Life Kit (NPR): "5 Fitness and Mental Health Tips for Men"

Air Date: November 17, 2025
Host: Marielle Segarra
Guest: Brett McKay (The Art of Manliness)

Episode Overview

This episode of Life Kit focuses on five fundamental tips for men’s fitness and mental health, with guidance that applies broadly but addresses some unique challenges and cultural pressures facing men. Host Marielle Segarra is joined by Brett McKay, creator of The Art of Manliness, a blog and podcast designed to encourage virtuous, healthy, and well-rounded manliness based on ancient and modern ideals. Together, they unpack wide-ranging, research-backed advice – from reframing fitness identity and maintaining explosiveness to understanding depression and the ‘good stress’ of socializing.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Physical Identity: Move Beyond the “Athlete vs. Non-Athlete” Binary

• [04:31] Brett McKay: “We are moving creatures, right? ... the problem is, you develop this idea [as a kid]: you’re either an athlete or you’re not ... And so when you’re a kid, you’re like, well, I’m not an athlete, so I’m just not going to move at all.”
• Physical identity is about seeing yourself as a “creature that moves,” not just an athlete.
• Doing what you enjoy is key. Activities can include yoga, hiking, office games, geocaching, or even LARPing.
• [05:41] Brett McKay: “If you haven’t found the physical activity you enjoyed, you haven’t tried it yet. ... There’s a physical activity ... out there that you’re gonna love.”
• Host’s takeaway: Even office activities, like tossing a highlighter while balancing, can help nurture physical identity.

2. Muscle Power & Explosiveness: Use It or Lose It

• [07:29] Brett McKay: “Muscle power is strength expressed quickly.”
• This is crucial for sprinting, jumping, and especially for preventing falls as we age.
• After age 65, adults lose about 3.5% of muscle power per year, which can cause issues like injuries or simply “not having that oomph.”
• [08:54] Brett McKay: “Jumping rope is actually a great way to train your lower body muscle power ... you can do squat jumps ... Do medicine ball slams ... plyometric pushups.”
• [09:46] Marielle Segarra: “Muscle power, also called explosiveness ... helps us run, jump and catch ourselves so we don’t fall over, and we lose it when we don’t use it.”

3. Testosterone: Context Matters – Symptoms Over Numbers

• Testosterone affects muscle, bone, sexual health, mood, and more in all genders, but especially men.
• Symptoms of low testosterone include low libido, erectile dysfunction, poor sleep, fatigue, brain fog.
• [11:47] Brett McKay: “There’s a saying in the medical field: you want to treat the patient, not the number ... what a lot of consumers do ... they’re treating the number instead of themselves.”
• Doctors start with lifestyle interventions: exercise, weight loss, better sleep before considering hormone therapy.
• Hormonal health is complex; always consult a doctor before pursuing treatments.
• [13:27] Brett McKay: “Hormones are incredibly complex ... as you start introducing exogenous testosterone into your body ... these other hormonal systems are also going to be affected ... you have to like keep an eye on that as well.”

4. Depression in Men: Recognize the Signs & the Power of Habits

• Depression in men often appears as anger, irritability, alcoholism, or workaholism rather than overt sadness.
• [16:02] Brett McKay: “Depression in men can show up as anger or irritability or alcoholism or workaholism ... that’s why depression in men often gets overlooked.”
• Exercise is as effective as antidepressants or therapy, and socializing, sleep, and diet are vital too.
• [17:44] Brett McKay: “I stopped looking at my depression ... as this thing I have to fix ... There’s no silver bullet ... it’s going to be part of your life. And how can it be part of your life so it doesn’t get in the way of you living a flourishing life?”
• Happiness is not constant joy; ancient Greek ideal: “eudaimonia” = flourishing even amidst hardship.

5. The “Good Stress” of Socializing: Embrace the Awkwardness

• Social habits and community anchor well-being and even physical health.
• Socializing can feel stressful in the short term, but long-term, it lowers chronic stress, anxiety, and reduces cognitive decline.
• [21:29] Brett McKay (paraphrasing Jeffrey Hall): “... socializing itself can be stressful. ... But ... in the long term, it reduces stress. ... Exercise is a hormetic stressor, a good stressor. Same thing with socializing.”
• See social opportunities as “reps” for your social muscles.
• Creating a standing event, like a monthly dinner, helps form and maintain meaningful connections despite the logistical hassles.
• [23:45] Brett McKay: “... just say, look, here’s when we’re doing it. We’re always going to do it this time at this place. If you can make it, fantastic. If not, that’s okay.”

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On outdated ideals of manliness:
  [01:19] Brett McKay: “Today we have this sort of cartoonish idea of what manliness is ... But ... to be manly meant the development of certain virtues like prudence and courage and strength ... It’s about becoming a virtuous all around solid dude.”
• On genetics and facial hair:
  [02:11] Brett McKay: “Don’t waste your money on beard serums or vitamins ... A lot of facial hair just comes down to genetics ... The thing you can do ... is just like, be a healthy person ... That also contributes to hair growth.”
• On happiness and depression:
  [17:44] Brett McKay: “I think in America, we have this idea of happiness being like you’re in this chipper, good mood all the time. [But] the ancient Greeks had ... eudaimonia, or just flourishing ... You can do that even though you might not feel super ecstatic all the time.”
• On festive beard oil:
  [25:56] Brett McKay: “I do like to do it during Christmas time because there’s beard oils that smell like Christmas trees or cinnamon ... It smells like the Polar Express.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:19] – Redefining manliness and the classical virtues
• [04:31] – The importance of developing a “physical identity”
• [07:29] – Why and how to maintain muscle power/explosiveness
• [10:19] – Testosterone: When (and why) to get tested, and what to do
• [16:02] – Recognizing depression in men: symptoms and management
• [20:30] – The “good stress” of socializing for long-term wellbeing
• [25:56] – A fun tip: Festive, scented beard oil

Episode Takeaways (Quick Reference)

1. Physical Identity: Everyone can – and should – find enjoyable ways to be physically active, no matter their athletic background.
2. Muscle Power: Maintain it through simple, explosive exercises and sports to protect your mobility as you age.
3. Testosterone: Focus on symptoms over lab numbers, and prioritize lifestyle changes under the guidance of a health professional.
4. Depression: Men often display non-obvious symptoms. Exercise, socializing, sleep, and diet are vital, but so is reframing expectations of happiness.
5. Socializing: It may feel awkward or stressful, but regular social connection is crucial for reducing chronic stress and maintaining overall health.

The conversation is candid, supportive, and actionable—reminding listeners that taking care of body and mind is more about consistent, enjoyable habits than perfection.