Wellness
5 Ways to Help the Men in Your Life Get Into Wellness
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According to research¹ from our MINDBODY UK team, one in three men who join a gym do so to build muscle, but keep coming back for their mental health. The link between exercise and better mental wellness is clear, however, 35%² of men struggling with their mental health admit to waiting two or more years before disclosing a problem to a friend or family member. This suggests many men believe they should manage their emotional wellbeing alone.
Here are five ways you can help the men in your life up their wellness game to benefit their physical and mental health.
Attend a yoga class together.
Yoga is known for its ability to ease stress and promote relaxation. Working on your breathing techniques is an essential part of every yoga practice, helping you stay calm and think clearer in certain situations. There are many different styles of yoga—Hatha, Vinyasa, Bikram, and more—some more strenuous than others. Before heading to class, check out our page on all things yoga for advice on which workout is best to attend with your loved one.
“Yoga found me in my mid-twenties as a form of rehabilitation for back and knee injuries. I had no idea then it would take over my life! For me, movement is vital and so important,” says Stephen Marks, founder of Stephen Marks Yoga.
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Attend a yoga class together.
Yoga is known for its ability to ease stress and promote relaxation. Working on your breathing techniques is an essential part of every yoga practice, helping you stay calm and think clearer in certain situations. There are many different styles of yoga—Hatha, Vinyasa, Bikram, and more—some more strenuous than others. Before heading to class, check out our page on all things yoga for advice on which workout is best to attend with your loved one.
“Yoga found me in my mid-twenties as a form of rehabilitation for back and knee injuries. I had no idea then it would take over my life! For me, movement is vital and so important,” says Stephen Marks, founder of Stephen Marks Yoga.
Head outdoors.
37% of men say their preferred method of exercise is running, and 54% also say they’re more motivated to exercise when they have a ‘buddy’³. Going for a run, jog, or walk outdoors not only helps you stay fit, but it also increases your energy and helps clear your head. So, if you want to help your man get outside and get active, offer to be their buddy! You’ll get to help him out while getting a jog in for yourself—it’s a win-win.
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Head outdoors.
37% of men say their preferred method of exercise is running, and 54% also say they’re more motivated to exercise when they have a ‘buddy’³. Going for a run, jog, or walk outdoors not only helps you stay fit, but it also increases your energy and helps clear your head. So, if you want to help your man get outside and get active, offer to be their buddy! You’ll get to help him out while getting a jog in for yourself—it’s a win-win.
Meditate.
In a Harvard study, researchers found that as little as eight weeks of meditation helped decrease anxiety and improve stress regulation. Working together to learn the basics of meditation will mean dedicating quality time to each other, which can have a positive impact on your relationship. Today, accessing meditation tools has become even easier. Technology like Muse and apps such as Headspace can help guide new users into meditation. You can also look for boutique studios that offer meditation classes on the MINDBODY app!
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Meditate.
In a Harvard study, researchers found that as little as eight weeks of meditation helped decrease anxiety and improve stress regulation. Working together to learn the basics of meditation will mean dedicating quality time to each other, which can have a positive impact on your relationship. Today, accessing meditation tools has become even easier. Technology like Muse and apps such as Headspace can help guide new users into meditation. You can also look for boutique studios that offer meditation classes on the MINDBODY app!
Pick up the weights.
Weight training doesn’t just increase your physical strength, but your mental strength, too. So, why not organize a gym session and focus on your physical and mental strength together? If you’re a beginner, make sure you do your research before reaching for those dumbbells. Try finding exercises you can do with a partner such as squats, lunges, chest presses, and curls. Whatever exercise you choose to do, be sure to push one another, as this will give you both a motivation boost.
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Pick up the weights.
Weight training doesn’t just increase your physical strength, but your mental strength, too. So, why not organize a gym session and focus on your physical and mental strength together? If you’re a beginner, make sure you do your research before reaching for those dumbbells. Try finding exercises you can do with a partner such as squats, lunges, chest presses, and curls. Whatever exercise you choose to do, be sure to push one another, as this will give you both a motivation boost.
Sweat it out in a cycling class.
