5 Healthy New Year's Resolutions for Men

Experts share their thoughts on the top 5 things men can do to get healthy in the new year

Medically Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD on November 30, 2007
Written by Dulce Zamora
7 min read

The new year is a time many men rethink their lives and make plans to gettheir health back on track. Are you one of them?

At least 40% of adults make one or more resolutions each year, and at leasttwo-thirds of them vow to change something unhealthy about themselves,according to a small study conducted by John C. Norcross, PhD, professor ofpsychology at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. The popularresolutions concern weight gain, fitness, and smoking.

WebMD examined these common objectives and added a couple more that menmight want to consider in their pursuit of good health. We then asked healthexperts to offer advice on how best to approach the resolutions for maximumsuccess. Consider their suggestions, and see what works for you. Good luck!

When men want to get fit, they tend to aim for weight loss in the stomacharea and muscular definition in the biceps, chest, and abdominals, says CedricBryant, PhD, chief exercise physiologist for the American Council onExercise.

To achieve these goals, men do little cardiovascular exercise, and a lot ofresistance training -- a strategy that Bryant says is not ideal.

"Men need to participate in a balanced exercise program where they areinvolved in strength training that is for all the major muscle groups. Theyneed to participate in some aerobic exercise, because that's going to help themto expend energy and burn calories," says Bryant, who also notes that goodnutrition is crucial to fitness success. "You need the whole package if youwant to get optimal results."

For instance, a man who performs many abdominal exercises may becomefrustrated because he is not able to obtain the "washboard abs" hedesires. He may well have beautiful, washboard abs, but a layer of fat may behiding them.

"Until you lose body weight and body fat overall, people aren't going tosee the fruits of your labor," says Bryant. He says there's no such thingas spot reducing -- targeting certain areas of the body for fat and weightloss. When people lose weight, it usually comes off all over the body.

To get rid of the flab and pounds, Jean Bonhomme, MD, MPH, a member of theboard of directors for the Men's Health Network, suggests choosing an enjoyablephysical activity, even if it is not a traditional workout.

The idea is to move the body, doing anything from running, hiking, walking,or martial arts.

With any new or renewed activity, it is important to start slowly, graduallyraising intensity. Starting out at a level that is too aggressive could causepain, injury, and a sense of dejection.

Meat and potatoes have somehow been associated with manly men. "For somemen, it's a macho thing to eat a lot of red meat," says Bonhomme."We're supposed to be the hunters, and we bring home the deer and theelk."

There is certainly nothing wrong with a juicy piece of steak, butoverindulgence can be a problem, says Bonnie Taub-Dix, RD, a spokeswoman forthe American Dietetic Association. "Diets that promote large amounts ofprotein and fat, like the low-carb diets, are really not the way to go. Menhave a tendency to do that more," she says.

Low-carbohydrate and high-protein diets limit intake of particular grains,rice, potatoes, pastas, fruits, and starchy vegetables. They sometimesencourage meat and fat consumption to promote weight loss.

Studies show low-carb diets do help people lose weight in the short term.After a year, however, researchers found no difference in weight loss betweenthe low-carb diet and the standard low-calorie diet.

Experts are still waiting for long-term data on low-carb diets. Critics fearthe diets will have negative effects on the heart, particularly since fattyfoods have been shown to raise risk of heart disease. Many of the restrictedfoods on the low-carb diet, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, havealso been shown to prevent cancer, and lower risk of heart disease.

To lose weight, Taub-Dix recommends a well-balanced diet, with emphasis onwhole grains, fruits and vegetables. She says three servings of low-fat dairycan also be beneficial. Besides improving bone health, some studies showcalcium may make it easier to shed pounds.

Instead of a beefsteak, try tuna or salmon steaks. A turkey burger couldreplace a beef burger. There are also vegetarian meat substitutes.

If this does not sound appetizing, try mixing healthy items into the mealsyou normally eat. For instance, a beef dish could be mixed in with tofu."So you can get some of what you want, but not enough to hurt you,"says Bonhomme.

(Have you resolved to diet this year? Check out WebMD's Diet Assessment tool.)

