Earth Day 2020: How you can participate while staying safe

Scientists have proposed spraying sun-dimming chemicals into the Earth’s atmosphere in a bid to curb climate change. Image credit: UIG via Getty Images How we’ll celebrate Earth Day this year may be unusual, but there’s no shortage of enjoyable activities that are good for your health and the planet and that will keep you safe during a pandemic. Walk, run or hike the Earth

On Earth Day, take a walk or run through the neighborhood. Go alone and relish your solitude, enjoying the time for free thought or listening to a podcast. Or take advantage of the opportunity for quality time with your loved ones and stroll with your family and dog by your side.

It’s safe to do so if you make sure you “keep your distance from other people” outside of your family, said Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Massachusetts.

“The key word is consideration,” Kuritzkes added. “People need to be aware of their distance from others to be respectful and not crowd them, and not have other people crowding you. If people are respectful, it should be pretty simple to stay sufficiently far apart from other people so that there’s really no risk.”

It’s also good for your health. Walking in nature may even lead to less repetitive negative thoughts , according to research. And a study of older women in the US found the higher the number reached on their step counters each day, the lower their rate of premature death.

Getting your heart pumping by walking may improve your executive functioning skills, a 2018 study also concluded. Those are the skills centered in the part of your brain that helps you take care of yourself and keep up with chores and bills.

And walking at a decent speed may reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels as much as running.

Running has been found to reduce stress, alleviate symptoms of depression and improve self-esteem. The activity has also been tied to living longer by improving heart health and sleep, and staving off cognitive decline.

But is going to the beach okay ? And what about hiking? If you can keep a respectful distance from other people and pay attention to hygiene, both are acceptable, Kuritzkes said.

A beach that is isolated, unpopular and uncrowded is best. If you hike on a nearby trail, maintain the same distance of at least six feet apart from others. Bring hand sanitizer and wipes so that if you stop to eat or sit on picnic tables and benches, you can disinfect your hands, Kuritzkes suggested. Biking for strength and a good mood

Cycling through your neighborhood, on a trail or into town is permissible, as “most people on bicycles are reasonably far apart from each other,” Kuritzkes said. And since you’d be speeding down a road or path, there’s not much opportunity to transfer the virus by closely talking with people.

Just be courteous to those around you. If you do need to come to a halt, be sure you’re maintaining the proper distance from other cyclists or pedestrians.

Considering the health boosts, climbing aboard a two wheeler for exercise is easy on your joints, for one, as your weight rests on your pelvis and not your legs. Cycling is beneficial for your heart, brain and blood vessels, according to Harvard Medical School . It can also trigger the release of endorphins, the body’s feel-good chemicals.

Different phases of pedaling also help you build muscles in your thighs, calves and hips. The exercise builds bone density and smaller muscles, too: You use your abdominal muscles to balance and stay upright, and your arm and shoulder muscles to hold on and steer.

Those benefits can carry over to everyday activities, improving your balance when you walk or stand and extending your endurance. Stay in touch with the Earth by gardening

Putter around in your garden on Earth Day to keep in touch with nature and appreciate whatever you pull from its soil.

One study found gardening may prevent brain shrinkage in older adults. Our cognitive abilities, including learning and memory, partly depend on the size of our brains.

Gardening is good for the Earth when you replenish its soil in the form of compost or grow flowers from which bees can graze for pollen and plant nectar. But it’s also advantageous for reaching a state of mindfulness.

Horticultural therapy is rooted in the idea that interacting with plants contributes to well-being. Caring for plants can improve your mood, blood pressure, heart rate and stress hormone levels. But we may also have a philosophical lesson to learn from plants.

In a 2018 CNN article on the topic, horticultural therapist Libba Shortridge described the life cycle of a seed to a group at Skyland Trail, a mental health treatment center in Atlanta, Georgia.

At first, a seed may appear dormant and hopeless. What does it need to grow? It requiressun and water, and patience, courage and confidence from you, to name a few.We could use those things as we navigate this unsettling time. Enjoy the meditative qualities of nature

You might also celebrate the natural world by forest bathing .

The term comes from the Japanese word shinrin-yoku, which means “immersing in the forest atmosphere.” Since the 1980s, the Japanese have managed forests to help citizens relax and reduce stress.

Studies have shown that within just 15 minutes of this immersion, stress levels can decrease while your heart rate and blood pressure improve. You might even feel less depressed, or not as anxious, which is considerably needed during these vexing times.

Getting some fresh air is also a boon to instilling good behavior in children. A recent study found children who felt connected to nature — feeling pleasure when seeing wildflowers and animals, hearing sounds of nature — were more likely to engage in behaviors that helped other people. They scored higher on a happiness scale, too.

And if the weather’s nice, give meditating outside a shot if you can find a quiet space. Numerous […]

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