ALL DADs can relate
We have all heard the adage, “opposites attract”. No matter how much today’s society tries to deny the laws of attraction, somethings are just instinctive. This may not ring true for ALL couples, but I would be willing to bet most couples are composed of one outgoing person and the other, not-so-much. If it is not overly apparent, I am the introvert in the family. When your wife is the social one in the relationship and coordinates play dates with the local mommy groups, dad is stuck with whoever the wife and kid hit it off with at the playground.
DAD Friends
If it sounds like I am trying to say that dads do not get to choose the dads they get to hang out with, that is EXACTLY what I am trying to say. WE DO NOT GET TO CHOOSE THE OTHER DADS WE HANG OUT WITH!!! To some, that could be a negative aspect of DADhood. To others, that means we do not have to waste energy trying to find friends. Thinking positively, you get to learn how to maneuver around other people’s personalities, possibly men (and women) we would never have interacted with on our own FREE WILL.
Top Notch DAD
If you can learn to set aside your own inclination to proclaim your importance to the world and dominate every conversation, and you can actively listen and allow others to tell their story, you will be surprised how much you have in common and how many shared experiences you have. Additionally, you may find individuals that you admire. Diogo Gomes is one of those individuals that other dads have not choice other than to admire. As dedicated as he is to being a father and a husband, he is equally committed to PRIORITIZING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. And that is where we connect.
Make your physical activity part of your life and schedule it in to your day, don’t wing it.
Diogo Gomes
I asked Diogo Gomes about his experience as an Every Day Active-Dad, with some EXPERT TIPS.
- What is your physical fitness background? Did you play sports growing up? Were you physically active throughout your life or is this a fairly new passion that came along with your profession? Growing up in Brazil I swam almost everyday as a kid. I started in martial arts at 12 years old with Judo, then Tae Kwon Do, Capoeira and then Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ). In high school I competed in soccer, handball, and volleyball. In my late teens I mountain biked in Rio de Janiero but stopped when I got robbed doing trails. Once I moved to the U.S. I got back into mountain biking. It helped that I lived near Mt. Tamalpais, where mountain biking in the U.S. originated. I also fell in love with snowboarding.
- What EXACTLY is your profession and what does your daily schedule consist of? I have a BJJ academy in Alameda, CA, where I teach. My schedule consists of teaching my morning class, working out, coming home for lunch and then teaching in the evening and also caring for our three-year-old daughter.
- How big is your immediate family and how old are your children? My family of four includes me, my wife Judy, our 3-year-old daughter, Fabiana and our dog Zeus.
- Are your wife and kids physically active? If so, how so? Yes, my wife is also a BJJ black belt under me, coaches CrossFit and is a personal trainer. Our daughter is already training BJJ and she hangs out in the CrossFit area with mom and plays with the weights and tries to do the movements. Fabiana has liked tumbling and swimming classes too.
- Throughout your stages of fatherhood, what are some things you just could not do without to stay consistently active? For example, when your child was an infant, what did you use to keep you going? When your child became a toddler, a pre-schooler, etc. I could not do without the childcare at the gym. Without the gym kid’s club, I wouldn’t be able to train, teach or work out. When we went for hikes when my daughter was a baby the hiking backpack helped out a lot!
- What motivates you to prioritize physical activity? What motivates me is my profession, so I can keep training and teaching Jiu Jitsu. Tournaments can give me that extra motivation to turn up.
- What has been your biggest challenges in prioritizing physical activity? (If you can, break it down in stages of fatherhood) How did you overcome them? How do you suggest others overcome them? The biggest challenge is overcoming our own excuses like feeling tired and not enough time. I just don’t stop because if I did I would have slowed down.
- What is the biggest reason for your success in prioritizing physical activity and why? The biggest reason for my success is prioritizing physical fitness in my schedule. My wife knows every Sunday is my day to mountain bike. I have to do this because I know it keeps my body in shape and my mind sharp.
- What impact has physical activity had on your life? Physical activity is my way of life. It kept me happy and confident growing up and helped with the girls. I work out 6-7 days per week. Most of my work and my hobbies involve physical training.
- What suggestions would you give to people who say they “don’t have time for physical activity” and how do they stay motivated? My suggestion is to get off your ass and do something. Also make time for yourself or nobody else is going to do it for you. Choose your favorite sport or if you try something new stick with it long enough to see results. Make your physical activity part of your life and schedule it in to your day, don’t wing it.
- In your profession, what are some of the biggest and/or most common issues you have seen that could be prevented with physical activity? The most common problems I see are back pain, posture and people with hunchbacks! Also sleep problems, diabetes and many things that can be prevented with regular exercise.
- Could you explain your business and what it provides its customers? I have a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu academy in Alameda and 3 affiliates in Oakland under Carlson Gracie Jiu Jitsu. It provides customers with skills to defend themselves, stress relief, self-confidence and a better quality of life.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner Diogo Gomes competing in Hong Kong.
The Cool Down
As you can see, not only is Diogo an ACTIVE-DAD, and an Expert, his family is ALL ABOUT THAT LIFE too!
Whether you are an EXPERT like Diogo Gomes or Frank Clayton, Jr., or just an EVERY DAY DAD (check out Ask An Active-Dad: Every Day Dad Edition with Eric Heinze), the rules remain the same. Start where you are at and EXPAND on it. Find some tools that will allow you to make Prioritizing Physical Activity more convenient (jogging strollers, infant carriers, hiking backpacks, etc.). When it is all said and done, Time-Management and Commitment is UP TO YOU!
When you need EXPERT advice, LOOK NO FURTHER!
All dads should be Active-Dads.