Facial Fur for Health | Kyle Does Movember

Kyle does Movember via Stuck in North Idaho

Every November for the past, I don’t know, five years I have heard references to “Movember.” Until recently I presumed that is was nothing more than a justification for lazy grooming. I admit that I have haphazardly jumped on the bandwagon and grown an upper lip sweater without doing any research or having any clue why Movember came to be.Well this year I decided to change that, so I ventured to the Movember website to see what kind of programs the Movember organization raises funds for.

I learned that Movember started with 30 Aussie guys and has since grown into an international phenomenon. It made its way to the United States in 2007. The organization promotes men’s health with regard to four critical categories: Prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health, and physical inactivity.Now we all know how these crowd sourced, trendy fundraisers can tend to spend more than they donate on line items like travel, entertainment and salaries, which is why I was surprised to find that the Movember organization allocates an impressive 80 percent of the funds they raise to men’s health programs. But don’t take my word for it. I encourage anyone who is interested in this cause to do your own financial research. They post their audited financial statements on the website.It’s not just about growing a grass grin for men’s health though.

The thing that convinced me to jump on board this year and cultivate a cookie duster of my own is the emphasis on getting active. Movember now includes a “move” challenge. The goal is to achieve 30 minutes of physical activity every day in November. I can’t pass up a fitness challenge so of course I signed up. In addition to exercising every day I will make an effort to eat fairly healthy and finally make an appointment with a primary care physician. No joke, I haven’t had a primary doc since my pediatrician. I’m probably due for a physical. Are you?I think for men my age this is the root of the issue, I mean I feel fine after all.

Why should I see a doctor? According to the Testicular Cancer Society, “Testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer in men ages 15-35.” And a quick search on the American Cancer Society website revealed that about one in seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime.Guys, please join me this month and consider the state or your health. Girls, you can join the challenge too. I will be posting to FB, tracking my exercise with Strava and I’ll follow up at the end of the month with some sweet soup strainer pics and another post to say how everything went. If you want to help me raise funds for an organization that is making a big difference and watch my progress, just visit my page at mobro.co/nageledit.