Men’s Wellness & Performance: 5 Key Indicators
And How to Screen Yourself
The Modern Man’s Check Engine Light
Most men only see a doctor when something’s broken — but your body gives you signals long before that point. Energy dips, motivation fades, sleep changes, or slower recovery after workouts aren’t just “getting older.” They’re feedback from your biology.
Nationwide, over 40% of men skip annual checkups and only 1 in 4 regularly monitor key health markers — yet issues like declining testosterone, elevated stress hormones, and poor metabolic function often develop silently for years before symptoms appear.
Men are 24% less likely than women to see a healthcare provider regularly, and 60% admit they ignore symptoms hoping they’ll go away. But longevity and performance don’t come from luck — they come from paying attention.
If your goal is longevity, energy, and peak performance — at work, in the gym, and in your relationships — here are the top five indicators of men’s health and how to screen yourself for each.
1. Hormone Balance & Vitality
What to look for:
Decline in morning energy or motivation
Reduced sex drive or weaker morning erections
Slower recovery after workouts
Irritability or mild depression
Fat gain around the waist despite exercise
Simple self-checks:
Morning vitality test: Do you wake up energized and alert without caffeine?
Strength retention: Can you still perform your usual lifts or physical routines with similar effort?
Libido gauge: Track frequency of sexual interest or spontaneous arousal — declining frequency often signals falling testosterone.
Labs to Screen
Ask your provider for a comprehensive hormone panel, including:
Total & Free Testosterone
DHEA-S
Estradiol (E2)
SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin)
Cortisol (AM sample)
Action step:
Improve sleep (7–8 hrs), strength train 3–4x/week, and eat protein + healthy fats with every meal. Add cold exposure or contrast therapy to raise natural testosterone and dopamine.
If symptoms persist beyond 6–8 weeks, get a simple hormone panel — or start with a baseline IV + peptide consult at The Wellness Lounge.
2. Metabolic & Cardiovascular Fitness
What to look for:
Energy crashes after meals
Belly fat despite clean eating
Snoring, poor sleep, or feeling winded on stairs
Brain fog, especially mid-morning or mid-afternoon
At-home screens:
Waist measurement: Over 40 inches? That’s a red flag for insulin resistance.
Pulse test: Resting heart rate over 75 bpm (without caffeine) may indicate poor aerobic fitness or stress.
Energy curve: Do you get tired 1–2 hours after eating carbs? That may signal blood sugar swings.
Labs to screen:
Fasting glucose: < 90 mg/dL
Hemoglobin A1C: < 5.4%
Triglycerides: < 100 mg/dL
HDL (“good” cholesterol): > 50 mg/dL
Blood pressure: ideally around 115/75
How to screen:
Get a fasting blood panel (lipids, glucose, A1C) and track waist circumference — anything over 40 inches increases risk for metabolic syndrome. Pair this with VO₂ max or body composition testing to gauge overall metabolic fitness.
Action step:
Go for a 10–15 minute walk after meals to lower glucose spikes, reduce alcohol/sugar, and aim for 150+ minutes of weekly zone 2 cardio.
A DEXA or body composition scan at The Wellness Lounge can help you track muscle-to-fat ratio and real metabolic health — no guesswork.
3. Inflammation & Recovery
What to look for:
Stiffness or soreness that lingers >48 hours
Puffy face, swollen ankles, or joint pain
Digestive bloating or skin breakouts
Low motivation or brain fog
Self-check:
Press your shin or ankle for 5 seconds. If an indentation stays, you may have mild inflammation or fluid retention.
Rate your recovery after workouts. Are you feeling strong the next day or sluggish for 2–3?
Labs to screen:
Ask your provider for markers like:
hs-CRP (C-reactive protein)
Homocysteine
Ferritin
Vitamin D
Omega-3 index
Action step:
Prioritize anti-inflammatory habits — daily movement, hydration, magnesium-rich foods (spinach, pumpkin seeds), and 1–2 cold plunges weekly.
At The Lounge, pairing infrared sauna + NAD or glutathione IV accelerates recovery and lowers systemic inflammation.
4. Sleep, Stress & Nervous System Health
What to look for:
Waking up between 2–4 a.m.
Racing thoughts at night or tension headaches
Reliance on caffeine to stay sharp
Feeling wired but tired
Self-check:
HRV check: Many smartwatches and fitness trackers show your heart rate variability (HRV). Consistently low HRV (<50) means poor recovery or chronic stress.
Sleep quality quiz: Do you wake refreshed, or groggy no matter how long you sleep?
Wearable data can help you identify areas of stress or poor sleep quality.
Action step:
Establish a wind-down routine: avoid screens an hour before bed, stretch or breathe deeply for 5 minutes, and try magnesium glycinate or L-theanine.
Add contrast therapy, red-light, or guided breathwork sessions at The Lounge to help retrain your stress response.
5. Sexual Health & Circulation
What to look for:
Declining morning erections
Difficulty maintaining arousal
Cold hands/feet or brain fog
Fatigue after intimacy
Self-check:
Morning check: Erections fewer than 4–5 mornings per week can indicate reduced nitric oxide or vascular flow.
Circulation test: If your hands and feet are often cold or you feel lightheaded standing up, your vascular tone may need support.
Action step:
Do 15–20 minutes of resistance or HIIT training to boost nitric oxide, and eat nitrate-rich foods like beets, arugula, and pomegranate.
If performance symptoms persist, peptides like PT-141, oxytocin spray, or NAD+ IV therapy can support both blood flow and libido naturally.
Next Steps: Turning Awareness into Action
Screening yourself is the first step toward longevity and performance.
If you notice three or more symptoms from any section lasting longer than a month, it’s time for a deeper dive.
At The Wellness Lounge, our Concierge Medicine combine:
Precision bloodwork (hormones, inflammation, metabolism)
Peptide optimization protocols
IV drips for energy, recovery, and testosterone support
Lifestyle coaching to help you track progress
Because real performance isn’t just in the gym — it’s how you feel every day.
References
Travison TG et al. Trends and variability in bioavailable testosterone among U.S. men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2017.
Benjamin EJ et al. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics — 2024 Update. Circulation. 2024.
Cadegiani FA et al. The role of inflammation and recovery in male hormone health. Front Endocrinol. 2018.
Feldman DI et al. Erectile dysfunction as a predictor of cardiovascular events. Curr Opin Cardiol. 2020.
Buysse DJ et al. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index: a new instrument for sleep assessment. Psychiatry Res. 1989.