Exercise is fundamental to any man's de-stress routine, writes Dr Bhatti.

We all suffer stress at different times in our lives. There are two types of stress: good and bad. Good stress is part of our physiological make up and is related to the 'fight and flight' response. It basically facilitates us to produce enough adrenaline to win races, solve problems, take exams and remove ourselves from dangerous situations.

Men suffer with stress as much as women, but it can manifest itself in different ways and is often caused by different things. Stress can be experienced emotionally, physically or psychologically, although it is quite common for stress symptoms to be as a result of a combination of these factors.

Long-term stress (bad stress) can be debilitating to a man's health, mental stability, confidence and can, if prolonged, have detrimental affects on relationships, sexuality and career.

There are a whole range of stress symptoms and no two men will suffer with the same. Symptoms depend on severity and general health. They include: chest pains, pounding heart, high blood pressure, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle aches, headaches, clenched jaws and grinding teeth, digestive complaints, paranoia, increased perspiration, weight fluctuations, and many more.

A lot of men find that they have more psychological symptoms than physical, such as depression, worry, anxiety, mood swings, irritability and an inability to control anger, being overly critical of others, being impatient, withdrawing from loved ones, decreased productivity, job dissatisfaction and increased consumption of alcohol or drugs.

Complementary approaches to stress in men are different than for women. Although similar approaches will be taken, such as dealing and resolving the issue in life that may be contributing to the stressful situation, there will be a different emphasis in helping a man process and release stress emotionally and physically.

Women often find it easier to talk about what is bothering them, whereas men sometimes don't even know they are stressed. Men, through socialization, are more likely to carry stress for longer periods out of false notions that revealing challenging emotions to themselves or loved ones is a sign of weakness. Often men think it is quite normal to be stressed, that somehow this is something that they have to just deal with. This is not the case.

Communicating with either a doctor or health care practitioner is a good start, although some kind of longer term communication is essential if stress is to be permanently resolved. Some men decide to go away on outdoor pursuit weekends to help deal with stressful lifestyles. There are plenty available now in Ireland that also offer, as part of the weekend, some kind of personal development. Men often find that striking up friendships during these weekends are good ways of talking through or discovering some of the issues that may be troubling them and it is an opportunity to develop lasting friendships that may provide some kind of long-term support.