Men’s health, fitness, and wellness need a different approach than women’s. That’s why, in collaboration with Dr. Mark Novitsky, this week’s guest, and Dr. Alex Stewart, we are introducing Fit Dad Collective – a men’s program for all aspects of your help. In this episode, we discuss the benefits of a men’s program, and how it will transform your family and your relationship.

 

The Benefits of Transforming Your Partner

1. Develop a common language
2. Inspire and motivate each other
3. Catch a problem before it explodes
4. Set a good example for the whole family
5. Level the playing field

 

About Dr. Mark Novitsky

Mark A. Novitsky Jr., MD is a dual board-certified medical doctor, certified life coach/master coach, and proud girl dad. He majored in Health and Exercise Science at Wake Forest and completed medical school training at Lewis Katz Temple University School of Medicine. His private practice NOVITSKY MD boutique mind doctors was named the 2022 outpatient practice in Pennsylvania for their therapy-first approach and he has been named the top child psychiatrist in Maryland (2020) and Pennsylvania (2022).

Following his child and adolescent fellowship, Mark was the medical director of one of Philly’s largest non-profit mental health systems. While there, he sought additional training through the Beck Initiative - a partnership between Philadelphia’s DBH and the Beck Institute, the birthplace of cognitive behavioral therapy. He later built upon this expertise with The Mind Firm Method cognitive coaching certification and master coach training.  

Mark has helped thousands of men in his career by helping them optimize their mindsets. He is excited to give fellow dads the mental tools to work through the many life stressors that may negatively impact their well-being.  

In his free time, Mark enjoys photography, live music, and walks outdoors with his wife Ali, two girls, and their labradoodle.

 

Introducing Fit Dad Collective

My husband, Dr. Mark Novitsky, joins me today to talk about our new program that he’s running in collaboration with Dr. Alex Stewart. The Fit Dad Collective is for men to take an all-around approach to their health and fitness.

Mark talks about some of the barriers men face when starting their wellness journeys and how to overcome them. We created a separate men’s program because men’s fitness has different needs than women’s. Men also need to really understand the ‘why’ behind the program, how it works, and why we recommend something over another.

 

Fitness For All the Family

Running the Fit Dad Collective along with my women’s program, Transform means that you’ll find a new level of support for and with your partner. Plus, not only are you supporting each other, but you’re also setting a good example for your families. When both parents invest in their health, children are more likely to understand the importance of wellness, as well.

We also talk about leveling the playing field. When both you and your partner have access to this information, you come to a new level of understanding between each other, catching thought distortions, and recognizing their stress patterns.

Is your male partner going to sign up for the Fit Dad Collective? Do you have any questions about the program? Let me know in the comments on the episode page.

 

In This Episode 

• How to move past the intimidation to start a healthy lifestyle [5:30]
• What sets our programs apart from others [7:45]
• Why we created a separate men’s program [9:15]
• The importance of understanding the ‘why’ behind a decision [14:15]
• What happens when you support your partner in these programs [15:30]
• What impact we have modeling healthy behavior on our families [22:30]
• What happens when the playing field levels [24:30]
• What happens when you understand your partner’s stress levels [26:30]

 

Quotes

“This is not CrossFit. This is not jumping into how much you can lift. This is understanding where I am at in this 43-year-old body. I might not be as capable as I was in my 20s, but I can still work on fitness. I can still feel better about myself. I can still make improvements.” [4:22]

“Even though the tools were there, one needs to make that time commitment and understand what realistic goals are.” [7:40]

“I think that the impact we have just be modeling it is so huge for families.” [22:58]

“Exercising intimacy and the idea that showing up for ourselves individually will create more intimacy.” [30:43]

 

Resources Mentioned

Learn About the Fit Dad Collective

Join Transform

Check out the full episode page here

Find Life Coaching for Women Physicians Online

Follow Dr. Ali Novitsky on Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

Subscribe to Life Coaching for Women Physicians on Apple Podcasts

Podcast production by the team at Counterweight Creative

 

Related Episodes 

Episode 157: Fitness Talk with Dr. Alex Stewart 

Episode 86: Restarting Your Relationship with Mark Novitsky, MD 

Episode 85: Reimagining Your Relationship with Mark Novitsky, MD