I’ve been enlisted aka hired to promote the idea of Healthy Dads. As I type this post nursing an injured ankle, I get the premise. Accidents happen, dare I say, life happens and if you’re not careful, especially with your own health, you may well stumble and fall. Nothing makes one realize their own mortality than becoming a father. Granted, recent announcements such as the movie “The Karate Kid” celebrating its 30th Anniversary can be existentially jarring in its own right but I digress. Your circle of concern expands on an infinite scale as a Dad. All of sudden, the future looms large, priorities shift and your laundry list of lofty goals gets whittled away to all but one…being there for your family.
I grew up loving being athletic. If there was a sport to be played at the school yard, I was involved, full throttle, all day long. I felt invincible. Being a spectator seemed like a foreign concept in my youth and in many ways still does today. As a young adult, it didn’t resonate with me how essential a partner quality medical care would be in my life. Flash forward to my mid thirties. I started a new job, got married to my high school sweetheart and a year later heard the following words from my beloved “I’m pregnant.” The impact obliterated my world much like the huge asteroid that crashed into the earth wiping out the dinosaurs from existence. For the next nine months I was a stress laden mess consumed with anxiety. The weight only lifted once I held my newborn son in my arms. I was no longer just a man, I was a Dad.
Now a father of two, I can attest that the years go by quickly. My invincibility has succumbed to minor aches and pains consistent with getting older and chasing around little people on a daily basis. Still, being a healthy Dad has been a priority to me. Just like my athletic youth, I gravitate towards being a participant rather than a spectator when it comes to playing with my children. I take joy in the milestones reached and the many adventures that lie ahead.
In my experience the keys to being a healthy Dad are fairly straightforward:
1) Love
2) Laughter
3) Eating healthy
4) Proper Sleep – I know, easier said than done with kids, but try!
4) Exercise
5) Getting regular medical check ups
Companies like Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield make it easier for people to be more disciplined about their health. For example, Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield has LiveHealth – the opportunity to video conference over your computer, tablet, or smartphone with a doctor when needed. They also have a 24/7 nurse available. In a nutshell, LiveHealth makes it easier for people to access non-emergency care.
What are some of your ideas about being a Healthy Dad?
#HealthyDad Giveaway Contest
You can win a $100 Amazon Gif Card. Just create an original video using Vine, Instagram, or other similar social video system, with content that references the way today’s fathers are keeping themselves healthy, and/or the reasons why today’s fathers want to remain/get healthy for their families, and then 2) post the Video on the Healthy Dads Facebook page using the #HealthyDad hashtag. For more details about the rules click here.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of XY Media and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield. The words and opinions are my own.
