Being healthy is important for any man at any age. By establishing good, healthy habits as a youngster and continuing them through adulthood and on to your elder years, you can live a long, happy, and satisfying life.

So how can you live a healthy life? There are any number of general health advice tips you can use, but these tried-and-true rules can keep you healthy.

Exercise

No matter what age you are, one piece of general health advice that’s always good to follow is to exercise. It’s recommended that teens should be physically active at least 60 minutes a day. For adults, it’s recommended that they get at least 30 minutes of exercise, five days a week. For older folks, it’s important to still exercise because it helps you maintain a healthy weight, boosts your brain function, and gets your heart pumping.

The beauty of exercise is that the possibilities are endless. Youngsters may spend their days playing outside or on different sports teams. Adults may focus on swimming or hiking, and as such will make sure to follow their pool openings steps to a tee each summer when they open their backyard pool. Older men may find joy in swimming laps in a pool, going for long walks, or even running. Ultimately, if you’re staying active, you’re staying healthy.

Don’t Smoke

Another helpful piece of general health advice that you hear from a young age is don’t smoke. It’s been well established that smoking is a leading cause of lung cancer, and is linked to a litany of other health issues. You learn as a youngster to stay away from drugs of any kind, and it’s a good policy to follow into adulthood.

If you do smoke, it’s best to stop right away. As soon as you do, you significantly decrease your risk of developing chronic diseases. No matter if you’re 18, 35, or 65, you’re never too old to quit, and your healthcare provider can help you stop.

Eat Healthily

As a kid, you’re always told to eat your vegetables, and other foods you may not like. There’s a good reason for it. Eating healthy is a great piece of general health advice because it’s an important part of a young man’s growth and development. Fruits, vegetables, protein foods, and whole grains can help you grow and help you establish good eating habits when you’re young.

As an adult, eating healthy is even more important. It’s easy to fall back on fast food and take-out food, but your metabolism changes as you get older, and you’re more at risk for health issues, such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Older men need to make good choices too, even if they may eat fewer calories. Your healthcare provider or a dietician can help choose a healthy diet, no matter how old you are.

Take Care Of Your Teeth

Another piece of general health advice that’s good to follow is taking care of your teeth. No matter how old you care, it’s recommended that you get your teeth cleaned at least twice a year.

As a youth, you’re taught about the importance of brushing and flossing to keep your teeth clean. If you need to get your teeth straightened or to correct an overbite, you might have to get braces. With companies like Invisalign, the average cost of braces has dropped significantly, and braces look and feel a lot more natural.

The importance of regular dental cleaning and dental care doesn’t change when you’re an adult. Even if you’re good about flossing and brushing regularly, there are things that your local dental clinic can do to clean your teeth that you can’t do at home, such as teeth scraping and fluoride treatments.

Not taking care of your teeth can lead to a number of health issues in adulthood and later in life, such as heart disease. Visiting a dentist on a regular basis can also give you self-confidence. How is that possible? Numerous studies have shown that a lot of Americans are unhappy with their smiles. This can be due to cracked teeth, chipped teeth, or broken teeth. By visiting a dentist, you have access to cosmetic dentistry options that can restore your smile. This may include teeth whitening, so you don’t have to hide your teeth when you smile, or braces, which can straighten your teeth, even if you’re an adult.

Don’t Neglect Appointments

As a young man, you learn about how going to the doctor can help keep you healthy. That’s definitely one piece of general health advice you can heed during your entire life.

As you get older, setting appointments and then keeping them becomes an important part of your men’s health routine. Your routine might include a trip to a local dental clinic for a cleaning. If you’re older, it might include visiting a specialist, especially if you’re dealing with chronic pain or a chronic illness.

The important thing to remember is to make appointments and keep them. Appointments can help certain health problems early, and older folks should get screened for diabetes, prostate and colorectal cancers, bone health, have their cholesterol checked, as well as their blood pressure. No matter what age you are, or how healthy you think you are, make sure you visit the doctor on a regular basis. Even things like hearing and vision tests and ear cleanings can help keep you feeling good.

With so many specialists available today, you can see a doctor or specialist for just about anything, and they help men of all ages. A dermatologist can help boys and men deal with skincare issues. A chiropractor can help boys and men with spinal issues and back pain. Visiting a doctor can also help you keep up on your medications, especially if you’re an adult or older man.

Don’t Neglect Your Mental Health

In everyday life, one piece of general health advice that may be the most helpful is this: don’t neglect your mental health.

