and a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu or taekwondo?
Yet, what many men fail to recognize is that preventive care and recovery are just as important. If your body doesn’t have the time to heal, rest, and recharge, the workout itself can be counterproductive. Instead of giving you the biceps you want or the six-pack of your dreams, it will cause you long-term injury and put a dent in your finances.
But what makes up preventive care and recovery? For starters, it involves a proper warm-up routine before your workout and a cool-down after it. If you ever visit a physical therapy business, you will see a lot of attention placed on this. It also entails getting adequate sleep, massaging, stretching, meditation, and even Cryotherapy.
Regular Checkups
One of the many sad stories of 2020 was the death of Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman. For fans and peers alike, it came as an enormous shock that such a fit, energetic, and young actor could succumb to a devastating disease like colon cancer.
A valuable lesson all men can take from his passing is that sickness doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t matter whether you are young or old, successful or struggling, famous or unknown, rich or poor. At some point or another in your life, illnesses will come knocking at your door. It is not a question of if or when but rather what you can do about it and how soon you can see it coming.
The importance of regular checkups can thus not be undermined. Ailments like colon and lung cancer, HIV, Hepatitis, and Parkinson’s are much more common in men than in women. Guys are at a higher risk.
So visit your local doctor at least once a year. Do the same with your dentist. Get the necessary physical and mental health checks. The time and money you spend on them are a very low price to pay for longevity and a better quality of life.
Trying New Things
If you are a child of the eighties and nineties and into action movies, the name Jean Claude van Damme will ring a bell. Born in Brussels, Belgium, this European movie star and martial artist was well-known among men and women for his ability to perform a perfect leg-split, either mid-air or on the ground. Swedish automobile giant Volvo even made a commercial about it.
In an interview, van Damme was asked about his training regimen, the secret to his epic flexibility, muscle tone, and endurance. The answer will surprise many. He said he got it from doing ballet.
Sounds too feminine? Would you rather die than be caught frolicking around in a tutu? It all depends on how you see it. If you don’t like it and instead of providing you with a fun, interesting experience it will make you uncomfortable and embarrassed, then you shouldn’t do it.
The point is not to force you into doing something that, as they say, doesn’t float your boat. By contrast, it’s about opening your mind and widening your horizons on your health and fitness.
Going to the gym and lifting insane amounts of weight or running up and down a hill for hours on end is not the only way to be in shape. There are many other options you can explore.
The feminist movement of the last few decades has brought a long list of benefits to society. For one, it has given women the right to work, vote, and be independent. More importantly, however, it has aided in breaking gender stereotypes and ancient notions that men should do one thing and women should do another.
In terms of health, this means men can also focus on recovery and flexibility. They can visit the doctor and try unconventional exercise routines. By doing this, they will give themselves a chance to a happier, better life.
