Useful tips to reduce your carbon footprint

Health

Climate change is detrimental to our health. It can lead to increased respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, injuries and premature deaths related to extreme weather events, changes in the distribution of food, water-borne illnesses and other infectious diseases, and threats to mental health.

Certain groups are more at risk of the impact of climate change - children, older people, those with disabilities or long-term health conditions, people living in poverty, minority ethnic groups and outdoor workers. We can prevent some of this by looking after our own health and wellbeing.

Get active

Living an active life is important to staying healthy. Staying active helps to reduce your risk of long-term health conditions. Respiratory disease, heart attacks and strokes in the borough are higher than the England average.

Getting our hearts pumping and oxygen flowing every day will help you stay healthy. There are lots of different ways to get moving even without leaving the house - do a workout, clean, dance or use the stairs.

Walk, cycle and scoot

Walk, cycle and scoot more to improve overall health, especially using the back streets away from polluting traffic. Just 30 minutes every day can increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, reduce excess body fat, and boost muscle power and endurance.

Spend time in nature

Exposure to nature not only makes you feel better emotionally, but also contributes to your physical well-being, reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones. Rochdale borough has plenty of parks and green spaces for you to enjoy.

Eat a healthy, balanced diet

A healthy diet helps maintain or improve overall health. A healthy diet provides the body with essential nutrition: fluid, macronutrients, micronutrients, and adequate food energy.

To have a healthy, balanced diet, you should try to eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. Base meals on higher fibre starchy foods like potatoes, bread, rice or pasta and have some dairy or dairy alternatives. 

Protect yourself from illness and disease 

As well as eating well and staying active, we can all adopt habits that will help to protect us from getting ill.

Getting enough sleep is important as it helps the body to rest, heal and repair. Keeping in touch with our family and friends keeps us connected and boosts mental well-being.

Washing your hands frequently helps to remove germs and viruses. Staying away from people who are sick will stop germs from being passed on. Keeping homes and workplaces clean also prevents the spread of viruses.

Vaccination is a simple, safe, and effective way of protecting yourself against harmful diseases before you come into contact with them.