No matter how old you are, stress is all around us, and thousands of people suffer from mental illness. The important thing is to learn how to manage stress and knowing how to identify signs of mental illness.

Signs of mental illness can include:

  • Loss of self-esteem
  • Loss of interest in things you like
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Weight gain or loss of appetite

Once you know what the signs are, you can pay attention to your feelings and moods. Whether you’re 15 or 55, you shouldn’t automatically assume that negative thoughts you have are just part of everyday life. You shouldn’t hesitate to seek help if you need it.

Get Enough Sleep

As a kid, sleep is usually the last thing on your mind, especially if you want to stay up and play with your toys or play video games. But as you get older, getting enough sleep becomes an important part of everyday life. Getting enough sleep is a great bit of general health advice. Nothing derails a day more and nothing can be more debilitating than not getting enough sleep. As a teen, as an adult, and as an elderly man, sleep can profoundly affect concentration, memory, judgment, and even your body’s ability to fight off sickness and infection. It can also lead to prolonged health issues such as depression and weight gain.

So what can you do? The most obvious thing is to make sure you get enough sleep. For the average adult, that generally means getting seven to eight hours of sleep every night. So if you find yourself only getting three or four hours per night, you need to make efforts to get more. Try and set a bedtime to shoot for every night, try doing some light reading before bed, or try listening to meditation exercises. By setting some kind of routine, you’ll wake up feeling more refreshed, and ready to be productive.

Don’t Be Afraid To Live A Little

Odds are you’re familiar with the acronym YOLO—you only live once. Certainly there’s a lot of merit in following a healthy diet, sleeping well, and exercising, but you should also take some time to enjoy life. Spend time with your family and do things that make you happy. If you’re a kid, climb trees, play sports, and enjoy childhood.

That same piece of general health advice applies to adults too. If you’re a boating enthusiast, consider looking at boats for sale and get a boat of your own, so you pass the time fishing, cruising on the lake, swimming, and enjoying time with family and friends.

By taking the time to stop and smell the roses every now and again, you’ll be happier and a lot less stressed. Sure, we all have certain responsibilities at every age, but taking time to enjoy the things we love makes us feel like we’re living our best lives.

Stay Safe

While many general health advice tidbits focus on what you can do to stay healthy, it’s also important that you stay safe. Staying safe can do a lot to boost your mental health and allow you to focus your attention on other things. So what do you need to do? Test your home smoke and radon detectors to make sure they’re working. Make sure you have a working fire extinguisher. If you’ve got a house with young kids and you want to feel extra secure, install a fire sprinkler system in your home and watch the accompanying fire sprinkler training video to install it properly. You can never discount safety and making your home more secure will pay off in the long run.

Stay Safe (Physically)

Not only should you visit your doctor on a regular basis, but you should also take steps to stay safe in everyday life. If you’re older, that means doing what you can to avoid falling. Around your home, you can easily do this by cleaning up clutter, removing any tripping hazards, perhaps installing a railing in your home, or even wearing nonslip shoes.

Staying safe also means wearing sunscreen if you happen to be outside. Studies have shown that men are twice as more likely to develop skin cancer because they spend more time in the sun. At any age, you can protect your skin and your health by wearing sunscreen that’s at least SPF 30. Aging skin is also more susceptible to skin damage, so wearing sunscreen, and even taking extra measures like wearing a hat can leave you extra protected.

Get Your Affairs In Order

When you hear that phrase, you probably think of someone being diagnosed with a terminal illness. But that’s not always the case. In basic terms, it just means getting paperwork and other important end-of-life details in order. For some adults and older adults, it can be very empowering because they have a chance to get everything in order before something throws their life for a loop.

Getting your affairs in order means different things to different families. For some, it means visiting funeral homes and planning for a funeral. This can make the whole process easier when a loved one passes, especially if a family has already paid for a funeral.

It also means gathering important basic information, financial information, and household information. You can also meet with social security attorneys or estate lawyers to help settle all affairs of your estate so that your loved one’s wishes are spelled out in black and white.

Find A Routine That Works

The key is being healthy and living your best life at any age is to find a routine that works for you and stick with it. Using the general health advice tips above, you can establish good habits that you can use for a long time. That may include a morning job to get some exercise. That might include giving up smoking or taking an hour every day to unwind and recharge your batteries. Whatever you do, do it to live a healthy and full lifestyle so you can be the best possible version of yourself.