Today is Blog Action Day, a day on which thousands of bloggers around the world will commit to write about a single topic to raise awareness about an issue we all face. This year, the topic of focus is “the environment”.
What does a blog that primarily talks about health, nutrition and fitness have to do with the environment? A lot more than I first imagined! Think about it. Doing one’s part for the environment is not just the prerogative of big industries that might create the most pollution or effluents. You and I can each play our own little parts to help save the environment and also - in the long run - this planet we all call home.
As individuals, when we think about the environment and how we can help, recycling is one our first thoughts. But do you realize that just by making fitness a way of your life, you could already be making a huge impact on helping the environment?
Consider these healthful habits:
- Walking or cycling to places within range like shops, your workplace or the gym. Getting the exercise you need while also saving on gas and reducing pollution has never been this beneficial!
- Taking the stairs instead of escalators or elevators - work those quadriceps while saving electricity. And, did you know that for one or two floors, it’s actually faster to take the stairs than wait for the elevator? Heading for the stairs next time will help you burn some calories while saving some power for your building.
- Brown-bagging your lunch (with recycled paper, of course!) will dramatically reduce the number of cars on the road during lunch hours crowding the restaurants. And don’t even get me started on the number of paper or plastic cups, plates, forks, spoons and knives that fast-food joints so liberally use - all of which just end up in landfills because, honestly, when was the last time you saw someone carefully recycle them? (Most just roll up everything in the brown bag they come in and trash them). Oh yes, bringing your own lunch saves money too!
- Eating fresh (and I don’t mean Subway!): Last time I checked, individual fruits and vegetables sold fresh in the local farmers’ markets didn’t need to be shrink-wrapped, canned or otherwise wrapped with environmentally unfriendly plastic. Healthful habits automatically become environmentally friendly as well! The less processed food you buy, the better it is for the environment (and for you!).
- Just being healthy helps! How? Every visit you ever made to the doctor, every surgical glove ever used, every prescription bottle ever dispensed, every tablet you ever had to have to take, everything ends up creating additional metal, plastic and paper that might end up in landfills further increasing the effect of the environmental nightmare the planet is facing today.
So do your part: live well, eat well, move more, be healthy and depend less on drugs and procedures. It might not be easy and it might take awhile, but this might well be your simple part in making this world a better place for all of us.
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