Innehållsförteckning för May/Jun 2025 från Men's Health South Africa

Productivity Deep Work by Cal Newport R470, amazon.co.za The Pitch: Deep work is you in the trenches: all focus, no distractions. But it’s a skill that’s getting harder to master (see: your phone running 24/7 interference). Newport shows you how to focus with way, way, way fewer distractions to get more done in less time. The Skill: The ability to embrace boredom, resist distractions, manage your time better and master complex information all while improving the quality of your work. Futureproofing Mastering AI by Jeremy Kahn R370, wizebooks.co.za The Pitch: The future is AI and you’re best served embracing the bot-backed tech taking over the world. This book explores the promise (and perils) of our artificial intelligence-injected future so you’re prepared for what happens next. With Kahn’s access to leaders,…

Burt Rosen, 59, is a mountaineer and marketing expert who, as he puts it, “happens to have two cancers”. Each cancer is its own complex case—one is in a kidney, the other involves metastatic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours—and together they require a whole network of specialists. As you can imagine, his patient portals are something—so much so that he recently asked ChatGPT, “If I upload CT scan results, can you translate it into English so I understand it?”. In seconds, the chatbot sent it back with bold subtitles, simpler wording and a nice summary. While many people haven’t touched artificial intelligence yet, it’s already being widely used in healthcare. Doctors are using AI to help diagnose and document, and patients are also leveraging its powers. But is this really a good…

WHEN DR. ANDREW CHAN became a gastroenterologist two decades ago, he had to get used to the brutal reality that seemingly healthy young people would show up in his office with colorectal cancer. Even though he specialised in high-risk cancer genetics, they didn’t all have family histories of the disease. Some were marathoners. Some were vegetarians. Some didn’t drink. At the time, “early onset” patients made up less than 10 percent of his caseload. Then about a decade ago, he started getting more of them. Today it’s more than double that—a trend he calls “truly stunning” because they’re his age or even 20 years younger. Chan, a professor at Harvard Medical School, just turned 50. So he decided to help solve one of the decade’s most disturbing medical mysteries: why are…

For something that should be largely free, fitness can be a very expensive hobby. From trainers that promise to cut your run times to GPS watches, HRV trackers and thermoregulating activewear, there are countless products designed to help you eek out those all-important extra performance points. Our downtime is similarly optimised. An at-home sauna and ice-plunge tub—at the apex of the latest heat-and-cold-exposure fitness regime—can set you back a few hundred grand apiece. By comparison, the R18 000 price tag on Hyperice’s Normatec compression boots, once considered an elites-only extravagance, starts to look a lot less crazy. The funny thing? Not one of the above has shown as much benefit as you get from a good night’s sleep. Proper rest supports tissue repair and muscle strength, boosts immunity and can…

1. Luxury Fragrance A sensual, citrus-aromatic EDP for a man who explores, makes his own personal choices and unapologetically embraces his authenticity. Ferragamo Red Leather fragrance valued at R2 500 2. Superfood Powder Organic-certified baobab powder offers remarkable antioxidant benefits. This antioxidant-packed powder is good for both skin and gut. Vitaderm Baobab Powder valued at R278 3. Brazilian Flops Footwear that can keep up on lazy days at home? Yep, these Ipanema Brasil Men II are tough and durable while being comfortable, too. Ipanema voucher to the value of R500 4. Grooming Upgrade This new line-up of products offers everything you need; from a hydrating face wash and invigorating body spray and roll-on to restoring moisturisers with added SPF. Playboy face and body care hamper valued at R252.95 5. Free…

RUGBY STAR HACJIVAH DAYIMANI is no stranger to the spotlight and is known for his explosive speed and agility on the field. But now, he’s stepping into a new arena, where confidence and individuality are just as important as skill: fashion. In collaboration with G-STAR South Africa, Dayimani brings his fearless energy to the G-STAR x Walter van Beirendonck capsule collection, proving that style, like sport, is all about breaking boundaries. “For me, it’s all about pushing boundaries and living a life that makes you feel free,” says Dayimani. “I try to live outside the box by being myself and doing what feels right.” Dayimani isn’t just a rugby player—he’s a style disruptor, effortlessly blending the worlds of sport, streetwear and high fashion. His fashion sense mirrors his on-field persona:…

COUNTRYSIDE RETREATS Healing Earth Transformative Wellness Spa Nottingham Road, KwaZulu-Natal brahmanhills.co.za From the endless views of the rolling hills surrounding this top-tier site to the luxurious spa finishings and premium products from Healing Earth, this spot is the definition of luxe lazing. Try This: The Heal, Repair & Restore Body Ceremony uses Healing Earth’s award-winning potato balm to nourish, moisturise and coax your skin into its finest form yet. The treatment starts with a full-body polish to exfoliate your dead skin (and troubles) away. Then, you’ll soak it up in a Himalayan Salt Bath. A study published in the journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that just 10 minutes submersed in this heavenly concoction—it feels great—can reduce stress, pain and fatigue. In other words, you’ll emerge a new man.…

