Father’s Day Men’s Health Feature

For dad at his special time of the year, along with the tie or card give him something truly valuable—your love and some good advice that’ll help keep him around as long as possible.

While these tips are good for anyone to follow, they are the key to keeping dad at the peak of health well into his later years:

• Eat a healthy diet low in fat and at least five fruits and vegetables a day to lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis, all common in older men.
• Get at least 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 days a week. Moderate physical activity reduces the risk of heart disease, colon cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure. It can also help dads maintain a healthy body weight, joint strength and mobility. Even brisk walking does the trick!
• Some studies have also shown that healthy men, and those who have already suffered a heart attack, can reduce cardiovascular risk by eating nuts regularly. Almonds anyone?
• Prevent disability from arthritis. Weight control and injury prevention (especially sports-related injuries) can lower dads' risk for developing one of the most common types of arthritis: osteoarthritis.
• Get regular physical exams and important health screenings. Dads age 50 and older should be screened for colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the country. Regular colorectal cancer screening at age 50 and after can find and remove polyps before they ever become cancerous, or enable early treatment, when it can be most effective. Although effective measures to prevent prostate cancer have not yet been identified, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all men talk to their doctors about the risks and benefits of screening so that they can make informed decisions about whether screening is right for them.

So even if you have to push him to keep him healthy it’ll be worth it for both of you.

Happy Father’s Day!