Other Resources

Sustrans

Sustrans’ online mapping enables website users to find the information needed to help them make everyday journeys by foot and bike. It includes bus stops, train stations, local facilities, cycle routes and the National Cycle Network, over 12,000 miles of safe, attractive walking and cycling routes across the UK.

Just tap in your postcode and plan how to get from your front door to all the places you want to go. You will see the time and distance to your destination and can also save your favourite journeys.

Sustrans also produce an active travel and men’s health information sheet.

Hazardous Waist

Co-edited by the MHF’s chair, Professor Alan White of Leeds Metropolitan University, this excellent book includes a chapter on Promoting Exercise to Men by ex-PE teacher Jim McKenna, now Professor of Sport at Leeds Met.

In his foreword to the book, MHF CEO Peter Baker writes: ‘A definitive and seminal book that will change the way male weight problems are tackled in the UK and beyond.’

• Hazardous Waist: tackling male weight problems - edited by Alan White and Maggie Pettifer (Radcliffe; 2007) ISBN 9781846191039

Big Dance

Big Dance week is 3-11 July but there’s a six week countdown that includes Men’s Health Week. They’re looking for events that have dance at the centre for inclusion in the 6-week countdown to the Big Dance week. Register for more information. You’ll then be able to download a range of marketing materials.

The T-Mobile Big Dance 2010 is a biennial pan-London celebration of dance and dancing with 9 days of dance events in unusual places throughout the city - shops, parks, galleries and museums - showcasing the diversity of dance styles and cultural attractions from 3 -11 July.

Green Gyms

Green Gym groups are a great idea from BTCV. Groups meet at least once a week and do between 1 and 4 hours practical conservation or gardening work. It’s a great way to get your heart and muscles working, and is a great alternative to a conventional gym or sports centre.

Their website includes advice on setting up your own green gym as well as case studies demonstarting the health benefits.

Football Replay

This is a great initiative designed to get men who haven’t played football for a while back out and having a kick-around. At over 60 locations across the UK, Football Replay will be organising relaxed, friendly games on a Sunday afternoon for over 35s and over 45s. Decent pitches at good quality centres. All are welcome. Book in advance or just turn up.

It all begins 23rd May and is backed by the FA, the Football Foundation and the MHF.

CTC: the UK’s national cyclists’ organisation

Recent research commissioned by the Dutch government suggests that those who cycle to work take 1.3 fewer days off work a year than those who don’t - cycling is both healthy and good for the economy. Take care on the road and make sure you follow the Highway Code even some other road users don’t.

The CTC website has lots of information on cycling including a briefing for health trusts and authorities on promoting cycling, both for their employees and the communities they serve. The CTC site is: 

For more on the health benefits, Cycling England have produced a useful report Cycling & Health – What’s the Evidence.

Team Green Britain Bike Week

Team Green Britain Bike Week is the biggest nationwide cycling event with thousands of free activities in villages, towns and cities everywhere. It takes place just after Men's Health Week. The idea this year is to focus on everyday cycling for everyone - from 19th – 27th June you can take part in all kinds of events from children’s rides and bike safety checks, to commuter challenges and cycling festivals.

This year why not think again about your everyday journeys and give cycling a try. It is convenient and it improves your fitness, your confidence and even your self-esteem. Look and feel younger just by getting on your bike. Make Team Green Britain Bike Week the start of your everyday cycling life. Visit www.bikeweek.org.uk to find your nearest event – or even sign up as an event organiser.

Sport England

The support and advice section of the Sport England website is full of good ideas and strategies for getting people active while their research section tries to answer the big question: why don’t more people take part in sport?

European Healthy Stadia Network

One great idea for Men’s Health Week is to persuade your local sports club or stadium to promote health and offer check-ups on site. The European Healthy Stadia Network is an excellent EU initiative which aims to demonstrate the potential impact sports stadia can have on local communities and to harness that potential. It provides a tool-kit including the basic steps needed to roll out healthy stadia initiatives.

Albion in the community

One of the many football club initiatives, Albion in the Community (the charitable arm of Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club) is teaming up with the Football Foundation, the Department of Health and the Men’s Health Forum to use the power of football to raise awareness of the signs, symptoms and risk factors of bowel, lung and prostate cancer amongst men aged 55 years in Brighton and Hove.

Scuba Diving

Hanging out at your local dive centre is always the best way to start diving. But if you’re short on time and still want to become certified - here’s something for you.

PADI (the Professional Association of Diving Instructors), the world’s leading scuba diving training organization, has introduced a new eLearning program so you can do the theory part of your PADI Open Water Diver Course online whenever you’ve got time.

The system is very user-friendly, but just in case, there is always friendly dive centre staff available for help. However, diving is obviously more than just theory. This is why the PADI eLearning system allows you to pick a local PADI dive centre, or if that’s not convenient - one at your holiday destination. The dive centre will then be the place where you do your in-water training with an instructor. Your eLearning progress is automatically logged, and you print out a page that confirms you’ve completed the PADI eLearning course. In this way your instructor can see that you have completed the tests in the course - and that means you can get in the water fast!