Joe Montana knows pressure. As quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, he led the team to four Super Bowl wins and earned three Super Bowl MVP awards. He knows the pressure of avoiding a sack, completing a pass and rallying downfield with less than two minutes to go. But one pressure snuck up on him without warning: high blood pressure.

Montana learned he had high blood pressure after a checkup in 2002. He did not have any symptoms of the condition. "The only reason I went to the doctor was because my wife, Jennifer, was pushing me to get an annual checkup since I turned 40," he says. "When the doctor told me that my blood pressure was extremely high and sent me to a cardiologist that very day, I was shocked. If I had never gone in for that checkup, who knows what would have happened to me. That's why it's so important to see your doctor and get your blood pressure checked on a regular basis. They call this disease the 'silent killer' because in most cases there are no symptoms."

After his diagnosis, there were many changes in the Montana house, including eating healthier and exercising more. Montana also felt strongly about helping others recognize and get treatment for this condition that affects more than 65 million Americans. The result was the book Joe Montana's Family Playbook for Managing High Blood Pressure.

"Jennifer and I hoped that by sharing our story we could encourage others to get their blood pressure controlled and live a healthier lifestyle," Montana says. "After I was diagnosed with high blood pressure, my family and I really could have used a book like this. It is a great motivational and educational tool."

The couple collaborated with cardiologist Dr. James Rippe, a nutritionist, a fitness expert and other people with high blood pressure to provide tips and anecdotes about living a heart-healthy lifestyle. "The book includes some great tools, including a medication tracker, suggested heart-healthy meals, exercises you can easily fit into your daily routine and some of my favorite recipes," Montana says. "The book is free and easy to get, so I encourage everyone 'Äì whether you've been affected by high blood pressure, are looking for creative ways to exercise as a family or want to learn some great recipes that the kids will love 'Äì to order a copy."

Montana says family support is key. "My family has played a tremendous role in helping me manage my high blood pressure," he says. "After I was diagnosed in 2002, Jennifer began preparing 'heart-healthy' meals, which were lower in salt and fat. No more cream sauces and butter! Well, she let me have some butter, but it had to be low salt!"

Montana's kids, Nicholas, 14, Nathaniel, 16, Elizabeth, 19 and Alexandra, 20, also kept him on his toes. "The boys are at an age where they eat anything," Montana says. "So if I order a cheeseburger they'll say, 'You really don't want that cheeseburger ... I'll eat it for you!' The girls are always moving the salt shaker to the other end of the table so I can't get my hands on it."

And Jennifer reminds him to take his medication every day, especially when he's traveling. "They've all been incredible," Montana says. "It would have been much more difficult to get my blood pressure under control without them, so I continue to count on them for support and motivation."

Many people worry when faced with having to improve their diet, but Montana says he really didn't even notice at first. "Jennifer uses some delicious seasonings that taste great," he says. "She makes an incredible meatloaf with lean ground turkey and whole-wheat bread crumbs. And she actually modified my grandmother's coleslaw recipe to make it healthier. She uses low-fat yogurt instead of mayonnaise and also apple cider vinegar, which gives it a nice flavor. I think the kids like the healthy meals. They've learned how important good nutrition is, and hopefully they'll continue to eat heart-healthy foods as they get older."

Montana says he feels people are afraid of the word "diet." "Eliminating the foods you love altogether is hard because you end up craving tastes and eventually falling back into bad habits," he says. "The key to maintaining a healthy diet is eating the foods you love, but in moderation. By slowly reducing my portion sizes (choosing the smaller fillet instead of the 16-ounce porterhouse, or the smaller bag of potato chips instead of that giant bag) and eating some healthier foods, I've been able to reduce my salt and fat intake. And you know what, I actually feel a lot better."

Montana enjoys weightlifting and cardio exercises, and tries to workout at least five times a week. "It doesn't always happen, but that's what I shoot for," he says.

And the family's involvement doesn't stop at the dinner table. "Jennifer and I work out together a lot and really enjoy taking walks after dinner," Montana says. "The boys love to beat me at football and basketball. The girls are in college now but when they're home, we try to get to the park or to the gym together. We also try to plan active vacations that involve a lot of walking, hiking or swimming. It's a great way to bond with the kids and get in some exercise at the same time."

Montana feels healthy habits needs to be developed early. "I think if you teach your kids about exercise and good nutrition when they're young, they'll grow up wanting to live a healthy lifestyle because they understand the importance," he says.

Nothing will keep Montana from doing what he loves best: being a dad. "I love watching the kids grow up and take on new challenges," he says. Both of his girls attend Notre Dame, while the boys are at home playing football and basketball with Dad as coach.

"So even though they take the salt shaker away and nag me to take my medication, I always say I have five great reasons to be here," Montana says. "So I'll continue to eat healthy, exercise and take my medication. It's simple and a small price to pay if I'm able to watch my kids grow up."