The Importance of Earth Day for Earth AND our Health

It’s hard to think of San Diego and not think about the beach. We are so lucky to have 70 miles of beach available to us, whether you surf, sun or swim. This year as Earth Day approaches, I can’t help but think about the importance of taking care of our beautiful coastline.

These beaches are particularly important to me as I have some of my favorite memories here. My favorite is Law Street Beach in Pacific Beach. It’s very special to me as this is where my husband proposed to me as well as where we shared our wedding vows.

Now we get to share the same beach with our 4 year old.

We are teaching him our ways of always picking up trash that we find at the beach. Our motto anywhere in nature is “pack it in, pack it out, or better yet, leave it cleaner than when you arrived.

As you probably know, later this month we will celebrate Earth Day. This is a significant day for the beaches of San Diego for several reasons. But did you ever think about how celebrating Earth Day can have numerous health benefits, both mental and physical, as it encourages behaviors and activities that promote a healthier environment and lifestyle. Here are some ways in which celebrating Earth Day can be good for our health.

Encourages Outdoor Activities: Earth Day events often involve outdoor activities like tree planting, clean-ups, and nature walks. Partaking in these activities not only helps to improve the environment but can also get your heart pumping, which, as I’m sure you know, is beneficial for overall physical well-being.

Promotes Mental Health: It’s no secret that spending time in nature, a common Earth Day activity, has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Nature exposure can improve mood, enhance mental well-being, and provide a sense of relaxation. Take those shoes and gloves off and connect with the earth to get your nervous system greatly calmed down. 

Improves Air Quality: Many Earth Day initiatives focus on reducing pollution and carbon emissions, which directly benefits respiratory health. Cleaner air means a lower risk of respiratory conditions like asthma and bronchitis, as well as other chronic health issues such as heart disease and stroke. Did you know that restricted airways can cause us to compensate with postural muscles and in turn worsen our posture? 

Raises Awareness About Environmental Toxins: Earth Day activities often include education on the harmful effects of toxins and chemicals that are released into our environment, which leads to these harmful products in our oceans and being ingested by fish that we then consume. Earth Day helps us to make more informed choices about products that are safer and healthier for both the planet and our bodies.Toxins and chemicals within our body may lead to excessive inflammation. Inflammation leads to achy joints. No thank you 🙂

Earth Day often involves community clean-up events, educational programs, and conservation efforts that bring the community together to take care of not only the beaches, but the surrounding land as well. The waters off San Diego are home to a large range of marine life and Earth Day emphasizes the importance of protecting these marine habitats from pollution and other environmental threats. Efforts to clean up beaches and reduce pollution contribute to the health of marine ecosystems.

This Earth Day, I'm hoping you'll find some time to help your local community by participating in conservation efforts to support the local economy, beaches and marine life.

Want to participate with a beach clean up this year? Click HERE for the San Diego CoastKeeper calendar and pick an event near you!

Looking for more ideas on how to celebrate Earth Day locally? Check out this list from Fox 5 to get more ideas!!