Due for a check-up or a check-in?

6 June 2024

4 minutes to read

It’s always a good time to check in on yourself and your mates, but International Men’s Health Week is a great reason to make this a focus this month.

Being marked this year from 10-16 June, MHW is a worldwide initiative that aims to improve male health and wellbeing and here in Aotearoa, a series of podcasts, celebrity ambassadors and health quizzes are providing local motivation to get involved.

The New Zealand campaign for Men’s Health Week is run by directors Tim Greene and Mark Sainsbury, both passionate about helping men get more on top of their health, and the week is sponsored by Registered Master Builders.

As a proud foundation sponsor of Men’s Health Week, Registered Master Builders is encouraging Kiwis to be pro-active in managing their health. Don't wait until something goes wrong – so much of what can go wrong can be prevented, and prevention really is just common sense. A construction workforce in good health results in a better-built New Zealand, they say.

From worries around visiting the doctor, to year-round skin damage prevention tips, a series of Men’s Health Week podcasts aims to address some of New Zealand men’s health concerns.

Celebrities Jeremy Wells, Tame Iti and Tom Sainsbury all play a part in helpful video resources available on the Men’s Health Week website, where Kiwis are also encouraged to complete a ‘What’s Your Score?’ wellbeing survey.

Last month, mental wellbeing initiative for the Kiwi construction industry, LiveWell BuildWell, kicked things off this autumn with its inaugural LiveWellBuildWell Challenge.

Aimed at ‘creating stronger, healthier lifestyles with a challenge tailored just for tradies’, the challenge encouraged Kiwis in construction to tackle new activities designed to improve mental fitness, from mindfulness exercises to physical workouts to incorporate into your daily routine.

Live Well, Build Well programme lead Rafael Caso said, “It’s all about taking proactive steps towards a healthier you!

“Live Well, Build Well shares the experiences of builders and tradies that lead to resilience, reduced stress levels, and fewer workplace injuries. We also include ideas from experts to help things along.”

The programme was set up at the end of 2022 with the backing of the Mental Health Foundation and ACC. Raf is always looking for new Kiwis to become Live Well, Build Well Champions and share helpful tips on living and building in better health. He says, “Discover ways to boost your adaptive thinking, helping you tackle the constantly evolving world of residential construction with ease and confidence. Plus, we dive into the crucial link between mental and physical health, emphasising the mind-body connection that’s key to staying healthy. We are looking for opportunities to speak directly to your team and are on the hunt for champions to talk on behalf of the programme.

“We would love to share your story of how you have built up your mental fitness while working in the construction industry, so please reach out.

Meanwhile, Mates in Construction is holding Mates Reconnect workshops in Christchurch this month on June 12 for volunteer Connectors. Find out more about volunteering to improve the wellbeing of your mates as a Connector, as well as Mates in Construction suicide prevention training programmes and more at mates.net.nz.