The Best Thing About Movember Isn't the Mo
Performance Hub
mateship is the whole point, the moβs just the icon
Movemberβs an easy one to get behind. Grow a mo you wouldnβt normally be caught dead with, cop some stick for it at work, raise a bit of money for a good cause along the way. That partβs never been the hard part. The actual point of the month is simpler than most blokes think too: checking in on your mates, the same way youβd check in on how someoneβs trainingβs going.
Weβre Ben and Kylie. We run STRYD Performance, a founder-run activewear brand on the Sunshine Coast. This isnβt a sales post. We just reckon Movemberβs one of the better traditions going, and the check-in side of it deserves as much airtime as the mo does.
What Movemberβs actually for
The mo started as a bit of fun with a serious reason behind it: raising awareness and money for menβs health, prostate and testicular cancer, and mental health. The mental health side matters because men are measurably worse at asking for help before things get serious. In the Australian Bureau of Statisticsβ National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing, only 37% of Australian men with a diagnosable mental health condition got professional support, against 55% of women. Movemberβs trying to close that gap, and checking in on a mate is one of the easiest, lowest-effort ways to actually help.
Same mateship, just pointed at how youβre actually going
You already know how to show up for your mates without overthinking it. Thatβs most of what mateship is. Checking in properly works the same way. Itβs not a big serious sit-down, itβs the same instinct you already use to organise a game of touch footy or rope someone into a Saturday session, just pointed at a different question.
Three ways to do Movember properly this year
Why weβre writing this
Mateship and showing up for each other has carried us through plenty, building STRYD included. We like Movember because it turns something that should happen all year into something blokes actually do together. If you need to talk to someone today, thatβs Lifeline (13 11 14), Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636), or 13YARN (13 92 76), any time.
Frequently asked questions
What is Movember?
Movember is an annual menβs health awareness event held every November, originally built around growing a moustache to start conversations about menβs health, including prostate and testicular cancer, and mental health.
Why does Movember focus on mental health as well as the mo?
Because men are measurably worse at asking for help before things get serious. The Australian Bureau of Statisticsβ National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing found only 37% of Australian men with a diagnosable mental health condition accessed professional support, against 55% of women. Movemberβs trying to close that gap.
How can I tell if a mate is doing it tough if he looks fine?
You often canβt from the outside. The practical move is to make checking in a normal, regular thing rather than something you only do when you notice a problem, and to ask a direct follow-up question rather than accepting a reflex βyeah, goodβ at face value.
What are Australiaβs mental health crisis lines?
Lifeline on 13 11 14, Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, and 13YARN on 13 92 76 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander callers. All three operate 24 hours a day, every day.
Why is an activewear brand writing about Movember?
STRYD is founder-run by Ben and Kylie Sutton, and mateship has been part of whatβs carried them through building the brand. This isnβt a product pitch, itβs shared because Movemberβs one of the better traditions going and the check-in half of it deserves as much attention as the mo.
