#2013alive: Ditch the Car!

It’s a no-brainer that cars are bad for the planet, as they spew pollutants into the environment. But what we sometimes forget is that they’re also bad for our health, encouraging us to be more sedentary in our everyday lives.

Walking or biking to and from errands, appointments, and work gets our hearts pumping and lungs working. Not surprisingly, research shows that in countries where walking and biking is encouraged through smart urban planning, obesity rates are much lower. Even taking transit means that we’re walking and standing more than we do if we take our cars.

That’s why, for week 1 of July’s 12 Months of Wellness, we’re ditching our cars and taking an eco-friendly alternative for at least one errand we’d normally do this week.

For me, this is an easy challenge—probably the easiest of the bunch. I’ve been taking the bus for years, and I find it to be not only much less expensive than driving, but also quite de-stressing. Instead of feeling my blood boil at other drivers and bad traffic, I can read a book or magazine, listen to music, and even catch some shut-eye (which I, admittedly, do quite a bit on transit). And, while every now and then my bus is late, I find it to be a lot more predictable than bad traffic and accidents that drivers face.

Follow us!

What errands will you be doing on foot or by bike or bus? Drop us a line via blog or Facebook comment, or by using the Twitter hashtag #2013alive to let us know how you’re doing on your 2013 journey!

Plus, tune in to find out how we’re doing by checking our ongoing Twitter, Facebook, and blog posts. Don’t forget to download your July 12 Months of Wellness goal tracking sheet!