Feb 09
20
Gender Health Habit Differences
Both men and women want to be healthy and maintain optimum health well into their golden years. There are gender differences, however, in how men and women approach and prioritize their health habits.
One of the biggest health issues to tackle is the matter of staying physically fit. Women tend to be more likely than men to do a mix of cardio, strength and flexibility exercises within their fitness routine. Men tend to be more muscular but workout in less fitness categories. Both men and women would benefit by putting more variety in their workouts regularly.
On the matter of eating habits, women tend to do better as they generally include more fruits and vegetables within their diet. Men tend to opt for the high protein with more of the meat and potatoes approach to their eating habits. Along with the high amount of meat comes the high amount of saturated fats in the diet.
The diets of men could be adjusted to include low fat protein sources such as fish or poultry and also more whole grains and fruits and vegetables to remedy their eating patterns. Another health issue to compare genders on is stress management. On this topic, men and women fare about equally as well in their coping mechanisms.
Women tend to talk about their stress issues. Men tend more to act on their source of stress rather than talk or will talk about it after they have already taken action. Ideally, a combination of these approaches is the best solution to stress issues for either men or women.
The health issues pertaining to the heart are generally taken more seriously by men. Men are more likely to keep a close watch on heart related health matters such as their blood pressure and cholesterol levels and take medication accordingly. Women are less likely to tend to their heart health and get the medication they need.
An important matter concerning all of our health is getting a good night’s sleep regularly. According to the National Sleep Foundation’s poll, only 34% of women compared to 49% of men reported sleeping well most of the time. A solution to this dilemna, particularly for women, is to relax and unwind in the hour before bedtime.
Dental health effects more than just our teeth. Poor dental health can even lead to heart disease. In this category, women did better than the men and have better oral hygiene habits. The solution here is for both genders is to simply brush your teeth at least twice daily and floss at least once daily.
