14 Jun Healthy Ways to Celebrate Dads from NYC Registered Nutritionist and Personal Trainer
Tie cards, coasters, and hand-printed t-shirts are favorite gift choices for Father’s Day. It’s hard to find the just right gift to bottle up the love we feel in our hearts!
According to a study from The Guardian, 90% of men don’t wear ties to work (though those cards are cute), and according to the CDC, heart disease is the number one cause of death for men in the United States. Risk factors include high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, a poor diet, physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol.
Why not give your favorite dad, step dad, uncle, grandpa, or big brother in your life something that can last a lifetime? Why not give the gift of health?
Celebrate Father’s Day with these unique gift ideas.
- Join a local hiking club. (Yes, you can make the hand-print stamped t-shirts, matching even, to go with this!). Get your dad outside and moving. Discover your backyard with a weekend hiking group. Most are free, and you can choose the level of aerobic intensity you like.
- Cook up some fun. Sign up for father-daughter or father-son cooking classes at your local community center, YMCA, or favorite restaurant. Discover healthy, tasty new ingredients and recipes that are easy to make and share.
- Don’t count sheep, count stars. Go camping. Take a weekend away from the madness of the city and sleep under the stars. The health benefits of fresh air and being away from artificial lights include improved circadian rhythms (you’ll sleep better! And when you sleep better, you are more likely to maintain a healthy weight). And for those who just are a bit too bug-averse, take your dad to the planetarium and discover the Milky Way. Explore space and time together (without the mosquitoes).
- Batter up! What better way to celebrate than with baseball? An afternoon cheering for your favorite team, out in the fresh air, is a great way to celebrate your favorite guy. Being a sports fan has some fantastic side effects including: community, getting inspired to get active, and even improve your brain. (It’s not easy to understand baseball stats!)
- Get technological. Some dads just love their video games. So take your dad to an intense laser-tag session at a local gym and blast away. Just 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, five days/week, can improve mental health and reduce the risk of chronic disease and cancer. Tag! You’re it.
- Real-world treasure hunting. Download the geocache app and find treasure in your backyard. Wander around your neighborhood, the local park, or even nearby wilderness areas and find what people have cached away. It’s technological. It’s fun. It gets everyone moving, and hunting, and it’s addictive. Pack a healthy lunch or snack and go searching. Don’t forget to sign the log books.
- Book it! Reading, thinking, making … your local library has summer-long programming that includes Maker Spaces, read-a-thons, story time and more. Get a library card and share time together. Make it a weekly tradition to discover the programming and world of books your local library has to offer.
One in four men can suffer from heart disease that, with just a few changes in lifestyle can be reduced. So instead of that tie-card (which is lovely, by the way), why not give a gift that opens the door to opportunities to eat healthier, exercise more, and spend time together.
Time is something we never get back, so fill it with great moments and memories with the favorite dad in your life.
Happy, Healthy Father’s Day!