Men's Health Week 2015

It's Men's Health Week.

To help the guys in your office reach their full health and wellbeing potential, feel free to share some of our resources.

Choose from:

Men's Health Week: know your numbers

Men's Health Week: get fit fast

Men's Health Week: portion sizes to ensure great energy

Men's Health Week: sleep better

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Wellness Determination and a Great Result

On the day when experts are saying that current exercise recommendations are 'unrealistic for most', I received a great note from a lady who attended a programme we worked on a couple of years ago:

'Back in the old days when I was a participant, fresh from having a baby, you may recall me mentioning I couldn’t run 100m and wanted to work on that.  

WELL, while it took longer than I had hoped, thanks to the joys of an overfull workday, I DID run my first 10K this past weekend at the Standard Chartered marathon in Dubai.  Slow as hell but hey, I have a time to beat now J'

Brilliant.  It just goes to show that with a clear goal and a bit of determination, great things are possible.  Take a moment today to check that your wellness goals are specific, exciting and framed with a deadline.  Plan what you will do this week to move closer to your goals and you'll be amazed at what you can achieve.

Good luck.

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Wellness & Personal Performance Made Easy: Part 2

I wrote this article for HR Zone...

We continue our journey towards great personal energy, efficiency, productivity and enjoyment of both our personal and professional lives, by examining more simple lifestyle changes that are tried and tested and proven to result in people feeling great and performing to the best of their abilities.

Prepare yourself for a good night’s sleep every evening

Let your mind and body know that a restful night is approaching with rituals and routines that calm you and prepare you for good recovery. For most people, this means a period of winding down, leading carefully towards falling asleep. Listening to relaxing music and reading are popular strategies. Deep breathing or meditation is becoming very popular. Whatever you choose, make sure you set aside sufficient time for sleep preparation.

Close off the day

Unfinished business is something that keeps many people awake – things can pop into your head to prevent you from dropping off or, if you’re unlucky enough to wake up in the night, these thoughts can come flooding into your head and prevent you from falling asleep again. Each evening, put your concerns to bed before you put yourself to bed. Take a few moments to note down anything that’s on your mind and either write a practical action to resolve it, or schedule a time to tackle it the next day. Ideally, do this in the early part of the evening so you can spend the latter part of the evening on things that you enjoy and that you find relaxing.

Give personal meaning to healthy eating by setting clear objectives

Much time is wasted by people deliberating over every choice they’re faced with throughout the day. Things like, ‘should I have another coffee?’ or 'will I have chips with my lunch today?’  Whether you eat for health, energy, mood or weight management, this decision-making is made far easier if you stay focused on your overall healthy eating objectives at all times. Then, simply ask yourself if what you are about to choose will get you closer to your objectives quickly, or will it get in the way of you achieving your goals sooner rather than later.

Create habits that work for you

Be very clear when it comes to the quantity and timing of your meals, snacks and drinks. If you decide to have two coffees per day, choose the time at which you’ll have them. If you’re planning to moderate your alcohol intake, select specific days off and decide how much you’ll be drinking on your ‘on’ days. Pick optimum times for your AM and PM snacks and use them to ensure good fuel and great energy for the morning and the afternoon.

Watch the clock

Remember that you should never let four hours pass without eating or drinking something to boost your energy. Past this point you feel physically sluggish and mentally you might have trouble focusing. This is why being prepared with snacks is so important.

The secret to exercise success

If you’re not clear on why you really want exercise to be in your life, you’ll come up with some great ways to fill your days to the point where there’s no time left for getting active. On the other hand, those who make exercise work for them identify specific, personal and compelling exercise goals. These goals may relate to completing particular events, fundraising initiatives for charity, team commitments, weight management targets, social interaction, increasing energy levels and maximising enjoyment of life.

By giving some careful thought to the purpose of exercise within your routine, you’ll be able to plan and execute your ideal solution, boost energy, increase effectiveness and save time. Welcome to the world of wanting to exercise rather than feeling as though you ought to.

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Feel Healthier, Sleep Better, Balance Life, Feel Great

We've had many more updates from participants in recent workshops and wellbeing programmes, some of which we'd like to share.

Each of the individuals below has followed the strategy of keeping lifestyle changes simple and taking consistent action.

