Men's Fitness South Africa July - August 2025

A boulder way to get happy When your goal is to not fall and break bones, that can keep your mind from dwelling on negatives and actually beat depression, a recent University of Arizona/University of Erlangen, Germany study showed. The research, which looked specifically at bouldering — rock climbing done close to the ground with no ropes — found that people who climbed three hours a week for eight weeks moved from moderate to mild depression.…

Sugar’s negative effect Fuels cancer cells Cancer can thrive on the sweet stuff, showing a possible link between diet and the Big C. Shortens lifespan Sugary diets have been shown to affect a gene tied to longevity, cutting lifespan by 7%. Increases disease risk Eating 25% of your daily calories in sugar can up the chance of heart disease by 50%. WILLY WONK A must have been riding a sugar high: Candy isn’t dandy. In fact, routinely chomping on more than nine tablespoons of sugar per day — the American Heart Association’s suggested maximum daily limit for men — has links to diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. Studies also show that sugar can shorten lifespan and may even provide fuel for cancer cells. If your attitude toward the sweet stuff…

HEALTH DECLINES A 16-year Swiss survey of more than 11 000 adults found that marriages, over time, led to declines in overall health. IT’S NOT A LWAY S N I R VA N A A review of 18 studies found that markers for happiness increased only slightly after tying the knot and then slid back to single levels. IT CAN GET YOU DOWN Depression also follows the same trend of improving and then becoming worse after a period of marriage.…

Sweet Potato Chocolate Brownies SERVES 5-6 INGREDIENTS • 1kg sweet potato peeled, steamed and mashed2 heaped tbs raw cacao5 tbsp raw honey• 100g almond flour2 tsp Vanilla Essence2 tsp Caramel Essence1 tsp Oryx desert salt2 tsp bicarbonate of soda8 eggs – (4 whole eggs and 4 egg whites) ICING • 300g Almond butter or macadamia nut butter5 tbsp raw honey1 heaped tbs raw cacao1 pinch of oryx desert salt1 tsp Caramel Essence GARNISH Shaved AlmondsVanilla powderFresh mint leaves DIRECTIONS 1) Preheat the oven to 180°C 2) Use Spray & Cook or wax paper to prepare the oven tray 3) Steam the peeled sweet potato till completely soft, mash till smooth texture. 4) Add the almond flour, cacao, honey, essence, salt and bicarb of soda and mix till even texture. 5)…

Exercise form, the mindmuscle connection, whether you remembered to pack clean undies in your gym bag — these are all thoughts a guy might have during a workout. Wondering how exercise impacts bone marrow? That doesn’t make the list. But some researchers looked into it and discovered that — although bone marrow doesn’t give us energy when working out (despite popular opinion) — the fat in marrow plays an important role in bone health. What’s more, physical activity torches the fat in bone marrow and burns it for fuel, which leads to stronger and thicker bones in just a few weeks.…

YOU CAN RUN pretty much anywhere, with pretty much no equipment. So it must be easy to start — just put one foot in front of the other, right? • Not quite, • Starting a new training program, like most things, is stepping into unfamiliar territory. You’re eager but unsure, excited but potentially error-prone. Most people — especially men — start out too hard, which leads to unnecessary fatigue and possible injury; or they just burn out, feeling that the last thing they want to do is go out for another plodding, painful run. • Getting past that early period is the key to both running’s benefits and pleasures. Know Why You’re Doing It You may want to start running to make your heart stronger, to up your endurance for…