Disclaimer: At fathers.com, we are not fitness experts.

It isn’t our main focus or calling. However, maybe a lot of us would benefit from occasional reminders about taking our physical well-being seriously as dads.

Of course, good health may not be the most important factor in being effective fathers. A dad in a hospital bed can still be a good father to his kids. But we must admit that these matters will make a big difference in our ability to engage our children with energy, patience, affection, and creativity—to be the dads we want to be.

Think about it this way: if you’re physically drained, you’re less likely to join your kids in activities they want to do. And you’re more likely to lose your composure, badger and exasperate your children, or even lose it and start yelling at them.

You’re probably reading this blog anonymously, and maybe that gives us some license to challenge you with some personal questions. It also means you’re free to ignore this message and go on with life as you know it. But let’s ask anyway:

• How’s your blood pressure?
• Could you stand to drop fifteen or twenty pounds?
• Are you dragging by the time you get home from work?
• Are you often stressed out from your job?
• Are you getting enough sleep at night?
• How about your cholesterol? Your blood sugar?

If you can stand to, ask your wife and kids what they think about the shape you’re in, your work schedule, your eating and exercise habits, and any ideas they have for how you can improve. Have them suggest changes your entire family could make that would contribute to a more healthy lifestyle.

Have them hold you accountable. That might be tough at first, but the great thing is that you can set goals, encourage each other, and work together to attain them. Maybe you’ll discover a new, regular activity to do with a child several times a week. Find a challenging activity or sport that you enjoy, and with your doctor’s approval, take it up with your son or daughter—like tennis, running, cycling, or basketball. Or start joining your child in regular soccer or volleyball workouts. Hours on a treadmill will help you reach your goal, but …

If your kids are involved, that’s even better.

You’ve probably heard some of the many good reasons to take fitness seriously—including more self-esteem and confidence, better job opportunities, and even a better sex life. The best reason is to be able to keep up with and enjoy your children. They’re worth whatever changes or sacrifices it might involve.

There’s another important factor that may be more important for dads when it comes to being healthy and fit: modeling. There’s convincing research showing that fathers’ habits are important factors in whether or not their kids adopt a healthy lifestyle:

• One study concluded that “the most serious threat to the health of American children is the behavior of their own parents.”
• An earlier study found that, among fathers with children in first through fourth grades, 48 percent don’t participate in any moderate or vigorous physical exercise. And less than 30 percent do so at least three times a week.
• Another study found that children ages 4 to 7 with at least one active parent are three times more likely to be active than children of inactive parents. When both parents are active, children are six times more likely to be active.
• Still another study showed that fathers, more than mothers, influence their daughters’ activity levels through modeling. Active, fit fathers tend to have daughters who enjoy exercise and activity, and prefer to be outside playing instead of watching TV.

Dads, we have a big influence on our children’s values, habits and lifestyle decisions, and what they learn is often caught more than taught. So get fit, dad! Start eating better food—and maybe less of it. Make time for 30 minutes of exercise three or four times a week. Invite your kids to join you. But even if they don’t, they will notice and remember your commitment and self-discipline.