They're all enjoying the fruits of their efforts so follow their lead and you'll feel fantastic too in a very short time...  

'Thanks again for speaking at our conference, I found this very insightful with true facts that are not that obvious to us regarding diet being the main contributing factor in energy levels, sleep patterns and weight.

I have made a conscious effort to address my diet where possible:

o   Cutting sugar from drinks

o   Fruit in the morning instead of Cereal

o   Minimising Carb intake

o   Analysing ingredients more

o   Ensuring Carb, Protein and Veg portions are split into ¼,¼, ½ sizes.

My sleep pattern is much better and the mix of work and social life has been addressed and feel more settled now.

Thanks again.'

'Thanks for the email.  I really took a lot away from your presentation on the day and glad to say I have kept to my word on my objectives.

Fitness - Rejoined a gym and doing 30-45mins alternating between circuits and spin 5 times a week and ensuring I make  time to do it.

Eating Healthy - I have been very strict with this and cut out high sugar foods and processed foods from my diet.  The sugar content in food has really shocked me.  I have been eating loads more fruit and drinking a lot more water. 

Energy levels (Sleep) - I have ensured I have 8 hours a night sleep and also don’t over sleep anymore. 

By changing these things I feel great.  Feel healthier, look healthier and will definitely keep it going.'

'Starting to see real benefits with my health so will need to remember that when the chocolate cravings are screaming at me.'

'All going good thanks.'

'For days I did buy consciously and planned what I was going to eat on what day, it actually made me spend less on food as I normally over buy and have to end up throwing stuff away. I guess practice makes perfect!'

'I have returned to the Gym and I am without any pain in my back most of the time.'

'Everything is going right, thank you very much. Even being on holidays I'm achieving my objectives of more exercise and better diet, so I'm quite happy.'

'I have been doing exercise like running, cycling etc in the gym regularly for almost 45 minutes and feeling very good.  Started avoiding rice items in the night and reduced the coffee intake as well.'

'I am happy to report I am doing well. Now training for the Dublin marathon at the end of October.'

'I’m a regular breakfast eater now and doing 15 mins exercise most days, defo. Feeling the difference. It was a really helpful session.' 

'I'm doing quite well, even if I do say so myself, I'm definitely drinking more water and have seen lots of the family recently (even on holiday).'  

Read 'More Simple Lifestyle Changes that Really Work' 

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Men's Health Week - Sleep Better

As part of Men's Health Week, we're looking at the issue of sleep. 

Not getting enough quality sleep is tough and it only gets harder to cope with rather than easier. How does this effect men particularly?

Many men tend to view sleep as a bonus rather than an essential part of their healthy living plan.  But sleep is when the body regenerates and recharges and if we don't get enough we could be under-performing in every single area of life.

The problem is that men sometimes see missing sleep as a bit of a toughness test and think nothing of scraping by on a very few hours and then relying on a steady stream of caffeine and sugary snacks to pep them up through the day. The limitation of this approach is that it causes the body to run on adrenalin from the moment you leap into action, leading to lack of focus and only serving to delay the inevitable crash. It also compounds the problem of getting a good night's sleep following each day like this and a vicious circle of poor sleep quickly establishes itself.

The solution?

1. Plan for quality sleep from the moment you step out of bed. Everything you eat, drink and do during the day will positively or negatively affect your sleep later.  Make choices that promote health and energy.

2. Eat regularly throughout the day so that your body runs off good fuel rather than adrenalin. You'll find your energy levels are much more consistent this way.

3. Get active during the day to dissipate any adrenalin that your body produces. This will help you stay calm and focused and will help you sleep at night.

4. It's an obvious question but do you know how much sleep you need? When you've worked it out, pick your bed time and your wake time and stick to a routine no matter what.

Sleep works in cycles. If your alarm goes off when you are in a deep sleep you'll find it difficult to wake up. By sticking to the appropriate routine you can ensure you benefit from 4 or 5 complete sleep cycles and time it right so that your alarm goes off when you are sleeping lightly so you wake up refreshed and raring to go.

