Dads play an incredibly important role in the lives of their families. In the past, dads have been stereotyped as the breadwinner and having little to no involvement in family nurturing. Typically, it was the mother’s job to teach, encourage, and show compassion. 

But as society progresses, dads are proving that they play a crucial role in their kids’ lives—helping them become strong, healthy, intelligent human beings. If you’re a dad looking for ways to be involved in your family’s health, here are three steps you can take to ensure your family is on the right track.

1. Keep Exercise Fun 

Movement is key to a healthy lifestyle. But it can be hard to motivate your family to keep moving. Today, people work and play from the comfort of the couch. To encourage movement, you need to provide incentives.

Schedule fun activities that double as family workouts. Many locations have a tennis or basketball court nearby. This is a fun way to encourage movement while bonding as a family.

Or, how about a walk at the park or a fun game of tag? Your family won’t have all the same interests, so make sure you cycle what you do to give everyone a chance at what they like best.

When you plan your family vacations, don’t go places that will require you to sit or stand still for long periods. Instead, try out some exciting, adventurous activities that take a little work.

Kayaking, backpacking, and biking all fall under this category. These trips will provide short-term movement and associate fun with exercise in the minds of your family. 

2. Shop Healthy

Healthy eating is crucial. The nutritional value will reduce your chances of health issues and will help maintain a healthy weight. But, to eat healthily, you must plan ahead.

Before you go to the store, prepare a list of the healthy foods you would like to prepare. Get your kids involved and make this a fun activity. Then, when you arrive at the grocery store, have your kids find one of the healthy foods. 

This helps them recognize various fruits and vegetables and makes them feel like they are a part of the process. And guess what? When kids are involved in food choices, they are more likely to try those vegetables they may not have touched before.

Don’t forget—if you’re eating healthy, you should stick to the outermost part of the grocery store. The inner aisles are where most of the unhealthy food is stocked.

3. Be a Positive Role Model 

Grab healthy snacks.

You may not realize it, but your family is watching you. When you grab that apple as a snack, you are setting a positive example for your kids. This is also an excellent opportunity to teach your kids the nutritional value an apple has over a bag of chips.

Teach your kids how to cook.

You can also be a positive role model by teaching your kids how to cook. Focus on making nutrient-rich, balanced food. Once your kids know how to buy and prepare these healthy meals, they will have the confidence needed to go out and do it themselves.

Plant a small garden.

If you want to take this to the next level, think about planting a small garden. Your kids will love to help out and watch each vegetable grow. And once your crops are full-grown, your kids will take pride in what they helped create and be much more likely to want to eat it.

Work out at home.

Here’s another way you can be a positive role model—don’t run off to the gym every time you need to get a workout in. Instead, work out in your backyard or inside. This way, your kids can watch as you take care of your body. Even better—get them involved in a few jumping jacks or sit-ups and teach them about the importance of regular exercise.

Key Takeaways

1. Motivate your family to move by making a fun, group activity out of it.

2. Buy healthy foods to keep your house temptation-free.

3. Show your family the importance of healthy choices by leading by example.

If you are looking for constructive health advice for your family, we can help. Tolleson Health Advisors provides excellent health recommendations based on each individual and in-depth conversations.