This transcript has been edited for clarity.
My name is Dr. Gregory Scott Brown, director of the Center for Green Psychiatry and affiliated professor at the University of Texas Dell Medical School, and I report for Medscape on the importance of mind-body medicine for men .
Mind-body medicine focuses on how interactions within the mind, including thoughts, feelings, and emotions, relate to physical health and well-being. A mind-body practice may include guided imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, acupuncture, meditation, or yoga.
Let’s be real: men are lukewarm when it comes to integrating a mind-body practice into their own lives. Many prefer to play 18 holes of golf, play basketball, or spend time at the gym. In fact, evidence supports the idea that men are less likely to develop a meditation practice.
A small study in the Journal of Women’s Health supported this idea by showing that although men and women both thought meditation would be helpful for their overall health, women were twice as likely to incorporate a regular meditation practice.
And extending to yoga, a big investigation by Yoga Alliance and Yoga Journal showed that only 28% of regular yoga practitioners are men. There is growing evidence that integrating a mind-body practice can help reduce anxiety, improve mood, and improve sleep.
It’s also important to note that yoga and meditation, for example, do not need to be physically demanding and can be practiced in a person’s home or office. These mind-body practices are particularly important for men because, although women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with depressionmen are approximately 3.5 times more likely to succumb to suicide.
A recent study Published in JAMA Psychiatry indicated that higher masculinity traits, including emotional restraint, competitiveness, and assaultcould potentially increase a man’s risk of suicide.
Attention to breathing is a common thread in most mind-body practices. I like to start by teaching men a 4-7-8 breathing modification. To do this, men must first find a quiet space, turn their attention to breathing, take a deep breath, count to four, hold, count to seven and finally, a long cleansing exhale, count to ‘at eight.
This long exhale is critically important because research has shown that it can help activate the parasympathetic nervous system as well as increase GABA levels in our brains, and even promote alpha wave activity on the brain. ‘EEG – all indicators that our body is calm and relaxed. State.
The great thing about breathwork is that when done correctly and used as a therapeutic tool, it tends to work quite quickly. People will report an almost immediate calming effect.
Another important point is that men like quantifiable results. We’re competitive, aren’t we? This affects our masculinity. In the age of apps, digital health, and wearable devices, this can actually work to our advantage to support a mind-body practice.
Wearable devices like the Apple Watch and Oura Ring, or apps like Insight Timer or Calm, can help men track their mood and structure a mind-body practice. Men can use these devices to foster healthy internal competition and perhaps to encourage them to meditate a little longer today than yesterday.
Some of these apps may specifically appeal to men by featuring well-known male athletes who lead guided meditations and also tell their own stories of hope and resilience that men can relate to.
When men learn about mind-body medicine and how to develop their own practice, they begin to learn to pay more attention to how their thoughts, feelings, and emotions relate to their physical body, and vice versa. This can be useful in helping men extend their fuse, live a life with less stress and better mood, and overall improve their quality of life.
While it is true that integrating a mind-body practice can have a positive impact on both men and women, regardless of age, let’s not forget that men are the least likely to engage in these practices.
Learning mind-body medicine can be the first step in fostering open communication so that when they are really struggling, they feel comfortable reaching out to a friend, neighbor, loved one, or even a mental health professional.
I’m Dr. Gregory Scott Brown, I work for Medscape.
