If you’re like most men, you think you have this under control. It’s sad to think that men are four times more likely to die by suicide, accounting for 80% of suicides. This is often caused by undiagnosed depression. Additionally, recent studies indicate that men are experiencing higher levels of loneliness and social isolation. We cannot continue down this path, and there is no justification for doing so. 

Why has this gotten out of control?

The truth is, mental health has been largely overlooked and ignored in the United States for both men and women. We’ve created the narrative that seeking mental health is a weakness. Historically, men have felt the pressure of ignoring “feelings,” being bullied if attempting to work through emotions, or God forbid, crying. Feelings of shame, embarrassment, and fear of being negatively perceived by peers and the community are a mountainous barrier for men who could benefit from getting professional help.

We’re at the point now where needing mental health is becoming less taboo. People can at least enter an office without as much fear of ridicule. However, other hurdles prevent men from getting mental help. Through virtual platforms, mental health services are becoming more accessible, but are still largely unaffordable. 

This is your reminder to be kind to yourself.

We’ve accepted the fact that the physical body goes through times of illness, such as viruses, infections, and diseases. Why don’t we extend the same courtesy to our minds? Just as with other key items in your life that require regular maintenance, there is no shame in taking your mental health to a professional. 

When to Get Mental Help

Suicidal Thoughts

• Are you harming yourself or thinking about it in any way?
• Are you wondering if everyone would be better off without you?

Behavioral Changes

• Are you withdrawing from friends, family, or activities you typically enjoy?
• Are you taking on riskier behaviors like reckless driving, substance use, or gambling?

Physical Changes

• Are there noticeable changes in sleep that could be caused by stress, such as insomnia or oversleeping? 
• Are you eating much more or less than usual?
• Do you have unexplained aches, fatigue, or low energy?
  

Emotional & Mood Shifts

• Are you experiencing persistent feelings of irritability, anger, or agitation
• Have you noticed an increase in cynicism or negativity?
• Are you feeling hopeless, worthless, or constantly on edge?
  

Cognitive Changes

• Are you having difficulty concentrating, making decisions, or remembering things?
• Are you feeling overwhelmed by daily responsibilities?
• Are you experiencing persistent feelings of worry, fear, or guilt?
  

Tips for Managing Mental Health

• Check in with yourself. Take inventory of how you’re feeling. Sometimes just acknowledging them is helpful.
  
• Physical activity. Exercise reduces stress, boosts mood, and balances hormones. Even a 10–15 minute walk can help.
  
• Normalize talking about stress. Break the stigma by framing it as “part of staying strong” instead of “a weakness.” Check on your friends. Isolation is a big risk factor.
  
• Encourage strong routines, such as regular sleep, meals, and exercise, which help stabilize mood and energy.
  
• Offer healthy coping outlets such as hobbies, creative outlets, time outdoors, or sports instead of alcohol, gambling, or overwork.
  
• Get professional help early. Therapy, coaching, or counseling is not just for crisis—it’s a tool to build resilience.
  

Are you just beginning your health journey? Congratulations! It is never too late to get started- or start again. Forming healthy habits is not easy, or you’d be doing it already, right? Below is an action plan to strength, energy and confidence.

Men’s Health Movement Starter Checklist

Week 1: Kickstart Your Commitment

•  Write down why you want to improve your health (family, energy, longevity, etc.). This might seem silly to you, but take it seriously. If you have reasons to change your life, you’re more likely to achieve it.
•  Take note of your current stats: weight, blood pressure, resting heart rate. Know where you’re going by knowing where you are. Keep motivated by seeing the inches you’re losing or your numbers improving. This will also help you detect other health concerns if your number aren’t changing despite lifestyle changes.
•  Schedule 3 x 30-minute walks this week. Start small- but get something on the schedule. If you wait util the mood strikes or it seems convenient, that time will likely not arrive.
•  Choose 2 strength exercises to try (bodyweight squats, wall pushups, resistance band rows). Maintaining strength is imperative to longevity. It’s important to switch up your routine- try everything that interests you!
•  Try 5–10 minutes of stretching or mobility work daily. This is also essential to longevity. You can feel the effects instantly after doing stitch and mobility work.