I think it’s pretty well established that when it comes to losing weight, most of our focus should be on nutrition. Although there’s a lot of nuance concerning how we should approach losing a few kilograms, in principle, calories in versus calories out—and bringing awareness to what we eat, when we eat—and how we eat are all generally accepted. It does occasionally feel to me, though, that the pendulum has swung too far in the direction of “exercise is useless for fat loss”. However you slice it, all activity requires energy and exercise tends to require a fair bit of it. If we’re going with the black-and-white calories in/calories out equation, we can’t ignore the “out” part of that formula, and exercise can play an important role in that. Now,…

BOBBY VAN JAARSVELD ONCE DABBLED WITH AN EARLY retirement. That’s a lesser known fact about the local pop star, one that likely escaped even his most devoted fans who pore through magazines and Wikipedia-esque, skyscraper-tall articles to glean absolutely everything about him. For four years, Van Jaarsveld put his career on ice, swapping a frenetic schedule of gigs, TV appearances and acting capers for a quiet life. But it was all too quiet. He wasn’t short on things to do—after all, songwriting isn’t Van Jaarsveld’s only outlet. He’s an avid swimmer, will go deep-sea diving at any opportunity and has three kids. (Getting more time with the trio was one of the driving motivations behind his sabbatical.) However, each morning, something was nagging at the back of his mind. His…

Though often awkward, a conversation regarding exes is useful to have when you start dating someone. Understanding a potential partner’s past experiences can help you better comprehend their actions, but it might create a bit of tension. It often feels like a comparison point, as you could potentially replace them as that person’s significant other. And, if you care about the person you’re dating, you probably hope you’re a better partner for them than the person that came before you. Talk about pressure. Having strong feelings about your partner’s past is totally valid. If you’ve ever felt envious of your partner’s exes, you’ve experienced what is now being called retroactive jealousy. “Retroactive jealousy is newer terminology,” says Shadeen Francis, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and sex and relationships expert.…

I ENTERED MY 50s eight years ago feeling pretty invincible. I was single and dating, playing competitive sports against guys half my age and generally redlining my day-to-day. But as I was exiting this pivotal decade—married now, with a daughter—I felt more like Mike Tyson in the eighth round against Jake Paul. Some days were low enough that I worried there might be something seriously wrong. I scheduled a full medical work-up, but the only red flag it raised was slightly elevated cholesterol. Whew. So how could I explain the fatigue, dwindling libido, loss of focus and other symptoms? I wondered if I might be in the clutches of something else: male menopause. Also known as late-onset hypogonadism, andropause or the more colloquial “manopause”, male menopause is defined, essentially, by…

Earlier this year, I was in New York having breakfast with a friend from high school and her kids. It was the standard middle-age catch-up—How are you? Who’s sick?—when I looked over at one of her boys, who was staring at his own reflection in an iPhone. The kid had sucked in his cheeks and was running a hand along his face. He looked like Ben Stiller in Zoolander giving Blue Steel over pancakes. Except he’d never seen Zoolander and (I’m guessing) had no idea who Ben Stiller is. “He’s doing his jawline,” my friend sighed, as if “doing his jawline” was somehow an explanation, before adding, “He’s mewing.” The kid was 10. He didn’t have his own phone. And yet a TikTok trend called “looksmaxxing” had somehow seeped into his cortex. Looksmaxxing—and its…

01. Quantity OF THE FOUR KEYS AREAS IN QQRT, QUANTITY is the one most of us struggle with when life gets busy—simply getting ourselves into bed for enough time each night. According to the Sleep Foundation, the vast majority of adults need at least seven hours of shuteye. “Super sleepers”—individuals who require fewer than six hours of sleep per night—are incredibly rare. Between 1% and 3% of the world’s population possess this genetic mutation for extremely high sleep efficiency. (Ultrarunner Mike Wardian, who reports getting around five hours in a typical night, might be among the lucky few.) Most of us have become accustomed to regularly getting a poor night’s sleep, leaving us in a chronic state of mild sleep deprivation. And undersleeping can negatively affect your overall health as well…

