IT is still mens health month and Pharma Dynamics challenges all men to become more active to avoid debilitating diseases such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer.

This message from the South African pharmaceutical company forms part of their Movember efforts to get men off the couch and moving.

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According to company spokesperson Nicole Jennings, almost a third of men do not include exercise into their daily routine.

The typical modern lifestyle that many men lead, which involves spending eight hours in front of a computer, another two to three hours in traffic and a few more hours in front of the television, is proving fatal.

Life expectancy drops significantly, and some researchers have even claimed it being worse than smoking and other risk factors combined, said Jennings.

According to a study conducted by cardiologists at the Cleveland Clinic (USA), among more than 122 000 participants, doctors found that the risk of death rose substantially among those that led a sedentary lifestyle compared to regular exercisers, whose mortality risk dropped to 80%.

A number of studies have shown that exercise improves the muscle strength, balance, cardio fitness, metabolism, glucose tolerance and psychological health of the elderly, even those in their 80s.

Active men have lower rates of prostate cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease and stroke, and are less likely to experience high blood pressure, depression and erection problems.

Modern-day living has seen exercise being eliminated from routines, but the body is designed for physical activity and cannot function optimally without it.

An hour of daily moderate exercise wipes out the negative impacts of sedentary living.Its best to combine a variety of cardiovascular exercises, such as brisk walking, running or cycling with strength-training using either weights or your own body weight, said Jennings.

Other waymen can rs educe the time they spend being sedentary include:

* Standing rather than sitting when taking public transport* Walking to work or the shops when needing a few groceries* Going for a walk during lunch breaks* Standing up every half an hour when working at a desk* Spending more time doing chores around the house instead of watching TV your significant other will love you for it!* Taking the stairs instead of the lift or escalator* Walking around while taking phone calls on your cellphone

Cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer combined affects hundreds of thousands of men in the country and remain among the most expensive diseases to treat.

So instead of paying large sums to treat these diseases, simply implement a healthy lifestyle.

Considering the overwhelming clinical evidence, exercise should be prescribed by doctors as a rule of thumb to reduce the risk of developing these illnesses.

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Daily exercise should be compulsory to promote health - Zululand Observer