A weak mind and body will be defeated with fear and disease
Men’s health is not something most guys think about until they’re forced to. There comes a time in our life when we are faced with the reality that we are at war. We are in a fight for our health, strength, and well-being.
For every one thing that is promoting health, there are ten other things fighting to keep you weak, unhealthy, and unfit. Fast food, sedentary jobs, and a culture that normalizes exhaustion all pull in the same direction, and it takes real intention to pull the other way.
According to the American Cancer Society, 1 in 2 men have a risk of being diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. 1 in 4 men have a risk of dying from cancer in their lifetime (ACS, 2016). The truth is, many of these cancers can be prevented.
Lifestyle and diet play a major role in your overall health. Where you live, work, play, and what you eat contributes to your overall health. You’ve heard this before, but not smoking, limiting alcohol consumption, exercising and eating fruits and vegetables will help in reducing your risk for cancer and chronic diseases.
But, it is one thing to know what the right thing is and actually doing it. It is tough to live a healthy lifestyle. Look around you.
What do you see?
Everything is fighting for your attention. Billboards, flashing lights, cell phones, apps, notifications, emails…
Sadly, when you’re exhausted from all the distractions, you have very little energy to participate in things that will bring about health, strength, happiness, and purpose into your life.
How important is men’s health and strength?
I am fascinated with the human brain. I stay on top of the latest brain research and it is incredible what the scientists are discovering about it everyday.
The brain dictates all of your behavior. You can not do anything without the brains acceptance. Once the brain has developed neuron pathways for a particular habit, it will take the path of least resistance.
Now, this is a good thing and a bad thing. It is nice to not have to remember how to ride a bike every time you get on a bike, or learn how to drive every time you want to drive somewhere. The unfortunate thing is if you want to stop a certain behavior, you’re going to get some resistance.
This is where people fail. Even the best of us!
Think of all the things you like to eat, drink, and enjoy. All of this you created at some point, good or bad. To change a bad behavior (eating, drinking, smoking, etc.) you’re going to have to fight yourself, your brain, to change the pattern.
Unfortunately, it is not that easy and unless you know what it is like going through Marine Corps boot camp, something I can relate to, and have a drill instructor yelling at you to keep going fighting through the pain to realize your potential, the brain will take you right back to the norm; right back to the state of being unhealthy, unfit, lack of strength and mental grit.
It is time to change all that!
It is time to build back your health, your strength, and your mental toughness.
Be great, men! Be S.T.R.O.N.G. men!
What do you think? Is men’s health something you actively work on, or something you deal with only when it becomes a problem? How are you working on keeping yourself healthy and fit? If you’re not sure where to start, that’s exactly the kind of question coaching is built to answer.
Ready to build real mental grit? Visit my course, “Resilience: Mental Strength.”—Check out our other courses for men’s personal and professional development at strongmenacademy.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does men’s health often get ignored until it’s forced?
Most men don’t think seriously about their health until a real problem — an injury, diagnosis, or crisis — makes it impossible to ignore any longer.
What does it mean to treat health as “a fight”?
It means taking an active, deliberate stance toward your health and strength rather than a passive one, treating maintenance as an ongoing effort rather than something that only matters when something goes wrong.
What role does mental grit play in men’s health?
Mental grit — the resilience to keep showing up even when it’s hard — is just as important as physical health, since sustainable change requires pushing through discomfort and setbacks.
