The 20 All-Time Best Men's Health Tips

The 20 All-Time Best Men's Health Tips

Since our launch in 1988, Men's Health has been about the tips. Here's a chronology of some of our best.

1989: Strengthen Your Core
Save your back, lift more, run more: It all starts in your middle, man.

1990: Tilt Up Your Rearview Mirror . . .
. . . just far enough to force yourself into an upright sitting position to see behind you, which is good for your posture and your aching back. We've used this simple tip ever since that year, when we drove a Geo Metro (55 miles a gallon, baby!).

1991: Never Eat Out of the Original Container
How many times have you dipped into a pint of ice cream only to find yourself staring at the bottom of the container 15 minutes later?

1992: Accept the Latexed Finger
We called prostate cancer "the overlooked disease," and encouraged more testing and research. Have you been probed lately?

1993: Your LDL Cholesterol Number Doesn't Mean Much
At least not as a stand-alone stat. That's because it doesn't take your "good" HDL cholesterol, which may counteract the bad kind, into account. A better gauge of heart-disease risk: your ratio of total to HDL cholesterol, a notion confirmed by a 2001 study in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

1994: Make Them Wait for Your Best Offer
Go to the bargaining table understanding what you're willing to concede. The longer you sit on your hands, the more they're likely to cough up.

1995: Don't Check In for Surgery in July
If you're scheduling elective surgery in a teaching hospital, shoot for late spring, when residents have more experience.

1996: Tape a Golf Ball to the Back of Your PJs
It'll stop your snoring by forcing you to sleep on your side or front. Back sleepers often have blocked airways, and that leads to a host of troubles.

1997: Drink Green Tea, The Wonder Liquid
Few beverages (with beer as the possible exception) have been celebrated in these pages quite as much as green tea, that antioxidant-rich elixir that may help prevent prostate cancer, lower your heart-disease risk, and find your missing slippers.

1998: Compliment Her on What Counts
"You're beautiful" isn't a compliment. If you want to impress a woman, praise what she's made, not what God's made. "Lovely dress." "Terrific memo." "Incredible insight." "Great joke!"


1999: Use a Blow-Up Workout Partner
We're not sure when we fell in love with our curvaceous assistant (the Swiss ball, that is), but the affair was consummated when we devoted a feature to pushups and presses performed with our inflatable friend tight against our bodies.

2000: Don't Blow Your Nose When You Have a Cold
It can force mucus and germs back into nasal passages and prolong the cold. Use antihistamines. And please—wipe.

2001: The Bicycle Crunch Is the Greatest Abs Exercise Ever
Imagine our thrill when biomechanics researchers at San Diego State University used electromyograph machines to measure muscle activity and figure out the best abs exercise. Fortunately, we've since discovered a whole slew of new abs moves the scientists didn't test.

2002: Use the Stall Nearest to the Door
It has the fewest germs and the most toilet paper, because everyone walks past it.

2003: Everybody Needs a Best Friend
Spending time with a pet is more effective at reducing stress than spending time with friends, girlfriends, or alcohol.

2004: Lose Your Gut, Because Belly Fat Kills
Visceral fat (the stuff that settles in your abdomen) lets toxins seep into your vital organs. Which is why round-bellied men die sooner than flat-bellies. So eat six small meals a day instead of three big ones—you'll stave off hunger and avoid overeating. The Abs Diet makes perfect sense.

2005: Drink Chocolate Milk
We found a study that says it's a nearly perfect postworkout drink. You're welcome.

2006: Hard and Fast Is Best
The quickest way to burn fat and build fitness is with the Tabata Protocol, which sounds like a Robert Ludlum novel but is a Japanese exercise technique that involves bursts of intense activity and short rests. It works with body-weight exercises, sprints, or exercise bikes. Less time, better body.

2007: Eat the Bacon
Fat doesn't make you fat. Too many calories does. Fat is good. Just not too much.

2008: Earn the Promotion
Forget your rivals: Do your job and do it well. Where are you looking? At the scoreboard? At the other guy? Or at the assignment in front of you? In any competitive endeavor, team or otherwise, success comes down to the man in the mirror and how he completes his assignment.
More : Menshealth.com

Top 10 Health Tips for Men

Top 10 Health Tips for Men

An expert offers advice on how to boost your sex life, rev up your workouts, and live better.

By Matt McMillen

Take charge of your health, gents. The sooner you do it, the better.

"It’s not cool for a guy to wait until he’s 50 to see a doctor," says Steven Lamm, MD, the medical director of NYU Langone Medical Center’s Preston Robert Tisch Center for Men’s Health. "Men need to care about their health above the waistline as well as below."

Here are his top 10 tips.

1. Find a doctor. Choose one you're comfortable with, so you can "openly discuss all aspects of your health, from your mental state to your sexual function to your overall wellness," Lamm says.

2. See that doctor. "Just because you are feeling well doesn’t mean you are well. Have a tendency toward denial? Don’t ignore things like black stools, vision loss, or chest pain. Unfortunately, men have a tendency to do just that."