EUGENE MARKRAM AGE: 54 • LOCATION: Bellville, WC PROFESSION: Self-employed The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates, you may have heard of him, once said: “What a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable”. It’s a quote that resonates with Ferdi Krumm. There was a point where that potential might’ve been traded for a six pack of beer and hours on the couch. But a moment of reckoning intervened, a nagging feeling that he couldn’t shake, and now he stands tall, 28kg lighter and certain he’s finally in the philosopher’s good graces. The Wake-Up Call “I’m too old to be in great shape” was a mantra Krumm repeated to himself as he indulged in a lifestyle of…

IT SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT what drives invention that the first patented mechanical chronographs were developed for timing horse races in the 1820s. These early, desk-mounted devices dropped ink on to a rotating disc, although the tech was soon adapted into something more recognisable as a pocket watch. (It was later discovered that, in 1816, another watchmaker had invented a more advanced chronograph to measure astronomical transits, but it went unnoticed for almost two centuries.) In the 1850s, a horse-racing boom in the US created a demand for handheld stopwatches; when a horse named Lexington set a four-mile (6.4km) record of 7 minutes 19.75 seconds, the watch used to clock it attracted almost as much attention as the horse. It inspired the American Watch Company to introduce the world’s first mass-produced…

Smart Combo Beers and braais, the Boks and World Cup glory, some combinations just make sense—and to that list you can now add caffeine and creatine. In a new study published in the journal Nutrients, 12 participants between 18 and 40 were given supplements that included 5g of creatine nitrate and 400mg of caffeine. When researchers assessed their cognitive function, made up of measures like attention, processing speed and cognitive flexibility, they found that cognitive performance had improved, and to a greater extent than just taking caffeine alone. 30 MINS A study by New Zealand’s University of Otago found that participants who interspersed periods of sitting, between roughly 5pm and 9pm, with movements such as chair squats and calf raises went on to clock half an hour of extra snooze…

Chicken Schnitzel WHAT YOU’LL NEED 150g Boneless, skinless chicken breasts1 Tbsp Fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for servingKosher salt and pepper1 Large egg, plus 1 large egg white30g All-purpose flour110g Panko breadcrumbsOlive oil, for brushing HOW TO MAKE IT 01. Wrap meat mallet or heavy can in plastic wrap. Pound chicken breasts in a sliding motion, from centres outward, until 1-cm thick. Rub with lemon juice, then season with ½ tsp each salt and pepper. 02. Beat egg and egg white in shallow bowl. Place flour and panko in two separate shallow bowls. Working one at a time, coat cutlets first in flour, then in egg, then in panko, pressing gently to help the panko adhere. 03. Heat air fryer to 200°C. Brush air-fryer basket with oil, then brush each chicken…

WHEN IT COMES to how your body ages, 44 might not just be one year older than 43. One recent study suggests that humans age rapidly in two bursts—one around age 44 and another around 60. While many guys say they feel older at these ages, “we’re pulling the curtain back a little more on exactly what’s going on,” says study author Dr. Michael Snyder, director of the Stanford Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine at Stanford Medical School. In this study, he and his colleagues analysed all kinds of molecular changes—they looked at 135 000 substances, including messenger RNA, proteins and lipids—in 108 people over time and noticed that, at around age 44, there was a dramatic increase in molecular changes that indicate a spike in cardiovascular risk, decreased alcohol…

WARM-UP/RECOVERY Walkout to Scorpion Start standing, then lean forward and place your hands on the floor. Walk them out slowly until you’re in push-up position (A), then lower your chest to the floor. Keeping your chest glued to the floor, lift your right leg and drive your right foot toward your left elbow, aiming to touch it to the floor (B). Reverse the movements, then repeat on the other side. Do 5 reps per side. Do this several times throughout the day or as a warm-up for any of your other moves. DUMBBELL SUPERSET 01A Dumbbell Swing Stand about 60cm in front of a moderate-to-heavy dumbbell. Push your butt back, then place your hands on the dumbbell and tip it towards you. Aggressively hike it back between your legs, then…

MEN’S WELLNESS IS EVOLVING beyond traditional gym routines, with skincare gaining prominence. Skin Renewal has seen a surge in male patients addressing concerns like ingrown hairs, acne, thinning hair, wrinkles, dehydrated skin and uneven tone. This exciting shift reflects a broader awakening in men’s approach to health, wellness and aesthetics. Men’s skin differs significantly from women’s due to testosterone. It’s 25% thicker, oilier, less sensitive and more prone to deep wrinkles. Larger pores and higher collagen density make men’s skin unique, requiring tailored care. Skin Renewal clinics span three provinces, welcoming over 10 000 patients monthly across 20 locations. Unlike spas, Skin Renewal offers a medical experience rooted in functional medicine. Their approach targets the root causes of skin concerns through nutrition, health coaching and lifestyle optimisation. Treatments are personalised…