Written by Menswear Style in Health & Fitness on the 1st March 2021

Post the upheaval COVID-19 caused in the lives of men (and women alike), general health and fitness has faced some major windfalls. From stressing about financial constraints to sitting at home and doing almost negligible physical activity, the ‘situation’ has either sparked or amplified both physiological and psychological health problems. Although people are now starting to attend that one book club or grab a snack from their favourite restaurant, our deterioration of health so far isn't solving itself unless we do something about it. With such exacerbated stress and physical pressure in 2021 as the hustle of making ends meet and the bustle of gaining a balance in personal lives continues, men's health is an issue we must talk about. And that is exactly what we'll discuss in this article. The six essential health tips elucidated below are harsh reminders of how men should get their health back on track after spending a year of a sedentary lifestyle. From something as common as mediation to a financial commitment such as a PT, these health tips won't just help you get a fitter body but also a healthier mind.

1. Start Home Workouts 

We have been through a pandemic and if we can work from the confines of our home, we can unambiguously workout from home too. Often gelled up together, this is the first thing we all need to understand - You do not need to go out to workout! Whether you are a gym veteran or somebody who miraculously decided to get fitter, home workouts give you a lot of time to analyse, and much personal space to add some of those fitness plans to the repertoire. While we're at it, let's get through some benefits of a home workout that a trek to the gym can never replicate: 

Home workouts are convenient: Adding a subscription to the gym in the checklist may be easy but showing up every day isn't. Home workouts save us from the extra plight of packing a bag, driving down the block, and wailing over the shortage of parking spaces. 

Working out at home is versatile: Let's face it, working out at home means you are no longer under the pressure of working out by the gym's opening hours. Not only can you work out whenever you want to, but also break it into multiple shifts to manage other chores in between. 

The virus doesn’t concern you: It’s 2021 and everyone has germaphobia, which is completely plausible. When you opt for home workouts, you do not have to choose between piling those muscles or maintaining your health. Home workouts are the perfect solution to avoiding the splattering and dripping sweat from your fellow gym goers.

Home workouts scream privacy: If you are only just starting out, you probably know the embarrassment of picking a treadmill and awkwardly working it while the gym veterans around you show off their superior gear. With home workouts, it’s just you.

2. Hire a Personal Trainer 

Workouts are just as detailed and precise as the Italian pasta you've been trying to master. Squats or push-ups may seem like universal exercises but when you step into the game, the picture gets clearer and overwhelming. A personal trainer helps you to avoid being confused by everything. Here are a few benefits of personal trainers that you can count as reasons to hire one and start working out the right way: 

Personalised and Efficient Training: With a personal trainer, you get a specific program to help you crush your detailed fitness goals, be it weight loss or weight gain. Personal Trainers conduct an in-depth analysis of the needed fitness goals to be achieved and then custom-tailor a program that best fits your body based on what you want to achieve from the workout regime. 

Reduced Risk of Injury: Very often, ignorance is a common catalyst of sore limbs and internal injuries during a workout; a personal trainer can avoid poor workout execution and help you stay in one piece'. 

Accountability and Motivation: The other benefits that you can reap from hiring a personal trainer are motivation and accountability. When you are alone you may sometimes want to cheat on the regime and snooze out the clock, however, with a personal trainer, accountability isn't an issue anymore. Your PT will keep pushing your limits, all while providing you the motivation you need on your strenuous workout regime.

3. Start Meditating 

Trying to sit and focus seems like a daunting task especially when you first begin. However, meditation doesn't mean your mind is not supposed to wander off to the smell of bacon or the new film trailer that just dropped. Meditation in itself is a process to learn to pay attention and live in the moment. With an abundance of health benefits, meditation is truly the best resort to peace, away from digital toxicity and the stresses of the modern world. Imparting both physiological and physical benefits, meditation is synonymous with taking your health to a whole new level of 'good'. From alleviating stress to strengthening the immune system and improving energy levels, a simple practice of meditation can help extensively in the longer run. Sitting and trying to focus while the mind tries to trot off to places isn't just limited to being healthier; mediation also helps lower the effects of certain health issues and medical conditions such as high blood pressure, ADHD, and Alzheimer's disease. 

4. Take the Right Supplements 

Before your judgment about supplements rolls off in clouds filled with disdain, let us tell you this. Not all of them are meant to drain your money and show no results. But what are the right supplements? For men's health, it is a critical question but let's begin with the starters. Superfood supplements are gaining hard popularity for the immense benefits that come stringing along with them. Not only are they highly palatable, but you also get a punch of the essential nutrients you usually miss out on during meals. Apart from superfood supplements, multivitamins concocted for men are great for people who do not have the time to contemplate what vitamins they should be incorporating in their dietary plan. A Testosterone booster is just as crucial a facet if your T levels are going down the hill as you age. Testosterone levels do much more than just improve sexual function and if you are limited to a 'daddy long legs' figure, a T booster can enhance the production of testosterone and help a much-coveted athletic build.

5. Maintain the Diet 

Was that one of your health resolutions last year too? Well then, get serious about it this year. The most important part of men's health is the diet and as the saying goes ‘you are what you eat’. You surely do not want to be a bag of potatoes. Men looking to stock up on some of that healthy weight should include five or more servings of fruits and vegetables in their meal plan. Ideally, gradually try replacing refined flour with hearty servings of whole-grain meals and starchy veggies cooked with less fat. I know it's tough to resist that plate of fries or those luscious cheeseballs, but maintaining good health and a proper diet is synonymous with steering clear of fried dishes or the breaded ones. Now, the one mistake we usually do is to cut out fat from the picture completely. Instead, choose healthy fat and low-fat food such as skimmed milk, low-fat cheese, and Greek Yogurt. Using unsaturated fat like olive oil in cooking can induce the production of good cholesterol. This way you can both have a maintained diet and incorporate all the macros at the same time. 

6. Rest and Rejuvenate 

Ever wondered why some people, even though they have faced the most unrhythmic of impediments, always keep their calm and tend to balance off the negativity with positivity? The answer lies in rejuvenation. The office hours are up, and just when you have a little time for yourself, all you have to do is rest and let the body cleanse itself. Resting helps balance both the body and mind and regain the initial shape of the spirit. If you are often stressed out and mad at everyone for apparently no reason, maybe it's time you rejuvenate your body so you can bounce back stronger and noticeably calmer.

We are surrounded by myriad influencers and fitness enthusiasts that dilute their words of wisdom into cliched pieces of advice to 'apparently' help you get healthier. But no matter what fancy supplements they recommend or daunting exercises they boast, one thing worth remembering is that it always starts with you. If you haven't been giving much thought to your health lately, here is a cliche conclusion: It's never too late to start!

We suggest starting home workouts, hiring a personal trainer, starting meditating, take the right supplements, maintain the diet, resting and rejuvenating in this blog post on Essential Health & Fitness Tips for Men.