Canadian Men’s Health Month (June 1-30, 2021)
Make Your Move Pledge
The uncertainty, the health safety concerns, and the lockdowns have been difficult for my family and me. I started out drinking more than normal. Drinking more became ‘normal’ as an outlet for my anxiety. I thought I was coping okay until I saw the ripple effect on my partner and children. I was not leading my family the way I wanted to. I need a change and want to support men’s mental health. That is why I am making a Move Pledge in June during Men’s Health Month.
How to Make Your Move Pledge
Time to pull the emergency stop lever on the pandemic roller coaster! You can get off that ride and onto a new one that is better for you and those you care about. Whether you’re active or not, moving a bit more will have a calming effect, and participating in our Move Challenge will be fun too!
Whether it’s doing yard work, walking, bike riding, or doing body-weight exercises in your home, simply moving more every day is all you need to start feeling better.
Get involved and do something fun for Men’s Health Month! Take it from B.C. actor and comedian Toby Hargrave.
Plan your pledge and execute on it.
Simple, right? Pledge on your own, with your family, or commit with some friends. Socially distanced or not, you can do it with others. See below for some Move Pledge examples to get your juices flowing.
I will:
- Walk for 15 minutes daily for seven days.
- Bike, swim or work out for 30 minutes twice a week in June.
- Attend the four 30-minute workouts with Grey Cup Champion Tommy Europe.
- Walk 50,000 steps in June. That’s 16 minutes of daily brisk walking.
- Run 100 km in June. That’s just over 3 km per day or about 24 km per week.
If you want to “level up” your commitment, then take on Step 2 or Step 3 below.
Make your commitment visible.
Tell people you are doing it and share your progress along the way. Tell people in your house, call a friend or loved one, send a message by carrier pigeon, or share on social media.
What you can do:
If you’re going the social media route, here are some ideas and resources to help.
- Post about your pledge. Share one of our campaign banners and tag us with #MOVEMentalHealth.
- Record your pledge on video and upload.
- Post your progress and tag us #MOVEMentalHealth to encourage others.
Start a Facebook Fundraiser.
Help men and families struggling with stress and anxiety.
What you can do:
- Log in to Facebook first, and then create your own Men’s Health Foundation fundraising page.
- Post your fundraising page on social media and let people know you have created it.
Resources
Activity Tracker
Download and print our June 2021 calendar (PDF) to track your activities.
MOVEMentalHealth Kit
Support building awareness and raising funds for #MOVEMentalHealth from our toolkit of banners, images, logos, captions, and posters.
Tools
Don't Change Much
- Stress Less Tips: Easy tips for kicking back, relaxing, and taking stress and anxiety to the cleaners at home and work.
- Get Active Tips: Everything you need to fit some easy exercise into your day. Let’s get ready to rumble! (Or walk, stretch, hike, take the stairs…)
- A Guy’s Guide to Mental Health: What’s the difference between stress and mental illness? We have the answers you need.
Anxiety Canada
Everyone experiences anxiety at times. For example, it’s normal to feel anxious before getting on a roller coaster or a job interview. When anxiety shows up at other times in your life, here are some resources to help you manage it:
- Free MindShift CBT mobile app to help you learn to relax and provide you with effective tools to manage your anxiety.
- Free My Anxiety Plans (MAPs) offering strategies and tools to manage your anxiety. Available for adults and children/teens.
- What can you do to help a friend or family member who is dealing with increased anxiety? Read How Friends & Family Can Help.
Our Partners
We are proud to be supported by the following partners and sponsors aiding in our mission to inspire Canadian men to live healthier.
