Hey guys, I know we all had health class in high school but too much of the fertility discussion is on women and not ourselves. Sometimes this can feel like we're all alone but trust me - it's more common than you'd think to have something down there that isn't working at maximum efficiency. I know that's a tough thing to admit but sometimes our swimmers can use a bit of a boost too. Even though it is difficult to talk about, it should be obvious that men are at least half of the equation when it comes to making a kid. Unfortunately, most of us just assume that it "will happen" and if not, it must be "her fault". However, the good news is that there are things that men can do to improve their own fertility and help have healthier sperm that's ready to do their part as they are trying to conceive.

When most of us plan vacations, we're focused on seeing tons of awesome stuff and a go go go schedule. However, there's a different sort of vacation that can be equally great. I guess you could call these ideas a "sleepcation" and that's OK! Your body needs a chance to relax an recharge, something that is increasingly more challenging in our modern life where we're surrounded by electronic devices and distractions that keep us up late and wake us up early.

It should come as no surprise that getting enough sleep is absolutely essential for good health. Without enough sleep, you tend to lack in energy, and it can also impact things like your body’s hormonal balance and your metabolism. Unfortunately most guys I know don't get enough sleep. We live in a work hard - play hard world and unfortunately we don't think about sleep until it's too late. However, when you must cram sleep into as few hours as possible, you had better make the most of that time. Getting enough deep sleep each night is one of the most important components of wellness. With a little effort though, we can tweak our daily routines and improve our wellness by getting more meaningful sleep.

For those of you who are baseball fans, there's nothing like making a trip to Spring Training in Phoenix. For six weeks each spring, this oasis in the desert plays host to 15 MLB teams and it's possible to see all of your favorite teams just a few minutes drive from your hotel. When you combine that with the phenomenal spring weather, great golf, and fantastic food this is a MUST DO guys weekend for anyone who loves baseball! 

Hemorrhoids are a fact of life for most people and that goes doubly true for guy who tend to have a high stress, fast paced lifestyle. Growing up, I'd heard of the Preparation H^® brand, but hemorrhoids were something nobody talked about except as a joke. As I got older though, I discovered that even though it can be a sensitive subject - they are anything but a joke.

Getting old sucks and it's made worse by the fact that no one really prepares you for it. When we went through puberty as kids, at least we had books, videos, parents, teachers and dirty magazines to help prepare us for the changes. Now that we're in our 30's our bodies are changing again but no-one prepared us for it. I thought "getting old" was going to happen to me in my 60's and 70's but now that I've hit 40 I'm wondering what the hell happened to me. 

When it comes to gift giving, sometimes those over-the-top items are just perfect and so we were excited to test out the Oral-B Genius electric toothbrush. Never in my life did I expect to ever be the owner of a toothbrush that connected to my camera through Bluetooth so it could monitor my brushing pasterns, but here we are... thanks Oral-B! At $249.99, this isn't the cheapest item on our gift list for guys but it is a perfect idea for someone who wants to combine smart home technology with looking great.

If you’ve ever seen a man with a fantastic mustache, reminiscent of 1950’s cartoon villains or 1970’s baseball players, you may wonder how it gets that way. The secret isn’t genetics or a special shampoo, it’s mustache wax.

Sleep is sometimes taken for granted. It's what happens naturally when you are tired and lay down in your bed. Or at least it should be and it's those times when rest doesn't come naturally that you start to think about why that is and what you can do about it.

We’re always being told that we need to keep fit for our bodies. Whether it be to lose weight, keep diseases like diabetes at bay or improve the health of our hearts. It’s true that exercise will help with all of these, but did you know that keeping fit is also good for mental well being?

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association. All opinions are 100% mine.

Sadly, over the past ten years, I seem to see more and more veterans in wheelchairs or with artificial limbs. Others have even more severe injuries. These aren't "old guys" with normal ailments, but younger guys too... ones that have sacrificed their youth and vibrancy for the relative peace and prosperity that we enjoy at home. While I think most of us welcome them in our hearts - it is sometimes difficult to express our gratitude to veterans in general... and only gets more awkward when they happen to be disabled. Hopefully these tips will help make things easier the next time you are in a meeting, dinner party, or simply sitting next to each other while waiting for the bus to work.