Do you have a twisted ankle, back pain, blood in the urine, an enlarged mole, or unexplained sadness lasting more than a couple of weeks? These are all good reasons to see a physician. Yet plenty of men simply don't do it.

Men make 130 million fewer visits to the doctor than women do, and that's not including childbirth visits, says Armin Brott, author of Father for Life. He says men tend to discount pain and see themselves as indestructible, especially at younger ages. He says this general thinking stems from ideas promoted in childhood -- that big boys need to be tough and they don't cry. As men grow up, they are raised to think of themselves as providers and protectors.

"We're supposed to be taking care of our families, and we just don't have time to take care of ourselves," says Brott, noting a great percentage of the time men go to the doctor because their wife sent them. By the time they go, however, their condition could have progressed to more troublesome stages.

Promise yourself that if something doesn't feel right, you'll go to the doctor, Brott tells men.

Besides treating ailments, a medical practitioner can screen for potential problems, and keep a record of normal fitness levels. Health exams can give doctors a baseline for things like blood pressure, and cholesterol. If a man does not go to the doctor, it becomes harder for physicians to determine the severity of a problem.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends the following screening tests for men:

  • Cholesterol Checks. Have your cholesterol screened at least every five years, starting at age 35. Have it done at age 20 if you smoke, have diabetes, or have a family history of heart disease.
  • Blood Pressure. Have it checked at least every two years.
  • Colorectal Cancer Tests. Begin testing at age 50.
  • Diabetes. Have a test done if you have high cholesterol or high blood pressure.
  • Depression. Talk to your doctor if you've felt sad for two weeks straight, and have had little interest in normally pleasurable activities.
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Ask your doctor whether you should be screened.
  • Prostate Cancer Screening. Talk to your doctor about the risk and benefits of performing the prostate-specific antigen test, or the digital rectal exam.

Brott says it's also a good idea for men to give themselves a regular visual exam, taking inventory of how they feel and look.

Giving the nicotine habit the boot is one of the most popular resolutionsfor both men and women. It is a difficult task, and for some people, successdoes not come until after multiple tries.

Experts say the best way to deal with the problem is to get help. "Youget no extra points for being macho," says Brott.

There are a number of resources for support. You may visit your primary caredoctor and/or join a smoking cessation program in person, online, or by phone.You may consider medication, or nicotine replacements such as patches, gums,sprays, inhalers, and lozenges. Or you may contact groups such as the AmericanCancer Society, the American Lung Association, and the CDC's Office on Smokingand Health for help.

Robert Stenander, corporate services clinician for the Illinois Institutefor Addiction Recovery, recommends face-to-face support groups. The personalinteraction, he says, can help raise accountability, and can provide vitalsocial connections.

"You can describe and talk about what your issues are with regard toyour smoking cessation, and you've got other people who may be able to give yousome hints and suggestions as to what they've encountered," saysStenander.

A relapse is a real possibility, but it's important to look forward andavoid negative thinking. "Don't give up," says Stenander. "Don'tget yourself in a defeatist attitude that you can't do something. Let's talkabout what you can do."

If one smoking cessation method doesn't work for you, try another one. Youmay also consider different support groups as some may work better thanothers.

Don't forget that you can also enlist the support of family and friends.Many former smokers have found loved ones as a vital source ofencouragement.

Got stress? Who doesn't? Men have their lion's share partly because societyhasn't given them the freedom to process pressures that well, says Bonhomme."A lot of times men will hold things inside ... they won't talk aboutthem."

The pent-up negative feelings can cause feelings of anger and hopelessness,promote destructive behavior, or manifest themselves in physical ailments.Research shows stress can have adverse effects on the cardiovascular, nervous,immune, and digestive systems.

Bonhomme suggests exercise as a "masculine" way of relievingtension: "If you've had a stressful day and you work out, you burn offstress hormones."

It also helps to identify what is causing the stress, and try to deal withthe issue, says Brott. Sometimes, he says this may mean talking to yourgirlfriend, wife, or a minister.

If none of these methods work, talk with your doctor, or a psychologist.