Fairs, festivals, and vacations can instill unhealthy consumption habits during the summer, and Men’s Health Month is recognized during June to encourage young and adult males to make good choices to enjoy more summers to come.

Dr. Josh Strehle with Guthrie County Hospital and Clinics says men on average die five years younger than women, and die at higher rates from nine of the top 10 causes of death. Strehle shares the key steps for living a longer life, “Really it boils down to good lifestyle choices: don’t use tobacco, limit alcohol, get that at least 150 minutes a week of exercise in, and eat right. In addition, most insurance companies, as a benefit of you paying for your health insurance and everybody knows how high health insurance premiums are. You do have a benefit of getting an annual physical, or once a year check-up with a doctor which should be at no cost to you to see the doctor, review your family history, your personal medical history, your risk factors, and see what you can do personally to live a healthier life.”

Strehle adds that one reason men may disregard their own health is that they’re too busy taking care of everyone else. This in turn could hurt the people they care about most, so he says friends and family members should talk about health issues with their loved ones, and encourage them to make better choices to be alive and well as long as possible.