Men's Health: 12 Signs You Are Healthy Ask a man if hes healthy, and hell say, Sure. And hell say it even if theres blood coming out of both ears. Thats because most men have a very general definition of health: If you can get up in the morning and make it to work, then you must be healthy. And if you can get home from work without collapsing well, then you must be really healthy! We asked a dozen physicians to define exactly what it means to be in excellent health, and they gave us the checklist that you need to complete before boasting about your super fitness. If you can check off at least eight of these 12 qualities, then youre more than a good guy youre a physical specimen possessing rare genetic gifts. We may have you stuffed for posterity. You Have Extremely High CholesterolAbout 356,000 men die of heart disease every year twice the tally killed by cancer. But if you have an HDL (high-density lipoprotein the good stuff) count of 90 mg/dl or more, you have very little worry of developing heart disease or arteriosclerosis, says Dr. E. Randy Eckert, a pathologist and medical director at North Austin Medical Center in Texas. You have an ample supply of HDL to keep your arteries clean, so you should never develop significant blockages. Research bears this out: A study that followed 8,586 Israeli men for 21 years found that those with the highest HDL cholesterol levels were least likely to die of strokes. To increase your HDL cholesterol levels, you need to exercise at a moderate intensity for about 20 minutes at least four times a week, and drop at least 5 pounds from your gut. You Have an Athlete's HeartYour heart will beat a fixed number of times before it shuts down. So you dont blow your quota by age 50, you need to keep your resting heart rate below 60 beats per minute, says Dr. Thomas Graboys, a cardiologist at the Harvard medical school. Find your resting rate by taking your pulse in the morning while youre still in bed; multiply the beats in 15 seconds by four. Exercising at moderate intensities for long periods will lower your resting heart rate over time, explains the appropriately named Dale Huff, of the American College of Exercise. The weekly prescription: at least four 40-minute aerobic workouts. To maintain an effective workout pace keep varying your intensity. For example, run, bike, or row slowly for 3 minutes, then go all out for 1 minute. Keep repeating this cycle until youve gone completely nuts. Answer Yes to These Two QuestionsDo you look forward to going to work? And do you look forward to going home in the afternoon? After being in practice for 30 years, Ive learned that if you can answer yes to both of these questions, you have a very low risk of dying of a heart attack or any other heart-related problem, says Dr. Graboys. Semen Counting Can you ejaculate a tablespoon of semen, or up to five milliliters on a good day?Thats the quota you nailed at age 20. If your prostate is healthy, you should still hit it at 50, says Dr. William Catalona, a prostate-cancer specialist at the Washington University school of medicine in St. Louis.

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Men's Health: 12 Signs You Are Healthy

Ask a man if hes healthy, and hell say, Sure.

And hell say it even if theres blood coming out of both ears. Thats because most men have a verygeneral definition of health: If you can get up in the morning and make it to work, then you must behealthy. And if you can get home from work without collapsing well, then you must be really healthy!

We asked a dozen physicians to define exactly what it means to be in excellent health, and they gaveus the checklist that you need to complete before boasting about your super fitness. If you can checkoff at least eight of these 12 qualities, then youre more than a good guy youre a physical specimenpossessing rare genetic gifts. We may have you stuffed for posterity.

You Have Extremely High CholesterolAbout 356,000 men die of heart disease every year twice thetally killed by cancer. But if you have an HDL (high-density lipoprotein the good stuff) count of 90mg/dl or more, you have very little worry of developing heart disease or arteriosclerosis, says Dr. E.Randy Eckert, a pathologist and medical director at North Austin Medical Center in Texas. You havean ample supply of HDL to keep your arteries clean, so you should never develop significantblockages. Research bears this out: A study that followed 8,586 Israeli men for 21 years found thatthose with the highest HDL cholesterol levels were least likely to die of strokes.

To increase your HDL cholesterol levels, you need to exercise at a moderate intensity for about 20minutes at least four times a week, and drop at least 5 pounds from your gut.

You Have an Athlete's HeartYour heart will beat a fixed number of times before it shuts down. Soyou dont blow your quota by age 50, you need to keep your resting heart rate below 60 beats perminute, says Dr. Thomas Graboys, a cardiologist at the Harvard medical school. Find your restingrate by taking your pulse in the morning while youre still in bed; multiply the beats in 15 seconds byfour.

Exercising at moderate intensities for long periods will lower your resting heart rate over time,explains the appropriately named Dale Huff, of the American College of Exercise. The weeklyprescription: at least four 40-minute aerobic workouts. To maintain an effective workout pace keepvarying your intensity. For example, run, bike, or row slowly for 3 minutes, then go all out for 1minute. Keep repeating this cycle until youve gone completely nuts.

Answer Yes to These Two QuestionsDo you look forward to going to work? And do you look forwardto going home in the afternoon? After being in practice for 30 years, Ive learned that if you cananswer yes to both of these questions, you have a very low risk of dying of a heart attack or anyother heart-related problem, says Dr. Graboys.

Semen Counting Can you ejaculate a tablespoon of semen, or up to five milliliters on a goodday?Thats the quota you nailed at age 20. If your prostate is healthy, you should still hit it at 50, saysDr. William Catalona, a prostate-cancer specialist at the Washington University school of medicine inSt. Louis.