Week 2–4: Build the Habit

•  Hit 150 minutes of movement per week (brisk walking, swimming, dancing, cycling- whatever you will have the most fun with)
•  Do strength training twice weekly (with dumbbells, resistance bands, or bodyweight)
•  Add balance work (standing on one foot, heel-to-toe walks) include mobility challenges
•  Use an app or device to track steps or heart rate. See a list of helpful apps below
•  Join a group or buddy system for accountability education and motivation

Ongoing: Stay Strong for Life

•  Celebrate your wins (energy, mood, strength, numbers improving!)
•  Revisit your “why” every month
•  Try new things—pickleball, tai chi, yoga, hiking
•  Keep moving—every step counts
• Ensure your diet is supporting your exercise goals

Top Apps to Support Men’s Health & Fitness Goals

Activity & Step Tracking

• Google Fit (Android/iOS) – Tracks steps, heart rate, goals
• Apple Health (iOS) – Integrated with iPhone and Apple Watch
• Pacer – Great for walking plans with challenges and community

Strength & Flexibility

• Fitbod – Personalized strength workouts for any fitness level
• HASfit – Free strength and low-impact routines for beginners
• Daily Yoga – Beginner-friendly with routines to improve mobility and stress

Mind & Motivation

• MyFitnessPal – Nutrition and fitness tracker to stay on top of goals
• Calm or Headspace – Stress management and better sleep
• StrongLifts 5×5 – Simple and effective strength tracking app for men

Health & Monitoring

• Qardio – Monitors blood pressure and heart rate trends
• Heartify – Tracks heart health through iPhone sensors
• Medisafe – Reminder app for meds and supplements

Stay Strong, It’s Your Move

Getting older doesn’t mean slowing down—it means getting smarter about your health. For men over 50, regular exercise is essential to maintain strength, energy, and independence. There are so many benefits to exercising regularly, why wait until you’re up against the wall to get started? Experience these benefits throughout your lifetime by engaging in exercise regularly. In a nutshell, here’s why it matters:

Physical activity reduces risk of major diseases

Regular exercise lowers the risk of:

• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Type 2 diabetes
• Stroke
• Certain cancers (colon, prostate)
• Cognitive decline and dementia

Exercise boosts testosterone and mood

• Physical activity can help regulate hormones like testosterone.
• It also reduces depression, anxiety, and improves confidence and sleep.

Muscle loss accelerates after age 40

• After 40, men can lose 3–5% of muscle mass per decade unless they’re strength training.
• Strength/resistance training is critical to maintain independence and mobility.

Falls are a major health risk

• Exercise (especially balance and leg strength training) prevents falls—a leading cause of injury and death in men over 65.

How Much Exercise Do You Need?

Just 30 minutes a day can make a major impact.

• 150 minutes/week of moderate activity (like walking, swimming, or cycling)
• 2x/week strength training (bodyweight, dumbbells, resistance bands)
• Include balance & flexibility work 2–3x/week (try yoga, tai chi, or core exercises)

You don’t have to hit the gym to see results. Yard work, walking the dog, or stretching during commercials all count.

See Results Fast

• In 2 weeks: Better energy and lower blood pressure
• In 6 weeks: Improved strength and endurance
• Immediately: Stress relief and better sleep

Make It Stick: How to Stay Motivated

• Join a walking group or pickleball league
• Track your steps or blood pressure with a smart device
• Set small weekly goals
• Keep it social—invite a friend or partner
• Focus on function, not just fitness

Real Strength Starts Inside

You’re not just working out—you’re showing up for your future. Start today. Know your numbers. Move with purpose.

You play a major role in keeping the men in your life healthy. Encouraging and preparing the right foods, suggesting regular exercise, and reminding of the importance of routine physical check-ups and screenings, it’s often up to you.

Many women often have concerns that the men in their lives – their partners, husbands, brothers, dads, sons, and friends – sometimes are dismissive or reluctant to take charge of their health and wellness and put off getting regular checkups or taking care of developing medical conditions or injuries quickly. Most of the time, women must deal with the reality that a man important in their lives may die due to preventable diseases leaving women with emotional and financial implications.

Know when to call in the professionals.

Ideally, the men and boys in your life are already attending regular checkups as tracking the changes over time are key in assessing health. Due to skipping routine medical appointments, many men never learn that they have a deadly disease until it’s too late. Often times men and women don’t know the signs to look for. Checkout out more resources here. Persistent backaches, changes in the color of urine or stool, impotence, obvious changes to warts or moles, recurrent headaches or chest pains, bleeding that won’t stop, nagging cough, unexplained weight loss and extreme fatigue – any of these may signal a serious health problem. If you detect a serious health problem, get your guy to the doctor immediately. Do not take no for an answer.

Check each other out.

Yes, you can help him with his testicular exam and he can help you with your breast exam. While you’re at it, do a head-to-toe skin cancer check on one another. Pay particular attention to moles or skin abnormalities on his back where skin cancer most often occurs in men. For women, it’s on hands, face, and legs.

Prevention, Prevention, Prevention

Unsurprisingly, the three most important things you can encourage the men in your life to do (and yourself, for that matter) are to eat a low fat diet, exercise regularly, and don’t smoke. These steps drastically reduce the chances of succumbing to heart and pulmonary diseases, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. Again, attending regular checkups as tracking the changes over time are key in assessing health. Hopefully

Be Patient

Your goal is to get the men in your life to take better care of themselves and get the next generation of men to start building good habits. These things take time. Small changes make a big difference, you’ll improve the quality and increase the length of life you’ll have with the men you love.