Men's Health Australia October 2022

“HOW LUCKY I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” - Winnie The Pooh For the past five years, Men’s Health Australia has been my baby. We’ve seen each other through teething problems and we’ve both grown and evolved. He’s kept me up at night, worried sick. He’s been put down by bullies, picked himself up, dusted himself off and carried on stronger and more resilient than ever before. And he has a bright and brilliant future ahead. But as any parent will know, there comes a time when your babies no longer need you. You come to care too much and as a result become an overbearing, stressed-out helicopter parent, wondering why your child won’t love you back. It’s then that you know it’s time to set them free…

THE BIG QUESTION Q Can I work out when I’m sick? - DG YOU CAN, but you probably shouldn’t. Typically, doctors distinguish between above-the-neck sickness – including sinus infections, colds, runny noses and stuffy eyes – and below the neck, like chest congestion and hacking cough. “Above the neck means that you’re okay doing moderate aerobic and strength-training exercises,” says exercise scientist Mark Peterson. (This is also the recommendation for general fatigue.) But you should not be doing HIIT. “Below the neck means you should be doing only light activity, like a walk or an easy bike ride.” Major red flags for exercise include irregular heartbeat and shortness of breath. Do not do anything when you feel these; instead, see a doctor immediately. Working out is always a stress to the system - that’s how…

YOUR MONTHLY DOWNLOAD OF THE LATEST LIFE ENHANCING RESEARCH WHERE DO YOU rate yourself on the scale of kitchen confidence? Are you a weekend MasterChef, fermenting veg from the back garden and casing your own sausages? Or do you tend more towards convenience than flair? If the latter, then it might be time to get a little experimental, because an intriguing new study has linked time spent in the kitchen with robust mental health. Researchers at Edith Cowan University examined the impact of a seven-week cooking course on 657 participants. Those who took part reported a significant boost to their mental wellbeing and feelings of vitality – improvements that were still in evidence at a six-month check-in. In addition to this more positive outlook, the cooks reported renewed confidence in their ability to…

“HOW LUCKY I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” - Winnie The Pooh For the past five years, Men’s Health Australia has been my baby. We’ve seen each other through teething problems and we’ve both grown and evolved. He’s kept me up at night, worried sick. He’s been put down by bullies, picked himself up, dusted himself off and carried on stronger and more resilient than ever before. And he has a bright and brilliant future ahead. But as any parent will know, there comes a time when your babies no longer need you. You come to care too much and as a result become an overbearing, stressed-out helicopter parent, wondering why your child won’t love you back. It’s then that you know it’s time to…

AS A READER OF this magazine, you’re likely familiar with the term ‘sleep hygiene’ – that is, the habits and environmental factors that determine whether you enjoy a glorious night’s rest or find yourself glumly scrolling through Twitter at 4am. You know caffeine and alcohol play their part (sorry), and perhaps you’ve learned not to binge-watch Netflix dramas in bed. But there’s another crucial factor you might be overlooking – and it’s harming more than just your shut-eye. Research by Northwestern University has found that even moderate light exposure during sleep - the flash of a passing car or the glimmer of an LED alarm clock – can prevent your body from properly powering down. This has a negative impact on your heart health and blood sugar levels, affecting your risk of…

WE ALL KNOW you’re supposed to get 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise a week to maintain your health and fitness, right? Right. But could that be setting the bar too low? Science is shifting to a position that 30 minutes of exercise five times per week may not be enough to alter fitness levels, especially if you spend the rest of your day holding down couch springs. As a recent study by Columbia University concluded, it’s what you do across the entirety of the hours you’re awake that really counts. The Columbia study found light physical activities, such as housework, making a cup of coffee or a leisurely stroll to the post box just two blocks away, have a significant impact on your fitness. So much so that, engaged…