How Fitness and Healthy Eating Are Good for the Environment

Healthy Environment
29 Apr

Last Updated on January 31, 2023 by Michael Brockbank

A lot of people are jumping on the health and fitness bandwagon. Whether it’s to look good in a bikini or simply live a longer life, exercise and eating better is becoming more widespread. But did you ever think about how it could impact the environment? Yes, being healthy helps the fitness of Earth as well.

What Fitness Factors Impact the Environment?

You don’t have to be a member of an environmental group to see the potential from life-improving technology. Even if you don’t believe in climate change, there are some things developed that are just logical. Being healthy is one of those aspects of life.

Here is what I mean.

Reduces Waste

When you’re practicing better eating practices, you’re consuming fewer products. This means your trash production should be considerably reduced. In fact, I usually change the garbage bag in my kitchen once every 14 to 20 days…even with AirBnB people living here.

Consider this. By reducing your caloric intake, you’re also reducing the amount of trash from packaging materials. Instead of going through a bag of cookies once every two or three days, I’ve lowered it to one every one to two weeks. That alone has saved a lot of trash coming out of my house.

It doesn’t just stop there, though. Proper portions of everything from meats to vegetables means those packages last longer. As a result, you’re buying fewer of these over the long-term. And because I portion out all of my food logically, I have yet to throw a single morsel away. My leftovers are eaten and my “edible” trash is reduced to nil. I don’t make more than I can eat.

Reduces Energy Use

There are a number of ways that healthier practices impact energy use that many people may not even be aware of. Here are just a few examples of what I am talking about.

House Energy Use

By getting outside more often and exercising, you reduce the amount of electricity you use in the house. While the Xbox or Playstation may not consume an incredible amount of power, it does add up over the year.

Gasoline Expenses

Because I walk everywhere in Los Angeles, I have never bought a single gallon of gas. I don’t even take the bus. For one, I would rather get the calorie burn and build lean muscle mass. Secondly, I don’t see the need to stress myself thanks to LA traffic.

Manufacturer Production

If more people were to eat healthier and reduce their dependence on manufactured goods, the companies would have to produce less. This, in turn, means less work required by various machines and production lines. Which could very well impact the energy those facilities use. But this would only work if a large portion of the populace started being healthy.

Manufacturing could include everything from the very food you eat to the packaging materials that go into the product. Those plastics, inks, paper and glue have to come from somewhere. Next time you look at a package of anything, realize just how many components had to go into that box or bag.

Potential Impact to Economics

Economics

If a large portion of the populace decided one day to be healthy, it would have a massive impact to the economics of a society. This is kind of like those gasoline emails you may have received from friends and family. Everyone buying gas from one company would force the others to go into a price war.

It’s the law of supply and demand. The lower a demand becomes, the lower the price drops. You see this every time a new product comes out. Certain toys and electronics are stupid expensive when first released, but then drop over the months as the demand becomes less and less.

If the demand was lower for certain products, the environment wouldn’t have to suffer from manufacturing procedures.

Because there is so much competition for business in the world, those who raise prices to make up the difference usually are the first to suffer. People simply have a choice to go elsewhere for products and services. I’ve seen this happen several times in the various businesses I’ve been a part of.

In this situation, it’s the environment of the way of life that is affected the most. What would you do if you could have an extra $100 per month to “play” with? What if it could be as much as a thousand? In reality, the potential is quite great depending on how much your house consumes.

The point is that living a healthier lifestyle would have a profound ripple effect in economics, but only if a large number of people contribute. I’m talking tens of thousands here. But, since people in general are not all that organized or care enough to contribute, you may never see anything like this happen.

Lowers Emissions Across the Board

Emissions

I’ve mentioned how I walk everywhere in Los Angeles. I think I do it more in spite of everyone telling me how I “need” a car to live here. Pfff. No I don’t…and I have done well over the past five months. The only time I’ve paid for Uber myself was to the airport and from the airport…once.

In fact, one of my favorite things to do is walk along the Santa Monica Pier thanks to the electric rail system here. I know some of you are thinking that it takes energy from the grid to operate the rail. It’s still better than driving when you break down the CO2 emissions compared to the number of people who take the transit line.

Because I refuse to drive in Los Angeles, my impact to CO2 emissionswithin the environment is 0. However, I calculate I would only drive an average of seven miles per day simply because I am a bit of a hermit. This translates to saving 2.5 tons of CO2 per year. That’s just from one man who has no social life with a vehicle which gets 20 miles to the gallon.

Imagine if there were more people who decided to walk or ride a bike around town.

OK, lets take out vehicles at the moment. What about the CO2 produced by manufacturers when making goods? How about the methane created thanks to agriculture? How about reducing the drain on the electrical grid if everyone decided to go to the park for an hour a day?

Lowering Demand for Agriculture Production

Generally speaking, it is believed people should consume no more than four ounces total of meats per day to maintain a good balance of protein intake. Sorry, vegans. I’m as carnivorous as a T-Rex surrounded by herbivores.

Another Cow
Another Cow

Whether you believe in eating animals or not is irrelevant. The point I am trying to make is that a 15oz T-Bone at a fancy restaurant is not a healthy serving. To the contrary, it is the equivalent of eating nearly four meals worth of beef.

What would happen to agriculture production should people start eating proper portion sizes? The demand for certain products would be decreased exponentially. Prices would drop sharply and less land would be required to feed everyone. This isn’t some theory…it’s a fact of nature and economics.

In reality, humanity could probably do away with hunger and starvation if we used common sense when eating proper portion sizes. More food to go around means less stomachs to remain empty.

But wouldn’t fruit and vegetable production need to increase? Absolutely. However, it’s also incredibly cheaper and easier to grow fruits and vegetables as opposed to an entire cow or buffalo. In fact, many people could grow their own foods to help the environment within their own homes with indoor gardens. If you can simulate growing conditions year-round, you could potentially feed yourself regardless of the season and for vastly less money.

Our Health and Fitness is Symbiotic with Earth

I originally wanted to post this for Earth Day, but I completely forgot. However, the fact of the matter remains that living a healthier lifestyle can have a positive impact on the environment whether you’re a tree-hugger or Scott Pruitt, controversial head of the EPA – which is laughable really. The overall benefits to life are nothing short of amazing…but only if more people are conscious about their lifestyles and living longer.

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