Effects Of Climate Change: How Climate Change Can Effect The Way We Exercise

Regardless of whether you believe human activity is causing climate change, its hard to dispute the fact that the environment is changing around us. Longer, hotter heat waves, more frequent rain and other weather events are affecting our lives and making it more difficult to exercise. This is changing our lifestyle making us more prone to sedentary activities leading to increases in obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

What are the effects of climate change?

According to Psychiatry.org in its extreme - “Climate change and related disasters cause anxiety-related responses as well as chronic and severe mental health disorders”. This can be very disruptive to our lives. But a regular workout regime can reduce stress and improve your mental health. Based on a 2017 Harvard University study, “…both cold and acutely hot temperatures, as well as precipitation days, reduce physical activity…Our projections indicates that warming over the course of this century may increase net recreational physical activity in the United States. Activity may increase most during the winter in northern states and decline most during the summer in southern states”.

Tips on getting your exercise in

1. If you are working out in the great outdoors, make sure you stay hydrated and carry water with you. Avoid single use plastics that you discard along your hike, run or bike ride. Instead use a reusable one that you can attach to your bike or belt. 2. There are now many indoor exercise options. If you want to be Eco-friendly, avoid ones that require a lot of electricity (such as a treadmill or bike). Instead, there are many weight bearing exercises that you can do, including: a. High-impact weight bearing exercises: Activities such as skipping, jumping ropes, aerobics, Zumba, hiking, jogging, playing tennis and dancing all force a person’s body to work against gravity. b. Low-impact weight bearing exercises: If you have problems with your knees or back, low impact weight bearing exercises can do the trick. These include low- impact aerobics, brisk walking and hiking. c. Resistance exercises: These exercises involve lifting weights against gravity and are most often done using dumbbells, kettlebells or weights. Focusing on more repetitions rather than heavier weights will lead to stronger bones and muscles. d. Aerobic Exercises: Aerobics, such as swimming, cycling walking and rowing can lead to better heart health and weight loss. 3. Change your commute to school or work while also helping the environment - break out the bicycle instead of taking the bus, or exchange the car for a walk to work. Whatever you do - make it a regular part of your routine, exercising several times a week. Have fun with it and while you are taking care of yourself, take good care of the environment around you.