The Tonic offers comprehensive wellness solutions for men and women in business.  We've been delivering wellbeing programmes for almost 15 years now so if you think your office would benefit from greater engagement with health and wellbeing topics, contact us today. Email us at: info@the-tonic.com

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Men's Health Week - Portion Sizes to Ensure Great Energy

Continuing our series of posts to celebrate Men's Health Week, we're looking at portion sizes today - one of the biggest issues that many men fall foul of when it comes to healthy and balanced eating. 

So how much is too much?

Surprisingly, most people don't know how much they should have on their plate and as a result, they carry on eating after they are full and have lost touch with they need and eat what they want instead.

As a rule of thumb, each meal should be the size of 2 cupped hands and each snack should fill the palm of 1 hand. That's actually a good amount of food, particularly if you space your meals and snacks out throughout the day, but is it smaller than what is normally on your plate? If it is then there's no better time than today to pay a bit more attention to what goes onto your plate and into your stomach.

The fast results you'll get achieve by following this simple guideline?

1. Improved energy levels throughout the day
2. Effective weight management with all food being used for energy and nothing stored as excess fat


So what are you waiting for. Observing the appropriate portion sizes for you and your objectives is a great new habit and an easy one to get into.

The Tonic offers comprehensive wellness solutions for men and women in business.  We've been delivering wellbeing programmes for almost 15 years now so if you think your office would benefit from greater engagement with health and wellbeing topics, contact us today. Email us at: info@the-tonic.com

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Get Ready for Men's Health Week

June 9th 2014 will see the beginning of National Men's Health Week in the UK.

Men's Health Week exists to help men stop for a moment to think about their current lifestyle choices and the effects - positive and negative - that their daily choices have on their health and happiness.

It's also an opportunity to encourage men to seek advice, expert opinion, support and assistance where necessary.  Traditionally men have been excellent at toughing things out or avoiding medical issues wherever possible. Men's Health Week helps raise awareness that this might not always be the best strategy. 

So what can be done to help men engage more with their health? 

1. Throughout next week, we'll publish a series of blogs highlighting healthy living issues that can be challenging for men, and we'll offer solutions for making the right choices and decisions in these areas.  The issues we'll be looking at are all common themes that arise when we deliver workshops and presentations within businesses.

2. We've put together a fact sheet entitled Men's Health, Performance and a Competitive Edge. You can request a copy of the fact sheet by emailing info@the-tonic.com

The Tonic offers comprehensive wellness solutions for men and women in business.  We've been delivering wellbeing programmes for almost 15 years now so if you think your office would benefit from greater engagement with health and wellbeing topics, contact us today. Email us at: info@the-tonic.com

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Men's Health Week - Get Fit Fast

In the last in our series specifically aimed at men to mark Men's Health Week we're looking at fitness and good health.

Specifically, how to find that quick programme that works for you and gets fast results so there's never any need to blame lack of time for not getting stuck in.

Becoming fit and staying fit not only helps your heart and keeps your waist line slimmer, it focuses the mind and encourages other good habits like better eating, effective stress management and good balance in your routine. It's a great way to raise your performance in all aspects of life.

The key to fitness programmes succeeding is all about speed and appeal. What we call Male Pattern Fitness.

We've all tried new fitness programmes that fail after 2-3 sessions and that's because they either didn't suit us or they required too much time which we weren't willing to give. Here are 3 excellent ways to get the most fitness out of half an hour - so no room for "I haven't got time".

1. Interval Training

Focus on quick bursts of high intensity activity mixed with recovering on the go for twice the results in half the time

2. Circuits

Put together a selection of key exercises and run through them in quick succession to combine cardio and strength training in a short space of time

3. Team sports - real or virtual
This is about using technology to push you further.  Make your exercise and activity social with some team sports or group cycling, running, hiking or anything else you enjoy.  You can also get online to boost your engagement by using Garmin, Strava, Nike+ or a whole host of gadgets and Apps to spur you on the greater wellness results.  The more motivation you surround yourself with, the better use you'll make of all your exercise time and the greater the chance you will reach your goals quickly.

We hope something you've read over the course of Men's Health Week has resonated with you and will be helpful for your staff and your business.  Always remember, thinking about wellbeing is a great start, putting new strategies and actions into practice is what really makes the difference.  Call us on 020 8995 1302 if you'd like advice on motivating and inspiring your colleagues towards great wellness results.

