Balancing Act: Prioritizing Fitness

Can You Juggle?

Diaper changes, middle-of-the-night feedings, last-minute project changes, birthday parties, homework, school plays, soccer games, bedtime routines, fixing the leaky faucet, and squeezing in a good workout to keep your sanity.

Sounds impossible, doesn’t it?

Being a dad is much like a crash course in learning to juggle with delicate Waterford crystal
balls; it’s challenging! But honestly, there’s nothing more rewarding than having that title of “Dad” for your kids. However, being crowned “Best Dad Bod” isn’t what any of us aspire to. So, how can you find time for your fitness while balancing family and work, so you win “The Neighborhood Alpha Dad” title instead?

The Importance of Balance for Dads

Establishing equilibrium between family, work, and fitness yields numerous benefits, including:
● Reduced stress
● Improved physical and mental well-being
● Stronger family relationships
● Increased productivity at work
● The ability to lead a fulfilling and meaningful life
Just like watching a skilled juggler toss around multiple flaming instruments, finding your
balance will create a beautiful, exciting, well-rounded display of life.

The Importance of Balance for Your Child

Recent years have emphasized the vital role that dads play in raising healthy, happy children.
“Fathers involvement with their children has a substantial influence on both their children and
their families, health and development.” (Yogman et al. 2021). The mental and physical health of fathers significantly impact their children’s well-being, including the child and mother’s mental health during the postpartum period. Moreover, a dad’s physical health plays a crucial role in their children’s physical health. Obesity research suggests that a dad’s weight status, not mom’s, is a significant predictor of obesity in your child’s future (Brophy et al. 2012; Freeman et al. 2012). So, it’s essential to find the time to address your fitness NOW to set your kids up for success later in life – and that is what Dads are meant to do, right?

So, What Now?

The first step in tackling any issue is recognizing the problem. Now that you understand the
importance of focusing on your health and fitness for the well-being of your family, you can take
steps to prioritize this time. Reach out to a coach, recruit another dad facing similar challenges,
or simply lace up those 407s and hit the road.
Becoming next year’s Neighborhood Alpha Dad isn’t going to be a walk in the park, but it will be
worthwhile as you witness the positive impacts it has on your kids’ health throughout the years.

References:
1. Yogman, M.W., Eppel, A.M. (2022). The Role of Fathers in Child and Family Health. In:
Grau Grau, M., las Heras Maestro, M., Riley Bowles, H. (eds) Engaged Fatherhood for
Men, Families and Gender Equality. Contributions to Management Science. Springer,
Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-75645-1_2
2. Brophy S, Rees A, Knox G, Baker J, Thomas NE (2012) Child fitness and father’s BMI
are important factors in childhood obesity: a school based cross-sectional study. PLoS
One 8(5):e36597
3. Freeman E, Fletcher R, Collins C, Morgan PJ, Burrows T, Callister R (2012) Preventing
and treating childhood obesity: time to target fathers. Int J Obes 36(1):12–15