Forget the yoga mats and fitness tapes, and step your way to health in your home, while using less toxic products. I enjoy the work of Partners in Health and Wholeness and I get excited about how we are connected to all the other programs at the Council. I appreciate even more when we can combine our programs in unique ways. Here is an idea that combines PHW and NCIPL–walking and reducing the toxic materials used in the home.
I have always loved walking but love it even more when I walk and multi-task, and I don’t mean talking on the phone. The multi-tasking I’m thinking of is the physical activity it takes to pick up buckets, move water, mix four pounds here, slosh a five-gallon bucket of water around over there (water weighs eight pounds per gallon), and carry pots back and forth. It’s work and really reminds me of my days spent in Mali or in the rural life of Costa Rica. Here in the States, most of us are exempt from having to do so much labor to get through the daily chores of life. Unlike many folks around the world, we can push our gas pedal places and buy from expansive markets. So why change? Well, if you want an easier way of exercising and saving money, this might be an idea for you to try. I have found that it saves me more than $40 dollars a month on a gym membership, I shell out less money for cleaning products, and I am getting physical activity along the way.
So, here was my challenge. I decided to log the steps as I made different cleaning products. I did this for three straight days.The con is that they are not within a specific time frame, like an hour. That is because some of these recipes take time to “be ready”, and that was perfect time for me to focus on other chores. These steps include walking in the store as well as in the home. Also, I live in an apartment, and while our living dimensions might be different, I think you will get the point that there is plenty of physical activity to be had by changing some simple habits. While I don’t provide the recipes in this blog post, I will in upcoming ones. I just wanted you to see the exercise potential.
1361 steps the first day:
DIY rain water spray bottle
DIY liquid laundry detergent
Compost
DIY mouthwash
Recycled
92 steps second day:
DIY magnesium oil
Spanish tortilla (tried a new recipe for an event in Troy, NC)
DIY ginger tea
Washing shirt by hand
152 steps the third day:
Attended DIY worm bin
DIY air freshener
DIY car cleaner
Cleaned up spilled DIY laundry detergent in car (oops!)
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