Some people swear by holistic medicine and folk remedies and while I am typically skeptical, you have to admit that the knowledge of hundreds (or thousands) of generations must have some basis in fact. That's the case for chicken soup with regards to treating colds anyhow. With temperatures starting to drop and kids as well as the rest of us crammed inside we all need something to help our immune system get a boost. Besides even without any potential health it simply tastes great as a snack, part of the main meal, or even as the meal itself.

I fly a lot and while on-board entertainment is a lot better than it used to be, flying still is a long boring activity with lots of time and not much to do to fill it. One of my biggest challenges is that being trapped in a metal tube jammed into seats that are more suitable to a 12 year old boy than a nearly 40 year old man is the fact that you can't really move around. For me, that means that my legs get restless and my belly gets rumbly... that unfortunately only makes the situation worse and god help the person in front of me if they steal my space by reclining their seat into my lap!

As you get older you discover that there's a lot of BS that simply isn't worth freaking out about. All those little annoyances don't really matter compared to simple pleasures like a clean shave, a sunset, or a kiss from someone special to you. I sort of wish I had that advice when I was younger - or more correctly, that I had listened to those older guys who tried to share their wisdom with me. The reality is that daily life is full of situations that are designed to trip you up.

Everyone faces these challenges but it's those of us that deal with it effectively that manage to succeed in life and get the girl... car... house... or whatever it is you strive to achieve.

Sometimes it's easy to forget your workout regimen when you are traveling, but this is when it is even more important. In fact, staying healthy and eating right while on the road can actually help you sleep better and get rid of jetlag faster too. Don't worry though, just because you aren't at home with your gym handy, there are some easy things you can do to maintain your program.

Sure, the weather is great outside right now, but that doesn't mean that now isn't the time to start planning for the winter snow that is just around the corner. Bummer, yeah I know!

Winter is a period when time slows down and laziness sets in. It can be easy to blame your laziness on the weather and kick back and stay indoors but your body is not going to be easy on you just because it’s cold outside. We often sit through the season and find ourselves completely out of shape at the end of winter. Well, it doesn’t have to be that way. Winter can be a great opportunity to engage in an activity that you usually won’t be able to indulge in.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Weight Watchers® Ice Cream for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Ok guys, I know usually talk of watching what you eat is typically the domain of women, but I am a fan of doing what you can without making sacrifices. I don't like sugar-free soda and I can't stand a lot of "healthy" meal choices because it feels like I am punishing myself with every bite. While that might work well for a few days or weeks, it isn't a sustainable solution to stay healthy.

For many years, Weight Watchers® has been a great source of inspiration for people looking to make healthy choices and I have a HUGE amount of respect for the organization because they recognize its about more than just "eliminate all the fat!". Instead, they have a focus on living a more healthy life through smart decisions including portion control. That's the same attitude that they have brought to their ice cream bars as well and I was honestly very impressed by what I sampled recently.

Guys - I hate to break it to you, but your wife talked with mine and asked for some help. They HATE playoff beards and some of the other gross rituals we tend to do around tournament time. However, they both promised - on behalf of women everywhere - that if we shaped up and invented some other way of celebrating our favorite teams that they'd make it worth our while! I think that's a great idea, so I propose that instead of looking ratty and gross we practice taking care of ourselves - not just working out at the gym or running an extra lap, but taking care of the outside of our body the same way our favorite basketball players train their bodies to shoot, pass, and dribble.

Afterall - it's important to remember that when your favorite NCAA® players score, it isn't "luck"... and it it isn't when you do either... 

Think about that for a moment.

I am a big fan of mancations, but just as important as having fun is keeping everyone safe! Every year my best friends from college who I played sports with always plan a guys weekend where we can all get away for a few days and have a great time with one another.

Guys’ only weekends allow everyone to decompress for a few days and just relax away from the distractions of the office like meetings and appointments and step away from duties as a father, changing diapers and bringing the children to dance and sports.