The Tonic offers comprehensive wellness solutions for men and women in business.  We've been delivering wellbeing programmes for almost 15 years now so if you think your office would benefit from greater engagement with health and wellbeing topics, contact us today. Email us at: info@the-tonic.com

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Men's Health Week - Know Your Numbers

When it comes to business facts and figures, men tend to know their numbers inside out. But what about other numbers that really matter?  Now there's a challenge. We're talking about Blood Pressure, Resting Heart Rate, Blood Sugar and Cholesterol.

The numbers that really make a difference to life. But why are they so crucial and what's the best way to monitor and manage them?

Taking vital measurements such as blood pressure can be the difference between spotting a health problem early on and fixing it easily, or someone facing a major health crisis somewhere down the line. Stress in offices can be a major contributor to high numbers that need addressing but if a man doesn't visit his GP or work doesn't offer a screening programme, chances are that this will go unchecked until it's too late. We've screened clients who haven't had their numbers checked in 20 years!

3 reasons to get your numbers checked sooner rather than later:

1. You can't tell from the outside what the state of your health is

2. Any problems that are spotted can be addressed quickly and changes can be made to your lifestyle to remedy them

3. Age doesn't count when it comes to this aspect of your life. A 21 year old could have seriously high blood pressure - not just a 50 year old

We'd advise getting checks done every 6 months and if needed, you'll be asked to come back in between.

The Tonic offers comprehensive wellness solutions for men and women in business.  We've been delivering wellbeing programmes for almost 15 years now so if you think your office would benefit from greater engagement with health and wellbeing topics, contact us today. Email us at: info@the-tonic.com

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More Wellness Changes Paying Dividends in 2014

Earlier this week we shared some simple lifestyle changes that a few of our workshop participants had implemented over recent weeks and already benefited from hugely in 2014.  

A number of you said that you found the information useful as a top-up to your New Year motivation so here are some more success stories from individuals who decided in early December to give a higher priority to their health and wellbeing.

'I have made several small steps that have helped me massively.  I wake up 15 minutes earlier to give me time for a good breakfast and I began taking 5 smaller meals and snacks through the day.  I've increased my fruit intake, added nuts to my routine and am much better at staying hydrated.  I still ride my bike to work and have added some swimming to my weekly routine.  I no longer allow my phone into the bedroom which helps me unwind more easily at the end of the day and I sleep better.'

'Unbelievably I've lost 3.5kg since Christmas.  I feel much better.  I joined a gym and have been 2-3 times each week.  I'm drinking more water and less coffee and have slept at least 7 hours every night.'

'Eating more regular, smaller meals has given me steady energy levels leading to better concentration and more sustainable effectiveness at work and home.  I stay hydrated, have reduced my sugar intake, I'm using an App to count my daily steps and I'm getting back into running as part of my exercise routine.'

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National Work Life Week: Improving personal effectiveness forever

This week is National Work Life Week so I wanted to share a few insights that have cropped up recently during our Managing Pressure & Building Personal Resilience Workshops.

The workshops have resulted in some dramatic changes in working practices, freeing up valuable hours previously eaten up by inefficient planning, travel time, ineffectual meetings, low energy and lack of engagement.

'This is the best training course I’ve ever attended.  The changes I’ve made since the workshop have helped me restructure my working month and create a more efficient routine for how I manage my time.  This has in turn made the work schedule of my entire team more efficient.  I also learnt to make lifestyle changes that boosted my energy and efficiency which means that not only do I have more time, I can also stay focused and make better use of this time.'

These comments were made more than two years after the workshop which goes to show that a little time spent planning how we work can pay huge dividends in the long term.

The changes made by this participant were very simple:

1) Set a finish time for the day
If you know you have to be out of the office by 5.30pm to get home to eat dinner with the family, you'll run your day very differently than if you'd like to finish work on time but don't treat this objective as a high priority.  On busy days you may find that work creeps just a little beyond 5.30pm but without a firm finish time to aim for, working until 7.00pm and beyond can become the norm.  Do this too often it can be a tricky habit to break.

