Get up and running!

National Men’s Health Week takes place from 14-20^th June and is organised by the Men’s Health Forum, a charity that focuses on the issues and inequalities affecting the health and well-being of men and boys. This year’s theme is “Up and Running: Improving the health of men and boys through physical activity and sport”.

Most men are not physically active enough to make a difference to their health.

• Just 40% of men meet the Chief Medical Officer’s recommendations for physical activity (30 minutes of at least moderate intensity activity on 5 or more days of the week).
• Over a quarter of boys do not meet the recommended physical activity level (at least 1 hour of moderate or more intense activity a day).
• Physically active men are less likely to be overweight or obese and to develop diabetes, bowel cancer or dementia. They will also feel better about themselves and reduce their risk of depression.
• Men are more likely to drink alcohol above recommended levels, smoke cigarettes and eat a poor diet. 

Some the key aims of National Men’s Health Week are:

• To encourage more men to become more physically active (e.g. walking, using the stairs, gardening, DIY)
• To improve male participation in sport  

Major forthcoming sporting events create an enormous opportunity to engage more men in physical activity. This year, National Men’s Health Week takes place during the early stages of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and will aim to encourage men to be more active and more healthy. It will get men up off the sofa and walking, jogging, gardening, swimming, playing sport… in short, moving more! 

See what some celebrities have to say about Men’s Health Week and getting more active: 

• ‘I fully support Men’s Health Week in their attempts to get us men more active; and the fact that you don’t need to join the gym to get more active is an important message. In my opinion, spending time working in the garden is a great way to keep active and healthy!’ Joe Swift, Gardeners World presenter 
• ‘I believe that my success has a lot to do with my fitness and state of mind. Keeping physically active is not only important for sportsmen like me, but for all men; which I why I support Men’s Health Week and their aim of informing men that becoming more active has so many benefits for them.’ Jorge Lorenzo, MotoGP Rider 
• ‘The Men’s Health Forum is a great source of information and guidance for men who perhaps don’t listen to their bodies as much as they should, but are nevertheless keen to make changes for the better.’ Dr Mark Porter  

Go to www.menshealthforum.org.uk/ for more information.