Although cycling classes take some serious cardio, they offer multiple benefits, especially for your mental wellbeing. Yes, the class will be hard, and you’ll sweat (a lot!), but you’ll leave feeling much happier thanks to the endorphins your body will produce. If either of you is new to cycling, get to the class a little earlier and speak with the instructor to learn everything you need to know before you start.
Notes to editors:
1. Survey of 1,148 UK men who have been to the gym and/or studio in the last week, undertaken in May 2019 by TLF
2. A survey conducted by YouGov for the Mental Health Foundation (2016)
3. Research of 1,000 UK respondents undertaken by TLF in July 2018 on behalf of MINDBODY
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Sweat it out in a cycling class.
Although cycling classes take some serious cardio, they offer multiple benefits, especially for your mental wellbeing. Yes, the class will be hard, and you’ll sweat (a lot!), but you’ll leave feeling much happier thanks to the endorphins your body will produce. If either of you is new to cycling, get to the class a little earlier and speak with the instructor to learn everything you need to know before you start.
Notes to editors:
1. Survey of 1,148 UK men who have been to the gym and/or studio in the last week, undertaken in May 2019 by TLF
2. A survey conducted by YouGov for the Mental Health Foundation (2016)
3. Research of 1,000 UK respondents undertaken by TLF in July 2018 on behalf of MINDBODY
Wellness
Foundational Steps to Cultivating a Daily Self-love Practice
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When you think of self-love what do you think of? Bubble baths, walks on the beach, facemasks, or what? Self-love can mean so many different things but when we think about self-love, we have to acknowledge loving ourselves both on the outside and on the inside. The way that we show ourselves love is one of the most important things we will ever do.
How do we treat ourselves? How do we talk to ourselves? What foods are we putting into our bodies? How are we thinking about our overall well-being when practicing self-love?
As self-love defines and redefined itself for you over the years, here are a few foundational tips to think about when easing into your self-love journey.
Step 1: Learn to set boundaries
Don’t we love this one? Loving ourselves has a lot to do with the boundaries that we have for ourselves, with others, and for others. Take time to think about your own emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual needs when setting boundaries that reflect your personal needs. Boundaries don’t have to be big and scary; they are here to remind us that you get to have your lived experience and still have expectations about how you’d like to be treated and what you’d like to feel.
When thinking about your boundaries, ask yourself:
- How do I feel without having boundaries?
- What would I like to have boundaries around?
- Are my boundaries actual boundaries or am I creating walls in my life?
- How do I plan to uphold my boundaries?
Step 2: Cultivate self-compassion
In a world where perfectionism and curated existences have been rewarded, begin to cultivate compassion for yourself. You are a soul having a human experience and it’s totally okay if things are not perfect.
Mindfulness exercises such as Breathwork, self-care activities, and self-compassion, all help train the mind, emotions, and even the body’s stress chemicals to be able to deal with undesired situations. Self-compassion means, can you be nice to yourself? Can you find empathy and kindness for yourself in the middle of what feels chaotic, stressful, or unwanted? Self-compassion means that we get to make mistakes, have our plans not work out the way that we wanted, and we still get to celebrate that we are doing the best that we can and it is enough.
When thinking about self-compassion, ask yourself:
- How do I respond to stressful situations?
- How hard am I on myself?
- How do I celebrate myself?
- How do I show myself kindness?
Step 3: Nourish yourself
In every sense of the word “nourishment”, begin to learn what nourishes you and what depletes you. Nourishment doesn’t just mean food for yourself; it means that whatever you are consuming whether it be media, podcasts, people, energy, information, etc. all impact the way that we think, feel, and experience life.
Nourishing yourself definitely goes right along the lines of having your boundaries intact and practicing self-compassion.
When thinking about nourishment, ask yourself:
- How do I nourish my emotional well-being?
- How do I nourish my mental well-being?
- How do I nourish my physical well-being?
- How do I nourish my spiritual well-being?
- How do I nourish my social well-being?
- How do I nourish my financial well-being?
That’s it. Those are the foundational steps to cultivating a self-love practice that you can ease into your daily routine. Come back to these questions often, because like anything else, self-love is a practice and it takes effort, time, and intention to maintain.
If you’d like to try breathwork, mindfulness, or play classes with me, check out these workshops and training sessions that work with your schedule. For other breathwork classes, browse Mindbody.
