by Trevor Addison, ATC

In honor of No Shave November, let’s talk a bit about men’s health. The original idea of the event was to grow out some facial hair and donate the money you normally would spend on shaving (or a haircut if you can’t grow a beard) to men’s health causes. Some of the biggest health risks men face, like heart disease, accidental injury, suicide, and cancer, can be preventable. Well, it just so happens that prevention is kind of Work Right’s thing. So, today we’re going to be donating some knowledge! How do we protect ourselves and others from these health risks, and why are regular check-ups with your doctor so important?

PROSTATE CANCER PREVENTION

There’s not a proven method of preventing prostate cancer outright, but you can reduce your risk.

Choose a healthy diet: Low-fat diets that are rich in fruits and vegetables while being low on dairy appear to be best at minimizing your risk.

Exercise Regularly: Need we say it? Well, we’re going to anyway – Strong is never wrong! Check with your doctor first, but try to engage in safe exercise 4+ days of the week!

Maintain a healthy weight: Although it’s difficult to establish causation, people with a BMI above 30 have a higher risk for prostate cancer. Thankfully, healthy diet and exercise are already associated with reduced cancer risk and they help maintain a healthy weight too!

HEART DISEASE

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among men in the US. Similar to prostate cancer, you can reduce your risk by eating healthy, exercising regularly, and managing your weight. Other factors include avoiding smoking and limiting your alcohol intake. Stress plays a role here as well, so it’s good to practice healthy coping strategies.

REGULAR PCP VISITS

Finally, early recognition of risk factors is critical to preventing both cancer and heart disease. This means regular check-ups with your primary care physician (PCP). Your physician can help identify your risk factors, give guidance on managing those factors, and are key to early detection of disease. This is important because no matter the disease, the earlier we intervene the better the outcome.

This November, put down that straight edge, go on a walk, eat your veggies, and schedule a check-up. Happy Men’s Health Awareness Month!

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Trevor Addison, MS, ATC || Trevor is a Certified Athletic Trainer who has been practicing since 2015, transitioning from athletics to the industrial setting in 2019. As an avid outdoorsman and craft beer lover, if he’s not in the clinic, you’ll find him on a trail, slope, or at a local brewery!

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Be sure to check out our other blogs for further injury prevention education and tips from Work Right NW!