So you felt invincible through your college days? Aced a beer chugging competition, stayed up nights chatting on the phone, watching television, partying with friends, and could still breeze through the day with only four hours of sleep? Well, life isn't the same once you cross 30. Your body begins to revolt. Medical experts explain, the male body can falter, and requires proper maintenance. Check out a rundown of common ailments that begin to plague when men touch 30 and after. Here's how to ensure they don't cause havoc in your life.
The state of prostate
Research shows about one in six men are diagnosed with prostate cancer. Having a family member with this condition doubles your risk.
Fix it: Get screened once a year. A doctor can perform a blood test to determine if there's a problem.
Tipping the scale
So if you've been struggling to shed kilos,here's some news. It's harder to lose weight as an adult, for a few reasons, including slower metabolism and higher stress.
Fix it: You can lose weight with a good exercise regimen and a healthy diet.
Watch your back
Back pain is very common among men, and there's a multitude of causes, including sitting behind a desk for long periods at a time, poor posture and lifting heavy objects as well as a large belly.
Fix it: Work on improving posture. When lifting, use the weight room rule — lift with your legs, not back. If you've got a job that confines you to a desk for hours, get up and walk around more often to keep the blood flowing or perform exercises you can perform at your seat to ward off stiffness.
Stressed out
Life is stressful for men trying to advance a career, balance time and raise a family. You already knew that, but perhaps you don't really appreciate the way that stress and mental illnesses like depression can take a toll on your overall wellbeing. You don't have to accept extreme stress as the status quo.
Fix it: Begin by recognising what triggers your stress at work and at home. Yoga and meditation techniques can calm you down. You can connect with friends, combat stress with exercise, getting enough sleep and eat well to beat stress.
Warm up and stretch down
Blow stretching off, and you're bound to pull a muscle you didn't even know existed when you were 18. Young, limber guys have to warm up, but it's mandatory for any guy to loosen up muscles and get blood flowing.
Fix it: Warm up with some jumping jacks or spot jogging in addition to active and passive stretching. It's important to stretch down after a workout, too.
Have some heart
Give up those ghastly caloried pizzas. It's one thing to indulge once in a while but quite another to celebrate the disease that claims more men than any other.
Fix it: Like high blood pressure, heart disease can be prevented with a healthy diet that's low in red meat and high on vegetables. Drink only socially, eliminate tobacco use and exercise regularly.
Exhaustion
Sure, you got tired as a 20-something, but did fatigue ever keep you from going out on a Friday night? And how do you feel these days after pulling an all-nighter? Probably like a zombie with a headache. Right?
Fix it: Learn the art of power naps. They are real life savers. But you must ensure that you get six to eight hours of sleep every night. Take frequent breaks from work and eat a balanced diet.