2) Eat a healthy breakfast
Fuelling yourself properly at the beginning of the day, and topping up your energy levels throughout the day, will improve your clarity of thought, your decision making abilities and your effectiveness.  You'll get more done, more efficiently and you'll maintain a more positive outlook no matter how busy you are.  You'll then have more energy for enjoying life beyond the office in the evenings and at weekends.

3) Protect your regular planning time
A proactive work schedule prioritises quality over quantity.  Getting strategic about who you meet, when you meet, how you communicate, and how you delegate tasks can save you and your team an enormous amount of time and effort.  Regularly review your working practices and make quick changes where appropriate.  This will ensure bad habits don't creep in and will help you focus on why it's important to protect success strategies.  Short cuts are all very well but they often lead to compromised efficiency if left unchallenged.  

Ultimately, the key to a healthy balance in your life is simple:

1. Take responsibility for what you want your routine to look like
2. Plan the necessary actions to lead you towards what good looks like
3. Be clear on the benefits to you and those around you of why it's worth making the effort to maintain your desired balance.  If the upside is exciting enough, you'll always protect your boundaries
4. Take regular action to protect your desired balance

Regular action includes immediate action so why not highlight one or two things you can do differently today that will help you towards achieving the balance in life that's right for you?

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Men's Health, Performance and A Competitive Edge

Monday 10th June is the beginning of Men's Health Week in the UK.  

It's always a busy week for us as it provides the perfect opportunity to engage a wider audience within many of the businesses we work with.

Men can be a little reticent when it comes to taking the best care of their health, attending regular check-ups and incorporating positive lifestyle change into their routine.  That said, since we've been working in corporate wellness, which is well over ten years now, there has been a noticeable change.  

Now we encounter far less of the bullish, head down and let's get on with it no matter how tired, lethargic, unwell or busy I feel attitude, and we experience many more examples of men pausing to think about how they can improve the quality of what they do and how they feel.  

The tide has definitely turned and there are plenty of specific examples of men embracing wellbeing and achieving great things in our ongoing series of wellness success stories.

But what if your business still contains guys who so far have proved resistant to any number of positive wellbeing messages?  How do you get them inspired?

Here's how we do it.

Make wellness strategic

Getting active, eating healthily, sleeping well and managing stress are all great intentions but in isolation these ideas aren't always enough to make men break established habits.  A few key questions that bring an element of strategy and planning to the concept of wellness can make all the difference, for example:

1. What are your specific objectives with your health, wellness and energy levels?
2. If you were as fit, healthy, energetic and effective as you'd like to be, what would be happening in future that isn't happening now?
3. If you were to begin today, what will you do differently to bridge the gap between where you'd like to be with your wellbeing, and where you are now?
4. What's stopping you from achieving your objectives and what possible solutions are available to you?

It's very rare that after considering the above, someone forgets all about wellness and goes back to what they were doing.  Sewing the seeds of these thoughts always encourages people towards a positive change, even if the process may take a while in some cases. 

Invoke the corporate role model

Many men respond more positively to the idea of making wellness changes as a way to improve how others view them than they do to the idea of making changes that will improve their health and energy levels.  

Ask guys what type of a role model they'd like to be seen as and most would prefer 'fit, dynamic, energetic, capable and healthy' to a reputation for being able to eat more, drink more and stay out later than anyone else.  (This is certainly one of the areas where we've seen changes over the years).

So find out what matters to the men in your organisation when it comes to acting as role models and then tailor wellness initiatives to provide easy access to information, resources and initiatives that will help guys behave consistently with their role model aspirations.

Appeal to the inner competitor

Most men like wellness initiatives that have a team or competitive element to them.  Planning an office running club, 5-a-side football league or a fitness challenge such as a pedometer challenge or 'who can cycle the furthest on a month' will get people moving.  Get to know different sections of your staff and make challenges relevant for specific groups.

Finally, the fact that Men's Health Week is an annual event raises one further question for everyone:  

Are you in a better situation with your health, energy, performance, life balance and happiness than you were this time last year?

If you are, fantastic.  

If not, what can you do to begin making progress towards a better result this time next year?

Here's a series of Men's Health related tips that will really make a difference right away and in the long-term.

Get Fit Fast

Do You Know Your Numbers

Portion Sizes

Sleep Problems

Image by Flickr: Matthew Kenwrick

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