Men's Tip No. 2: Take Care of Your Physical Health

Avi Woolf

I mentioned before how many men neglect their social skills and physical social life, with often tragic results. Well, there's another thing we neglect to our detriment—and I include myself here—our physical health.

It's no secret that women live longer on average than men. While there are many reasons for that, a big one is that men simply don't look after their physical well-being anywhere near enough. While there is something healthy in not overreacting to every bruise and minor ailment (like some girls I know do), we often go way too far in the other direction.

This isn't just about the distant question of dying at 60 instead of 85, an abstract question for most of us. We are physical beings; our health affects how well we function and act in every capacity, whether it's playing games or working or having fun. It also directly affects our mental and emotional health. To neglect our physical health is to neglect and degrade our ability to live life and enjoy it.

I'm not talking about suddenly going on a crash course at the gym or a nutrition craze. We all know those tend to not only fail but leave one even more despondent than before. When I speak of taking care of health, I mean basic but rigidly regular maintenance, just as one might do for a car or computer.

Start with the following list:
 
1. Get a regular amount of sleep (don't worry about specific hours, if you feel rested you've likely found the balance)

2. Eat regular meals at specific times you set for yourself (or perhaps have a friend set for you). And I mean meals, not scavenging for bits and pieces here and there

3. Walk a certain amount every day, even if for only 5-10 minutes

4. Visit your doctor once a year for a normal checkup, no matter how old you are

5. Maintain a daily hygiene routine of bathing and brushing teeth (yes, this is physical and emotional health-related. Even the family dog feels and acts better after a bath)
​
If you can keep this up for a solid few months, move on from there to a gym or reasonable diets, but not before.

I know this advice sounds ridiculously obvious, but sadly it isn't. I know many men my age who don't follow it, and I myself am only in the middle of the list. Don't make the same mistakes we have.

Take care of your health.