Health and Wellness: A Journey to Strengthening Yourself and Your Family

At MENxNATURE, we emphasize the importance of well-being of the whole person, recognizing that nurturing our physical, mental, and emotional health not only enriches our life but also fosters stronger family bonds and relationships. Writing for MENxNATURE, the following article is by David Kathmann, a professional strength and conditioning coach with years of experience coaching professional athletes.

Creating a strong foundation of good habits and routines for yourself is one of the best ways of developing a healthy culture in your household. Leading by example is something simple that you can do to make an everlasting impression on your family and your family’s values.

Prioritizing Health and Wellness Takes Dedication

First, the terms “health” and “wellness” mean different things. You can think of health as the metrics you receive when going to the doctor. There can be quantitative measures (i.e. blood pressure, body weight, blood analysis, and/or x-rays) and qualitative measures (i.e. how are you feeling today? How is your relationship at home? How are you sleeping?).

Wellness is the act of improving these metrics and practicing positive, healthy habits (i.e. going to the gym, eating healthy foods, sleeping the appropriate amount, talking with your significant other about how you are feeling and taking time to be outdoors with your family).

Life can be hectic and finding the time to prioritize our health and wellness can often feel like an overwhelming challenge. The daily juggling act of work, parenting, stress, and household responsibilities leaves little room for self-care.

As men, we wear many hats, but one of the most critical roles we play is being a father and a husband. Our well-being directly influences our ability to excel in these areas and yet wellness can sometimes take a backseat in our daily routine.

Picture this: the alarm rings, and you're instantly on the move. Rushing through your morning routine, you grab a quick, less-than-healthy breakfast on your way out the door. Your workday is a whirlwind of meetings, emails, and deadlines. After work, you drudge through sit-and-go traffic, pick up your kids for practice and by the time you return home, exhausted, the last thing you want to do is exercise or prepare a nutritious meal.

The demands of modern life make it challenging to find time for exercise, nutritious eating or making overall health-promoting choices. However, we must recognize that this struggle is not just about us; it affects our families. When we neglect our well-being, we inadvertently send a message to our loved ones about the importance of health and wellness.

Building a Health and Wellness Legacy: Investing in Your Life Bank for Your Family's Well-Being

You can think of performing wellness activities as making “deposits” into your “Life Bank”. The more deposits you can make now, the more you will be able to draw upon them later in life. You’ll be able to keep up with your kids as they grow, enjoy countless memories and activities with your family, watch and participate in the growth of your family, play with your future grandkids, and retain independence as you age.

No magic pill exists to accomplish the tasks that create your "deposits.” It will take time, commitment, sweat, and perseverance. Half the battle is showing up and starting. The best part of this is you don’t need to go at this alone. Just as you are the pillar of your family, so too can your family be the support in your journey to better health and wellness!

In follow-up posts, I'll discuss a myriad of wellness topics that you can use not only to help improve your health, but pass along to your family.

Stay tuned…

ABOUT DAVID KATHMANN

David Kathmann, MS, RSCC, CSCS is a strength and conditioning (S&C) coach with over 15 years of experience in the field. David received his Masters and undergrad degree in Exercise Science from Barry University in Miami Shores, FL. His professional career in strength and conditioning began with the Kansas City Royals. Currently, he is a S&C coach with the Boras Sports Training Institute helping his athletes become strong, powerful and durable during the rigors of a professional baseball season. He focuses heavily on scientifically researched practices that help build a well-rounded strength and conditioning program, nutrition plan and recovery strategies. These same strategies can be applied to the "everyday man".