Hi all,

Welcome to another Monday Motivation! For those new to our clinics, this is the 103rd edition of a short mail shot every Monday morning in our attempt to inspire you to stay happy and healthy.

I came across a couple of interesting articles about men’s health and how, by doing two simple things, we can prolong the lives of our fathers, sons and ourselves. On average, men live six years less than women and the gap is even wider for indigenous, gay and transgender men.

Firstly, we should use our annual leave. Finnish researchers tracked a bunch of men for 40 years and discovered that those who skimped on holidays were 37% more likely to die before their restful peers.

Also, it pays for men to hang out with their mates. Social connections give us pleasure and have a profound impact on long term health outcomes for both men and women alike. In fact, one Harvard study showed that isolated people increase their risk of premature death by 50%. So don’t skimp on that family holiday and get socialising!

Have a spare two minutes? Then watch this short clip on YouTube narrated by Stephen Fry about Aristotle’s ideas on how to live a good life. The answer is: live virtuously…

Have a crack at this footprint calculator. It asks some thought provoking questions about your daily habits then gives you some solutions about how we can decrease our footprint.

I had fun riding in the RideLondon cycling event on Sunday, August 4th – Drew captured me flying through Putney here on my way to finishing the 100-mile route (editor’s note: in under four hours!!). The day before, I also rode through the car-free streets with my kids in the FreeCycle event, which is a great way to see the city in a safe environment - I hope the closed roads didn’t inconvenience you too much!

And lastly, what a cracking first Ashes cricket test (particularly if you’re Australian)! Let’s hope the remaining four games are just as entertaining.

Until next time,

Craig