Today is Earth Day, a worldwide campaign focused on preserving and protecting the Earth’s natural environment and resources. Since the first Earth Day in 1970, millions of people have planted trees, cleaned up neighborhood litter, and found other ways to make a positive difference.
And a healthy environment doesn’t just pay off for the cute forest animals—you, your health, your children, your wallet, and your country all benefit from a cleaner, healthier world.
Here’s a few ways you and the planet can live a little healthier—what smart environmental choices have you made recently?
Go Plogging—No, That’s Not a Typo
If you heard about your friends going “plogging,” you might wonder what exactly they were up to!
Plogging is a hot fitness trend coming out of Sweden, and the name comes from a combination of plocka upp, the Swedish word for picking up litter, and jogging.
As a workout, Plogging keeps your jogs, runs, walks, or hikes from getting boring as you keep your eyes peeled for trash cluttering up your route. Beats the treadmill by a mile, and you can make a kind of game out of it!
You also get the bonus of adding bending, squatting, and flexibility-focused movements to your jogs.
And the best part is you can start today. Just grab a bag, your shoes, and hit the road. You’ll clean up your neighborhood and score some feel-good endorphins at the same time.
Take a Bike
Did you know half of all car trips are less than 5 miles? And did you know the EPA estimates that car trips of under one mile add up to about 10 billion miles per year in the United States?
When was the last time you rode a bike? It is a ton of fun, and many trips under 5 miles can actually be completed faster by bike!
Imagine heading down to the mailbox, your child’s school, the grocery store, a neighbor’s house, or other neighborhood destinations by bike. Even just a few daily minutes of moderate bicycling can pay huge health benefits. And if we all cut even just our 1-mile car trips in half, we’d save about $575 million in fuel costs, and reduce about 2 million metric tons of CO2 emissions every year!
If you don’t have a bike out in the garage, check out your local bike shop, Craigslist, Facebook groups, or yard sales. Odds are, you can get a great quality bike for under $100 that will pay for itself in a matter of weeks. Before you know it, you’ll be looking for excuses to ride!
Plant Power
Today would be an amazing time to plan out a garden, plant a tree, or think of other ways to ‘green’ up your surroundings.
Consider planting some local varieties of flowers to support declining bee populations—these buzzy little guys are critical for pollinating and supporting the environment. Avoid using pesticides that can harm them, and cause runoff into your local water supply.
Planting a tree, or putting up a few houseplants inside may improve the quality of your air, and has been shown to reduce stress and support healthy mood and energy levels.
For more ways to support your healthy lifestyle, along with improving your mood and energy, check out Xyngular products. Ask a Xyngular Distributor about getting started today!