3. Get informed. "You do want to be knowledgeable and understand that you shouldn’t ignore symptoms or complaints, but you don’t want to self-diagnose."

4. Vary your workouts. "The body gets very comfortable when you always do the same workout. You have got to keep varying your exercises, and they have to be an age-appropriate mix of aerobics, muscle training, and stretching."


5. Eat to thrive. Getting enough nutrition is crucial. “It’s more important than anything else except maybe sleep,” Lamm says. “Focus on nutrients rather than calories,” and eat a variety of healthy foods. “You can’t achieve optimum nutrition with limited choices."

6. Prioritize sleep. "Get at least 7 hours. That’s not something you should compromise. Men think they can overcome sleep deprivation by exercising or whatever,” but that’s a bad idea, he says.

7. Check your head. "Mental health is really, really important. Think about several things: Are you drinking too much? Are you paying attention to signs of depression or bipolar disorder, which often get missed? If you have a family history of mental illness, suicide, and/or substance abuse, you really need someone to help you review the signs and symptoms."

8. Stay ready for sex. "When you’re stressed out, not sleeping, or drinking too much, you can’t get an erection on demand, and a man’s erection is a barometer for overall health. Exercising, eating well, and sleeping well are the best ways to be sure you’re a stud in the bedroom."

9. Care for your prostate. "The prostate grows as you get older. You’ll almost certainly have symptoms, like urinary problems. A really healthy, low-fat diet will reduce the likelihood of prostate growth and may reduce the risk of prostate cancer."
10. Enjoy yourself. "Look forward to every day, to doing something for yourself every day, whether it’s a run or listening to an audiobook or practicing meditation or yoga. Don’t save up all of your fun for vacation."

Find more articles, browse back issues, and read the current issue of "WebMD Magazine."Webmd.com

Top 10 Health Tips for Women

Top 10 Health Tips for Women

Want a cheat sheet for healthy living? Our expert serves up her pointers.

Let's face it, ladies: Doctor visits are short. And they're getting shorter. What if your doctor had more time? She might tell you the same things that OB-GYN Alyssa Dweck, MD, co-author of V Is for Vagina, wants you to know.

Consider Dweck's tips your prescription for a lifetime of wellness.

1. Zap your stress.

"The biggest issue I see in most of my patients is that they have too much on their plates and want to juggle it all. Stress can have significant health consequences, from infertility to higher risks of depression, anxiety, and heart disease. Find the stress-reduction method that works for you and stick with it."

2. Stop dieting.

"Eating healthy doesn't mean you have to forgo your favorite glass of wine or a piece of chocolate cake now and then. The key is moderation. Get a mix of lean proteins, healthy fats, smart carbs, and fiber."

3. Don't “OD” on calcium.

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"Too much absorbed calcium can increase the risk of kidney stones and may even increase the risk of heart disease. If you're under 50, shoot for 1,000 milligrams per day, while over-50 women should be getting 1,200 milligrams per day mainly through diet -- about three servings of calcium-rich foods such as milk, salmon, and almonds."

4. Do more than cardio.

"Women need a mix of cardio and resistance or weight-bearing exercise at least three to five times a week to help prevent osteoporosis, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Exercise also promotes good self-image, which is really important to a woman's mental health."

5. Think about fertility.

"While many women have no problem getting pregnant in their late 30s and even into their early 40s, a woman's fertility may start to decline as early as 32. So if you want to have kids, talk to your doctor about options, like freezing your eggs."

6. Appreciate birth control.

"Birth control gets a bad rap, but not only can it keep you from getting pregnant before you're ready, studies show it can lower the risk of uterine and ovarian cancer as well as regulate your cycle."

7. See your doctor every year.

Make sure you get a Pap test to check for cervical cancer every 3 years if you are 21 or older. If you are 30-65, you can get both a Pap test and HPV test every 5 years. Older than that, you may be able to stop testing if your doctor says you are low risk. If you are sexually active and have a higher risk for STDs, get tests for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis yearly. Take an HIV test at least once, more frequently if you’re at risk. Don't skip your yearly checkup. Your doctor needs to annually assess many other issues such as potential infection, your need for contraception, and sexual complaints."

8. Have good sex.

"Sex reduces stress and may lower the risk of chronic disease -- but only if you enjoy it. If anything prevents you from sexual fulfillment, such as dryness or pain, talk to your doctor to find a solution."

9. Get more sleep.

"Sleep needs differ, but if you have trouble getting out of bed, tire easily, or have trouble concentrating, you likely aren't getting enough. Recent studies suggest this can put you at greater risk of heart disease and psychological problems."

10. Consider genetic testing.

"Doctors can now screen people with a family history of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and chronic diseases to assess their risk -- and then consider preventive measures. Talk to your doctor."

Find more articles, browse back issues, and read the current issue of "WebMD Magazine."

More : Webmd.com