Paternal physical activity: an important target to improve the health of fathers and their children

Although the transition to fatherhood is joyful and fulfilling for many men, becoming a father also exposes men to a series of new challenges and responsibilities that can negatively affect their well-being. As such, effective strategies that foster positive physical and mental health in fathers are required. Given the established links between regular physical activity and optimal health, strategies to reduce the substantial decline in physical activity typically observed during the early fatherhood may be particularly fruitful. In this commentary, we discuss the potential mediating role of physical activity on a series of important outcomes for fathers, including paternal and child health and the quality of the father-child relationship. We also present an argument that high-quality research studies testing physical activity interventions that meaningfully engage fathers are urgently required.