Men's health: everyday habits and the checkups worth booking
Straight answers on food, activity, alcohol and stress for men in Canada, plus how checkups and screening work through your family doctor, nurse practitioner and provincial programs.
- Courses coming soon
- Tools in every course
- Certificate included
Canada has no single national health check for adults. Screening and checkups happen through your family doctor or nurse practitioner and through provincial programs, which differ from one province to another. Many common problems, such as high blood pressure, cause no symptoms at first, so it is worth asking at a regular visit what checks are recommended for your age and family history. National advice on preventive care is moving to the Public Health Agency of Canada's new National Advisory Committee on Preventive Health Services, after the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care ended its mandate on March 31, 2026.
A few Canadian numbers explain where everyday habits come in. In 2017, over 90% of males aged 14 to 30 had sodium intakes above the recommended limits. Health Canada's adequate intake for fibre is 38 g a day for men, and most people get about half. Canada's Guidance on Alcohol and Health (2023) places 2 standard drinks or fewer a week in the low-risk range and advises no more than 2 drinks on any one occasion; one standard drink is a 341 mL bottle of 5% beer.
Courses written specifically for men are listed below as they open. In the meantime, related courses in other topics cover strength training, food labels, midlife weight, sleep, anger and unhelpful thinking.
All men's health courses
New courses for this topic are on the way. Browse the other topics in the meantime, or contact us about the course you need.
Where to start today
- Getting stronger: Strength Training Basics in the fitness topic is a home-based plan for beginners.
- Weight in midlife: the weight management topic includes a course on midlife weight with waist tracking, protein at meals and a sleep and stress check.
- Sodium and labels: Reading Food Labels in the nutrition topic shows how to compare sodium by % Daily Value and spot the "High in" symbol.
- Stress and anger: the mental wellbeing topic has courses on managing anger and reframing unhelpful thoughts.
- Sleep: the sleep topic starts with a two-week sleep diary.
Tools you can use across the site
- Workout log and exercise cards: record each session and progress at your own pace.
- Waist tracker: a weekly record that adds detail the scale misses.
- Label cheat card: 5% Daily Value or less is a little, 15% or more is a lot.
- Anger log and time-out plan: spot early warning signs and step away before things escalate.
- Sleep diary: two weeks of bedtimes, waking times and caffeine in one place.
See all the tool types on the tools page.
Symptoms not to ignore
Get checked by your family physician or nurse practitioner if you notice:
- a lump or swelling in a testicle, or a change in its shape or feel
- needing to urinate more often, especially at night, difficulty starting, or a weak flow
- blood in your urine or stool, or bowel habits that change and stay changed
- weight loss you cannot explain
Call 911 for chest pain that spreads to your arms, neck, jaw or back, or for signs of a stroke such as a drooping face, arm weakness or slurred speech. Feeling overwhelmed or thinking about suicide? 9-8-8 takes calls and texts 24/7.
Men's health: your questions
Does Canada have a routine health check for adults?
There is no single national program. Checkups and screening are arranged through your family doctor or nurse practitioner and provincial programs, so ask at your next visit which checks apply to you. No family doctor yet? Calling 811 reaches the health line in most provinces, which can suggest where to go.
How many drinks a week is low risk?
Canada's Guidance on Alcohol and Health (2023) describes a continuum: 2 standard drinks or fewer a week is low risk, 3 to 6 is moderate risk and 7 or more is increasingly high risk. Its core message is that less alcohol is better.
What counts as a standard drink in Canada?
Health Canada defines it as 13.45 g of pure alcohol: a 341 mL (12 oz) bottle of 5% beer, a 142 mL (5 oz) glass of 12% wine or a 43 mL (1.5 oz) shot of 40% spirits. Stronger beers and larger glasses count as more than one.
How much sodium is too much?
Health Canada's dietary guidelines advise less than 2,300 mg a day for anyone aged 14 and over. The average Canadian intake in 2017 was 2,760 mg, mostly from bakery products, mixed dishes and processed meats rather than the salt shaker.
Are men's health courses only for men?
They are written with men in mind, but anyone can take them, including partners who want to support someone.
Official sources
- Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction: Canada's Guidance on Alcohol and Health
- Health Canada: Alcohol and standard drinks
- Health Canada: Sodium intake of Canadians in 2017
- Canada's Dietary Guidelines: Foods and beverages that undermine healthy eating
- Health Canada: Fibre
- Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines: Adults 18 to 64
Book the checkup, then build the habit
Ask your family doctor or nurse practitioner which checks fit your age, and start with one change to your week.