After the lockdown of 2020 and a large part of 2021, people of all shapes and sizes are reporting more than a little weight gain as well as, much more importantly, an overall significant decrease in their physical health and wellbeing.
Wonderfully, there are a plethora of ways that you can simultaneously increase the levels of your physical health. As a result, without even trying to, you will also drastically reduce your carbon footprint. What could be better?
For your reading pleasure, here is how to do just that.
Walk More!
Instead of driving to the store, or even taking public transportation, making the decision to have a family walk in the autumnal sunshine is considerably better for your health.
The benefits of regularly embarking on a walk include a decrease in your blood pressure, weight loss, a positive effect on your mental health and wellbeing, and the improved risk of cardiac factors such as high cholesterol. The added bonus is that you can play your part in reducing the damage motor vehicles cause to the environment at the same time as getting fit.
Eat well
One of the best ways that you can improve your physical and mental health is to eat better. Those who have a high-quality diet are less likely to experience depression, and when teens are 80% more likely to get depression without a good quality diet, this has never been more important. This means opting for organic brands and food – organic food is much better for the environment, too, so you are helping yourself, your family, and the earth. Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about the cost either, with this Thrive Market promo code shaving a discounted percentage of your orders.
Volunteer To Clean Local Parks & Beaches
Unfortunately, not everyone in your local area treats the environment as well as they should do. You only have to search for photographs of popular beach destinations or local woodlands and parks to see that, after a public holiday or particularly hot and sunny day, to see the disgustingly large amounts of litter left behind.
Joining a community group that focus on clearing up local parks, beaches, and other areas of the community is a great way to at least start to counteract the actions of these selfish people. Simultaneously, the fresh air in your lungs and the bending and lifting will build muscle tone, and the vitamin D from the sunshine will be gratefully received by your body.
Your Mental Health & Wellbeing
Thankfully and, frankly, long overdue, people’s mental health and wellbeing are finally being taken seriously by the mainstream media and large institutions and, as a result of this welcome shift in attitude, employers now have a legal obligation, rather than merely a moral or ethical one, to look after the mental health and wellbeing of their workforce.
However, your mental wellbeing is primarily in your own hands and, if you are aware enough to realize that it is the responsibility of every single human being to live an eco-friendly life wherever possible, it is important to highlight the copious benefits to both your mental health and the planet earth by helping to make a difference to the environment.
Physical activity encourages the brain to produce serotonin, the fundamental hormone lacking in people with low mood disorders. Additionally, exercise has been proven to sharpen memory skills, give you considerable more energy and focus, encourage feelings of positivity and provide you with a higher level of self-esteem.
