Celebrating Men’s Health Week at parkrun

At parkrun, we are supporting Men’s Health Week by inviting Dads and Lads to come along and walk, jog, run, spectate or volunteer at parkrun and join us for a coffee afterward.

International Men’s Health Week (MHW) always begins on the Monday before Father’s Day and ends on Father’s Day itself.  During 2022, it will run from Monday 13 until Sunday 19 June. The objectives are to:

• Heighten awareness of preventable health problems for males of all ages.
• Support men and boys to engage in healthier lifestyle choices / activities.
• Encourage the early detection and treatment of health difficulties in males.

Males constitute almost 50% of the population on the island of Ireland and research shows that these men experience a disproportionate burden of ill-health and die too young…

• Local men die younger than women do.
• Males have higher death rates than females for almost all of the leading causes of death and at all ages.
• Men’s poorer lifestyles are responsible for a high proportion of chronic diseases.
• Late presentation to health services can lead to a large number of problems becoming untreatable

Men’s Health Week 2022 takes place in the context of an easing of the restrictions introduced to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.  Worldwide, this virus had a major and disproportionate impact upon men’s health as well as their wider lives.

For a couple of years now, COVID placed a myriad of boundaries upon what we were able to do.  MHW 2022 seeks to reverse this trend, and focuses upon what we can do to take back control of our own health.

During 2022, the theme for Ireland is ‘MISSION: isPOSSIBLE’ and the call to men (and those who support the health of men) is: ‘The Action Starts with You’.

So Dads and Lads, your mission is to volunteer, walk, jog or run at a 5k parkrun on Saturday 18 or at a 2k junior parkrun on Sunday 19 June.

“HSE Health & Wellbeing has partnered with parkrun Ireland since the early days in Ireland. The partnership involves funding and supporting the promotion of parkruns across the country.  parkruns are the perfect tonic for every Dad and Lad of all ages and abilities and will help them attain that all important 30 minutes of moderate daily physical activity to benefit their health.” - Colm Casey, Health Promotion and Improvement Officer HSE CHO 1 (ROI)

“I am delighted to see parkrun taking creative action during Men’s Health Week.  What a fantastic initiative targeting men across generations, to increase wellbeing.  Linking back to the Take 5 Steps to wellbeing, Connect, Learning, Active, Notice and Give, an evidence based public health message aimed at improving wellbeing, all of these are covered during this session.  Good luck to all the lads and dads taking part.” - Selena Ramsey, Health and Wellbeing Manager, Mental Health and Suicide Prevention NHSCT

Useful links:

Get ready for Men’s Health Week

Simple things to do throughout MHW

#loveparkrun