Building healthy habits this Men’s Health Week

MALES of all ages are being encouraged to make healthy changes in their lives as part during Men’s Health Week (June 12-18).

Co-ordinated by Western Sydney University’s Centre for Male Health, this year’s Men’s Health Week theme is Healthy Habits and aims to support men create physical, mental, and emotional healthy environments in the home, workplace, and other social settings.

Centre for Male Health director and Associate Professor Emma George said supportive environments can play a critical role in shaping healthy behaviours.

“This Men’s Health Week we are calling on men and boys to make a change in their lives and improve their health and wellbeing by building sustainable, healthy habits,” she said.

“This could be taking the time for regular health checks, increasing exercise and improving diet, joining a new social group, or simply checking in with a mate for a chat.”

The Centre for Male Health brings together a diverse range of researchers to improve the health and well-being of men and boys.

It partners with community and government organisations across the country to develop networks and partnerships in support of men’s health.

Torquay-based Men’s Health organisation The Man Walk (Torquay) combines exercise and open discussions during its weekly walks.

It took only a week for co-founder Murray Heard to establish a Torquay branch in 2019, after attending a Man Walk session in Geelong.

“It’s a very straight-forward concept that we have in our group,” Mr Heard said.

“Sure, people can meet up and drink a coffee at a café and talk that way, but we’ve found that when guys go for a walk, conversations just naturally get a little bit deeper – and that’s where the importance of a group like ours comes in.

“Conversations could be about sport, they could be about jobs, or they could be about what’s going on at home, but that element of exercise makes discussion a lot more in-depth and productive.”

The Man Walk was first founded in 2018 by Kiama-based physio Mark Burns, but Mr Heard alongside his two close friends Peter Kelly and Damien Mifsud have run the initiative’s Torquay chapter for almost four years.

Mr Heard says the group is a good motivator for members struggling to remain active, especially if men are going through a difficult time.

“We have close to 50 active members, and we probably average about 12 men per walk,” he said.

“Building that consistency and walking on a frequent basis with a supportive group, that’s where the healthy habits start to emerge.”

The Man Walk Torquay meets each Saturday at 7am in front of Salty Dog Cafe. Each walk lasts between 45 minutes and an hour.

Tough Guy Book Club Geelong Chapter founder and Norlane resident Tim Trottier says that healthy habits can also be intellectual.

“Reading is a great way to relax, it lowers your heart rate and encourages you to reduce or avoid screen time before bed, which has been proven to have massive benefits on peoples’ circadian rhythms leading to overall improvements in health,” he said.

“We also provide that sense of connection and meeting new people.

“We allocate a book to read once a month, members read the book in their own time, build up that routine, and then we discuss or debate what we thought about it at our next meeting.”

Tough Guy Book Club has more than 100 chapters in Australia and across the world, three of which are based in Geelong (Malt Shovel Taphouse & Belmont Hotel) and the Surf Coast (4 Pines Brewing Co.).

The Geelong Chapter’s details can be found on its Facebook page.

For more information about Men’s Health Week, head to westernsydney.edu.au/mens-health-week