Health : Mens Health

Health begins between the ears. If it's not right there, it doesn't matter how much you can bench-press, how much you earn or how often you get laid, you won't feel good.

This section of malehealth lets you read all about the key issues in men's mental health today at your pace and as you want to. Nothing flash, just the facts in the words of the men who know: men who have experienced mental health problems themselves. Your comments are welcome but they're not necessary. Just take what you need and get on with your life. This isn't Facebook.

If you're not feeling great, you're not alone. One in six people - nearly 10 million people across the UK - will experience depression or another mental health problem at any one time.

But that doesn't mean it's easy to talk about it. We all know it isn't - including the men talking on this website. It can be difficult to put how you're feeling into words. This section of malehealth is designed to help you do that. You can be strong without being silent. In fact, strength is often to be found in talking. Without words, mental health problems can kill.

EXERCISE

If the mere mention of exercise brings you out in a cold sweat, then you probably haven't indulged in much physical activity since the days when you were forced to head out in all weathers for the obligatory school PE lessons.

The news that getting fit can actually be enjoyable may therefore come as something of a surprise. It is, of course, also very good for your health.

Regular physical activity has been proven time and again to help ward off diseases such as stroke, diabetes and heart disease. Some forms of exercise can also protect against osteoporosis, the bone-thinning disease that affects one in twelve men. And in terms of weight loss, the benefits of keeping fit are unquestionable.

Sports scientists have found that regular exercise does far more than keep us in trim. It can affect our mood, even leave us better able to cope with the stresses and pressures of modern life. Going out for some exercise, even if it is just a walk, will produce physical patterns of change that may also be beneficial to psychological health. Studies have shown that physical activity increases levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, which influence the areas of the brain that control mood.

Exercise also reduces stress. In one study, unfit male students were asked to spend ten weeks taking part in an aerobic fitness programme, a relaxation programme, or a discussion group. They were then asked to take part in a very stressful (non-physical) competition. The men in the exercise group not only performed better in the test but also experienced significantly less anxiety, depression and fatigue following the competition than the men in the other two groups.