We celebrate Father's day once a year. When it comes fast approaching, the news is everywhere about numerous organizations offering men's health check-up. It helps raise awareness to prioritize health and fitness.
With Father's Day approaching, it would be a perfect gift idea to give Fathers a fitness awareness and let them know, as well as experience the benefits of prioritizing health and fitness…not only during Father's Day celebration but for their entire lifetime.
There was a study conducted that found fathers who are inactive are not only like to develop preventable illnesses but also have negative impacts on their children.
In some cities, around two-thirds or over 66% of adults do not meet recommended physical activity for better health and wellness. This could pose a serious threat to the children's health and lifestyle, and within the family, in general.
The study1 back in 2011 examined the lifestyle of the family and BMI(body mass index) of the parents found a direct relation between the father's BMI and child's level of activity.
Become A Model For Children
When parents have less ideal body figures, it can create a negative impression on the child's mind on his view about health and fitness. There are lots of these scenarios where the father has a bulging belly fat, and their children even before reaching teens are also starting to mimic the figure of their parents.
In fact, one study2 also found that fathers' obesity can result up to four times increase in the likelihood of children becoming obese upon reaching age 18.
These days, it's really easy and quick to become overweight if you're not conscious about staying healthy and fit. I know how it's like because I was one of the overweight men and my wife who was one of the overweight women around the globe until we decided to put an end to our overweight misery.
This is why to prioritize health and fitness should be on everyone's top of the list.
Another study published at TheLancet3 that used data between 1980 to 2013 found the following obesity facts in the U.K. alone;
- 67% of men are obese
- 57% of women are either obese or overweight
- 26% of young boys are either obese or overweight
- 29% of young girls are either obese or overweight
Obesity has been found in men to cause liver-related diseases plus 37% higher chance of cancer death, and responsible for 75% of heart attack fatalities.
Men also are likely to smoke than women, eat more salt, over-consumption of highly processed and red meats while ignoring or eating little fruits and vegetables.
Men are also likely to consume more alcohol than women, which can lead to various health conditions including sexual dysfunction.
Not Too Late To Change
The majority of men today still reluctant to talk about health and wellness. In fact, not many men are going for doctor's consultation for a general check-up, or simply have a conversation with their doctor about their overall health especially when it comes to male sexual health.
Some doctors may ask the male patient's erection and frequency of sex…not for the purpose of intruding his private life, but learning the patient's sexual activity allows the doctor to tell his level of health and wellness.
So, if your doctor ask you about male sexual health and sexual activity frequency, tell him straight because it can help your doctor about diagnosing the underlying issues especially if sexual activities declines during the past few months, or just recently.
The 5 Reasons For Men To Prioritize Health and Fitness
Here's a quick list of 5 reasons you should consider your health on top of your list.
1. Can Help Reduced Stress For both Parents(Fathers) and Children
Fathers have a vital role to play for their children's mental wellness in later life. Being able to interact on regular basis physically can help build a relationship or strong bond between children and parents helpful in coping stress.
Moreover, good level of physical activity has been linked to better academic performance.
2. Outdoor Physical Activities Are Great For Bonding Purposes
There are amazing outdoor activities that are fun and hold cardio workout equivalents including playing football, cycling, swimming, and even a simple running or jogging allows parents(fathers) to share meaningful tips and advises with their children.
Plus, it creates a positive impression on the child's memory making the bond between father and child stronger.
3. Doing Cardio Exercises Have Many Health Benefits
Doing cardio exercises is fun even if you're not doing cardio at home, outdoor activities are fun with the equivalent benefits of doing cardiovascular exercises.
Among the health benefits include but not limited to boosting metabolism, which is helpful for weight loss, reduce stress, increase energy, help achieve better sleep, promote wellness, and strengthens both lungs and heart.
Moreover, doing cardio not only stave off BMI numbers, but boost the immune system as well resisting many illnesses, plus among many other benefits.
4. Becoming A Role Model
According to a study4 published in the International Journal Of Pediatrics suggests there is a link between physical activities of the parents, parental encouragement, interaction, and support for their children's physical activities.
This role modeling can have an impact on the child's mindset and future development with their desire to exercise and aim to stay physically fit and healthy. Increasing the child's physical activity can prevent overweight and obesity.
Of course, this involves having the right nutrition. What the parents eat, most likely the children also eat. If the parents eat unhealthily, so does the children.
5. Enhancing Communication Skills
Activities that involved team communication including sport like boxing and football, or anything that requires team effort enhances one's ability to communicate.
Communication not only involve verbal instructions but signs and gestures. In fact, both of signs and verbal are both effective if use altogether.
Doing these team-based activities between father and child can have a beneficial impact on the father's way of communicating, and not only useful during the activities but in times when discussing certain things especially with regards to boosting the child's motivation.
Moreover, doing this very often can promote mutual respect between father and child, or parents and children in general. It additionally boosts self-confidence on both father and child making them very close and strongly bonded.
If you've seen father and child or parents and children playing well on games during family day at school, it is a clear indication that family has a great level of enhanced communication skills at home, as well.
Final Thoughts
I hope that sheds a bit of light when it comes to maintaining health and wellness. If you're overweight(like I was), there are lots of unhealthy experiences including getting tired so easily, low sex drive, and even erection fitness is not that hard.
Here's more, according to a study published in Diabetes Journals5, obesity is associated with Low-T(low testosterone).
Gentlemen, if you don't know what is testosterone, now is the time. Testosterone is a male sexual hormone, although there are other functions of it vital for the body, it is responsible for maintaining energy levels and staying young.
So, one way of boosting your testosterone level is to lose weight if you're overweight or obese and maintain your ideal weight.
Perhaps you've heard it on the news about TRT(testosterone replacement therapy). Some men are paying for it just got get a boost with their testosterone level. However, if you're overweight and obese, I'm not sure if TRT is effective.
So, why not lose weight? This is one of the benefits of losing weight plus numerous other health benefits that you will enjoy for the rest of your life with your family.
Don't think twice when it comes to achieving better health and fitness. If it feels you're not doing it, kick start your willpower and just do it. Get started and prioritize health and fitness today not just during Father's day.