Dad, we'll start by stating the obvious: Your health is important.
Your No. 1 job is to be an effective parent and role model. To fulfill that task successfully, you have to be in good shape, both physically and mentally, and possess the stamina to be there for your kids through thick and thin. If you simply brush it aside with a smirk and a shrug, then in essence you're shortchanging your entire family - and you're placing their welfare somewhere further down the list of parenting priorities.
If you feel good, you'll have a positive outlook. If your attitude is upbeat, your demeanor will reflect that and serve as a positive model for those you love. This is critical for keeping up with your kids, being there for them, engaging with them and involving yourself in their lives.
Here are some reminders we've used that might work for you. You've heard them all before, but we dads tend to let work and other obligations get in the way. It never hurts to review and perhaps reshuffle our priorities.
* Be active. Visit the gym; take a walk; play some tennis; go on a bike ride. Embrace daily exercise. Just remember, clear vigorous activity with your doctor before you try to prove how many push-ups you can do. Produce some sweat equity with your kids.
* Eat well. Make good choices. Buy fresh fruit and vegetables. Try organic. It's fuel for your engine. Make sure it's high octane.
* Shed excess weight. It applies to all of us. Forget the fad diets. Make sure your meals balance fats, carbs and proteins.
* If you smoke, stop. The 2014 Surgeon General's report on smoking says, "For the United States, the epidemic of smoking-caused disease in the 20th century ranks among the greatest public health catastrophes of the century."
* Limit your alcohol intake.
* Get good sleep. Go to bed at a reasonable hour. Your body needs to regenerate. Sleep is the key ingredient in restoring yourself for a new day of challenges and accomplishments.
* Express your love to someone you love. Those who love others get along better. Nurture your relationships.
* Relax. Take some time to meditate or pray. Close your eyes, clear the clutter from your mind, breathe deeply and seek calm.
* Think about and practice a spiritual life that is larger than yourself.
* Give to others. Reach out and help somebody. Get involved in life beyond your own.
Herbert Spencer, British philosopher said it best: "The preservation of health is a duty. Few seem conscious that there is such a thing as physical morality."
Here's to your health.
Tom Tozer and Bill Black are authors of "Dads2Dads: Tools for Raising Teenagers." Like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter at Dads2Dadsllc. They are available for workshops. Contact them at tomandbill@Dads2Dadsllc.com.