Check up and check in

Men need to take their health seriously. Robert Bright runs communications company BTT; he’s been on his own health journey in recent years, learning the value of regular check-ups, and believes men need to be proactive in looking after themselves.

“I’m part of an organisation that arranges free yearly prostate screenings for its members. The ages range from 20s to 90s, and you see different ailments come in as the men get older – especially if they don’t get tested or bury their head in the sand.

“One of the guys went for a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test back in August and the check-up revealed that he had prostate cancer – if he hadn’t gone for the test it would’ve gone under the radar. We’ve had a few people receive these results, though another of our members was screened too late, and – sadly – he passed away. It’s so important to get checked regularly.”

It can be very easy for men to dismiss minor health concerns, with a that’ll-go-away-by-itself mentality, but that can lead to early warning signs going undiagnosed.

“Over the last two or three years, I’ve been trying to take better care of myself after I was diagnosed with high blood pressure. I’d ignored the symptoms for a long time, thinking: ‘It’s OK, I’m fine’, but when the doctor said: ‘You need to do something about this, or you might not be here in 10 years’, it really sunk in. I lost four stone during Covid – eating better and exercising three times a week – and felt the best I’d felt in a decade.

“Unfortunately, over the last year since restrictions lifted, I’ve slipped back into some bad habits. I’ve had to attend a lot of networking dinners – often having three-course meals eight to 12 times a month – to the extent that I’ve put 80% of the weight back on. I’d stopped going to the gym and started enjoying a beer. I went back to the doctor, and he said: ‘What did I tell you?’. I’m now starting over with my personal trainer and limiting myself to one dinner event a week, at most. You have to stay committed to your exercise routine, manage your work-life balance, and keep looking after yourself.”

A big problem is that bad habits are easy. If you’re coming back late from work, the McDonald’s drive-through is far more tempting than spending an hour cooking. The pub is more appealing than the gym. If you have a pressured work life, anything that makes your home life easier (or vice versa) will appeal. For this reason, mental health is just as important to maintain as physical.

OVER THE LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS, I’VE BEEN TRYING TO TAKE BETTER CARE OF MYSELF AFTER I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

“There’s a mixture of ages in the business, and we’ve got a little group of us older guys who discuss our various pills and potions. We talk about what’s going on, what works, and encourage each other to stay away from the office doughnuts. It does help.”

“And I’ve always maintained an open-door policy for anyone who wants to come in and talk about anything, no matter what – if we can’t help, we’ll find someone appropriate for them to talk to.”