Welcome!

Dadbod Bud 

Photo by Nigel, @midwinterphoto

My name is Matt. I’m a dad of a 4 year old, but this isn’t just for dads of the traditional definition (read on). 

I’m also fully committed to being a good husband, a great father, being successful in my career, and giving back to the community we live in. I’m your stereotypical 38 year old, fitting the broad definition of mass group of men in their late 20s to 50s (and beyond), who enjoy the occasional beer, bbq, chips, or other foods not on the national food guide. By occasional I mean every second day or so which helps attribute to the dreaded Dadbod, even if you aren’t a dad. 

You may have been a former athlete turned armchair QB, a guy who had 10 or more friends in your 20s to go play a game of pickup basketball or hockey, were on Rec teams or intramurals simply because that’s what you did, or you went outside and threw a frisbee around with a friend when you were bored because it was sunny out. Those days have passed, adult life and responsibilities caught up. Maybe you found the love of your life, maybe had a child or two,  maybe got a dog or a cat, maybe you’ve invested all that time into your career or your business, or you just don’t have that group to head out to throw the football with.  

The definition of dad here is much broader than you would typically think. If you’re a dad to a child, to a dog, to a cat, to any pet, maybe to a friend, to a spouse, to your career....this is for you. If any of the above or anything else comes to mind that demands your attention, your time, your spare time, or you are responsible for them...you’re a dad here.  

All too often I hear of men in this group speak of how they need to get in better shape, I’m just as guilty as everyone else. Things get in the way. We make it too difficult on ourselves or set the expectations too high. We feel like our life has to drastically change for things to improve or to feel more awake, aware, stress-less, and less winded when we try to run around a park or take a flight of stairs. 

I’m here as living proof that we can live healthier lives, without altering what we enjoy in life or taking on the most awful, often scary daily tasks. The early morning workouts, the lunchtime tasteless salads, saying no to the afterwork beer, or having to squeeze in an hour or more at a gym. 

These are all unrealistic to truly enjoy life and I wouldn’t dare do any of it myself. Life is about balance, you find the right balance and you can be good at many things in life without having to be perfect, the best, or that ultra fit individual you see on Instagram. You can accomplish those seemingly far-reaching goals or establish new ones you never dared dream of. 

I recently ran a marathon, 42.2 kms, with only 11 weeks of training and not having run for hours on end during that time. I’d never done any form of running in a race prior to signing up. How did I do it? You’ll hear more about that and other ways in which I am able to live that balanced life without spendings hours in a gym, studio, or running, because I just don’t have that kind of time and I also enjoy other things in life. Like many of you, the past 10 years or so has consisted of infrequent bouts of fitness and many self talks about how 'out of shape' I feel I’m getting. This past year I made a change and altered my mindset on how I looked at fitness, to fit the new norm of life as a ‘dad’ while continuing to enjoy all the other things.  

Hopefully this weekly blog speaks to you as a dad, a man, and someone who wishes to gain a little more energy, better sleep, and brighter thoughts and moods. Use this as you wish, I’m going to tell my story from my experience and hoping to bring you along for the journey to feeling great and actually being there more for your loved ones. None of this needs to be overly complicated. This community of men can help support one another along the way. We all need this. 

Dad Bud