Men can be safer, stronger and healthier. Take daily steps to get care when needed to prevent disease and injury and stay well. Improving men’s health starts at home with individuals and families taking steps to live safer and healthier lives.

Get your check-ups

Just because you may feel fine doesn’t mean you don’t need your annual check-up. Certain diseases and conditions may not have symptoms, so check-ups help diagnose issues early or before they can become a problem. See your

doctor or nurse for regular check-ups.

Need affordable healthcare?

Health services for individuals with no or low health coverage are available through federally-funded health centers, where the fee is based on what the individual can pay.

Know and understand your numbers

Keep track of your numbers for blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, body mass index or any others you may have. These numbers can provide a glimpse of your health status and risk for certain diseases. Be sure to ask your doctor or nurse what tests you need and how often you need them. If your numbers are high or low, he or she can explain what they mean and make recommendations to help you get them to a healthier range.

Practice prevention and make health an everyday option

There are numerous things you can do every day to improve your health and stay healthy, many of which don’t take a lot of time and cost very little, if anything. Make healthy living a part of your daily routine.

Get enough sleep

Insufficient sleep is associated with a number of chronic diseases and conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and depression. Also, insufficient sleep is responsible for motor vehicle and machinery-related accidents, causing substantial injury and disability each year. Adults should get between seven and nine hours of sleep per night, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

Be smoke-free

Avoid smoking and secondhand smoke. Inhaling other people’s smoke causes health problems similar to those of smokers. Quitting smoking has immediate and long-term benefits. Within 20 minutes after smoking that last cigarette, your body begins a series of changes that continue for years.

Be physically active

Be active for at least 2 1/2 hours a week. Include activities that raise your breathing and heart rates and that strengthen your muscles. You don’t have to do it all at once. Spread your activity out during the week, and break it into smaller chunks of time during the day.

Eat what counts

Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. Limit foods and drinks high in calories, sugar, salt, fat and alcohol. Choose healthy snacks.

Get vaccinated

Some adults incorrectly assume that the vaccines they received as children will protect them for the rest of their lives. Generally this is true, except that:

Some adults were never vaccinated as children.

Newer vaccines were not available when some adults were children.

Immunity can begin to fade over time.

As we age, we become more susceptible to serious disease caused by common infections (e.g., flu, pneumococcus).

Far too many adults become ill, are disabled and die each year from diseases that could easily have been prevented by vaccines. Take a few minutes to find out if you are at risk for any of the diseases that can be prevented by immunization. Some immunizations are vital for most adults, especially senior citizens. Others are appropriate for only certain people.

Pay attention to signs and symptoms

Discharge? Excessive thirst? Rash or sore? Problems with urination? Shortness of breath? These are only a few of the symptoms that males should pay attention to and see a doctor if they occur. If you have symptoms of any kind, be sure to see your doctor right away.

Michael Heath is president of the St. John Professional Firefighters Association.