Men's Health Australia March 2023

menshealth.com.au Men's Health Australia @MensHealthAU @menshealthaustralia TIMES CHANGE, we all know that. Fifteen years ago, it would have been inconceivable to have a 50-year-old on the cover of Men's Health. Indeed, I recallback in 2010, an ex-AFL player named Kym Koster took out our second annual Men's Health Man Award at the then seemingly ancient age of 37. We made a big song and dance about it, too. “Get Ripped At 37!” screamed our coverline. Now, though, we've had two 50-year-olds on the cover in the space of five months - The Rock back in November and this month's cover guy, singer Pete Murray (p.68). With The Rock, no one really blinked. Everyone knows the hardest working man in Hollywood has a body that appears to bulldoze through concepts such as wear and tear and…

EDITOR'S LETTER menshealth.com.au Men's Health Australia @MensHealthAU @menshealthaustralia TIMES CHANGE, we all know that. Fifteen years ago, it would have been inconceivable to have a 50-year-old on the cover of Men's Health. Indeed, I recallback in 2010, an ex-AFL player named Kym Koster took out our second annual Men's Health Man Award at the then seemingly ancient age of 37. We made a big song and dance about it, too. “Get Ripped At 37!” screamed our coverline. Now, though, we've had two 50-year-olds on the cover in the space of five months - The Rock back in November and this month's cover guy, singer Pete Murray (p.68). With The Rock, no one really blinked. Everyone knows the hardest working man in Hollywood has a body that appears to bulldoze through…

THE BIG QUESTION Q I always renege on my fitness resolutions. How can I start keeping my vows? – AM First, you're not alone. Exercising more and losing weight are among the most common resolutions made by guys – and not only on January 1st. But research suggests only a third of us manage to stick with them. The good news: you can boost your chances of success simply by swapping negative beliefs about your current fitness – or ability to improve it – with positive ones. Viewing yourself as a committed athlete from day one, rather than waiting until you're fitter/faster/stronger/leaner to take yourself seriously, can help. Here's why. Studies show that our thoughts impact our physiology. Basically, believing you're “bad at exercise” makes your body less capable. In one study*, people who were…

THE BIG QUESTION Q I always renege on my fitness resolutions. How can I start keeping my vows? – AM First, you're not alone. Exercising more and losing weight are among the most common resolutions made by guys – and not only on January 1st. But research suggests only a third of us manage to stick with them. The good news: you can boost your chances of success simply by swapping negative beliefs about your current fitness – or ability to improve it – with positive ones. Viewing yourself as a committed athlete from day one, rather than waiting until you're fitter/faster/stronger/leaner to take yourself seriously, can help. Here's why. Studies show that our thoughts impact our physiology. Basically, believing you're “bad at exercise” makes your body less capable. In one…

Q Does playing hard to get really work? – AF Jess: I wouldn't say that playing hard to get works. But … matching your level of apparent interest to theirs just might. For me, if I'm not really invested in someone, having them come on strong is super off-putting and a bit ick. Whereas if you're both keen, who needs games? Nik: There's a balance to be struck in the early days for sure. You can definitely be too keen, but if you're too standoffish, that can be a turn-off, too. Becky: Yeah, playing hard to get means you're playing games – and who has time to play games? And who deserves to be played with? That said, entering the dating phase feeling relaxed and casual won't hurt you one bit. Nik: There's something…

THOUGH THE PHYSICAL benefits of healthy eating are voluminously documented, there is surprisingly little known about how diet affects your mental wellbeing. Yes, chillies give you an endorphin rush and a sugar high almost invariably ends with a crash – but what of food's effects on your longer-term mental health? And as you contend with the customary new-year anxieties of going back to work, how do you fuel your positivity? According to a team of researchers from Birmingham's Aston University, it's simpler than you might think. They found that while frequently consuming nutrient-poor snacks is associated with reductions in psychological health, those who stave off hunger with ordinary fruit tend to have significantly better mental wellbeing than those who don't. A crucial detail of their study, which surveyed the eating habits of…