Men have many strengths. They are experts at efficiency and completion of tasks, especially the “honey–do list.” But men tend to be weak in one area: communicating with their doctor.
You may not hear about Men’s Health Week on the news, radio or on your social media feed, but open your eyes and take a look around you. Hospitals, clinics and community centers will offer free programming and convenient health services to males around the country. The initiative is growing each year as people continue to spread the word. Men’s Health Week is always a valuable time to communicate about preventable conditions and diseases, available screenings, and early detection for those conditions. We all agree that preventing a disease is always easier and less expensive than treating a disease, so Men’s Health Week focuses on awareness and education.
Whereas women would rather talk through problems to discover possible solutions, men would rather do something proactive to solve the problem. If you have a man in your life who likes to be productive and tackle difficult tasks, you may want to encourage him to organize or participate in some activities such as:
- Health Fair that offers free screenings for prostate cancer, blood pressure, diabetes, and kidney, liver, heart, and thyroid issues
- Lectures by sports figures
- Seminar on a condition or disease that runs in his family
- Meatless Monday, a national health campaign to help Americans prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer – four of the leading causes of death in America
- Softball Tournament and Home Run Derby which would also offer health screenings
- Couch to 5k program
- Community carnival that includes free blood pressure checks, tips on healthy eating, family safety tips, a workshop emphasizing the importance of regular check-ups, and a kids workshop
Distributing brochures about the dangers of smoking and how to get help to quit
Add celebrating Men’s Health Week to your man’s to-do list, and wait to see what happens. You may be surprised to see how much he enjoys taking an active role in his health. Sometimes men need a little bit of prompting to get started, but they will pick up the ball and run with this one.