6 Things Every Healthy Man Knows

There are certain habits that every man needs to do to stay healthy and energetic.

1. Watch Your Diet

Eating right most of the time is an essential part of taking care of yourself – no matter how much you work out, you can’t maintain a healthy weight unless you stick to a healthy diet. So be sure to satisfy your appetite with good-for-you foods, and make an effort to keep an eye on calories.

Men are often surprised that even though they are exercising four days a week, they still need to eat well.

You ate three meals a day
Portion control is the key

2. Stress Less

Stress. It can wreak havoc on your sex drive, increase your blood pressure and overwork your heart. That’s dangerous. In a 2011 study, middle-aged and older men who reported years of moderate to high levels of stress were more than 40% more likely to die than men with low stress.

Unfortunately, as every man knows, there’s a lot to stress over. Long hours and work-related travel can translate into tension at home. In addition, it can lead to unhealthy behaviors, like eating too much or drinking more than usual. Over time, you increase your risk of weight gain, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

The best solution: exercise.

3. Exercise

To get or stay fit, you have to get and stay active. According to the latest federal guidelines, that means a cardio workout of at least 30 sweat-inducing minutes five days a week plus two days of dumbbell workouts or other weight-training activities to build and maintain muscles.

Crunched for time? Kick up the intensity to vigorous exercises, such as jogging, riding a bike fast, or playing singles tennis, and you can get your cardio workout in just 25 minutes three days a week.

Exercise protects against so many conditions — from heart disease to colon cancer to depression — that the best choice is to start exercising now, no matter how healthy you think you are.

But if you’re older than 45, discuss your exercise plans with your doctor before you start. Together, you can