Health: Why fitness could be best Father’s Day gift

With Father’s Day approaching, and with Men’s Health Week in full swing, local-to-Leeds Reebok Master Trainer, Stacey Jacques, shares how fitness could be the perfect gift to give the dads of Leeds this year.

With Father’s Day approaching, and with Men’s Health Week in full swing, local-to-Leeds Reebok Master Trainer, Stacey Jacques, shares how fitness could be the perfect gift to give the dads of Leeds this year.

A study has revealed that inactive fathers are not only more susceptible to preventable illnesses, but have a negative impact on their children’s activity levels. And with a high proportion of adult men in Leeds not meeting the guidelines of activity levels (UoL), this could therefore pose a threat to the health and lifestyle of the younger generations and families of the city.

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The study that looked at family lifestyle and parents’ BMI discovered that a father’s BMI is directly related to a child’s activity level and that the obesity of fathers can result in a four-fold increase in the likeliness of obesity in their offspring by the time they reach the age of 18.

Stacey, co-founder of the Reebok Cardio Ultra class in Leeds, says: “When parental figures support a less than ideal body image, it could have a negative impact on a child’s attitude toward fitness and health.

With Father’s Day approaching, fitness could be a great gift not just for him, but for the whole family.”

Here are Stacey’s top four reasons as to why the gift of fitness this Father’s Day is so important.

l Reduced stress for both the father and their children.

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According to Melanie Mallers, professor in psychology at the California State University, fathers play a vital role in the mental health of their children later in life.

Physical interaction and building relationships with their children enables those to be more competent at coping with stress. Physical activity has also been linked to improved academic achievement at school.

l Getting out of the house is good for bonding.

Outdoor fitness such as cycling, football, and running allows fathers to share meaningful one-on-one time with their children away from the rest of the family. l Cardiovascular exercise is healthy.

This strengthens the heart and lungs, boosts metabolism, burns calories, reduces stress, increases energy, promote restful sleep and more

l Role modelling

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A study named: ‘Role of parents in determining children’s physical activity’, discovered that, as a primary method for those at risk of having overweight children, increasing their child’s physical activity can be achieved by the parents increasing their own activity.

This role model behaviour can impact the mindset and future development of the child alongside their desire to immediately take up exercise.

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