If what our buddie Thomas said is true, it stands to reason that people need a good cause to choose to act.

I found a good one; maybe you’ll think so too. Here’s the scoop.

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Canada has launched Pin it for the Planet.  It’s simple and broken down into 3 simple steps.  

1. Walk it (or bike it, bus it, board it…whatever!)
2. Track it (by telling WWF what you’ve done every day.)
3. Pin it (your car key. On your shirt. Do it) ps. Each time you report what you’ve done you are entered to win a great bike!

So that’s the breakdown, now I promised some good reasons to choose the “hard way”.

Since I work for (and believe in the importance of) a physical activity strategy let’s start there.

When you choose to drive less and employ active transportation to get around you’re incorporating physical activity into your lifestyle (which is awesome).

ParticipACTION has provided WWF with a great list of reasons, in terms of health, to Pin it for the Planet.

• Improved air quality – reduces asthma related issues
• Daily physical activity is preventative against Heart Disease and Stroke
• Stress reduction -no traffic =less stress

(Check out the list)

Need a little more?

This one will be obvious but.. the planet!

WWF is of course hoping to reduce emissions and help the planet. According to their website transportation is responsible for 27% of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. Eshk.. sounds like we all need to drive a lot less!

Still, even if all we can do for a start is a little that adds up to big reductions. Plus, just to be repetitive, you’ll be providing yourself the opportunity to get active.

The pinning your key to your shirt element is edgy too. It’s just like wearing a ribbon or a live strong bracelet. You’re telling the rest of the world what’s important to you, and raising awareness. (Very cool, and easy!)

Still not convinced? (even if you’re on board, keeping reading it’s good stuff )

I’ve told you about the physical activity and the environmental impact you can have, but there is one other thing that we all understand very well. Money. Consider how much you would save on gas by using “people power”  (to borrow ParticipACTION’s term).  

So a valid case?

I hope you’ll give Pinning it for the Planet a try on May 31^st – June 6^th.  The WWF website has a bunch more info, including toolkits with ideas for school, home and workplaces.

The website says “we all need to rethink our relationships with cars”.

It’s true. What is more important our health and the health our of planet and climate or driving cars?

Ps. don’t say you don’t have time!

DYK: In distances up to 5km, cycling is recognized as the fastest door to door more of transportation. —Gotcha there don’t I!

Hit the streets and let me know how it goes in the comments below!

Kenji!

Bikes Parked Outside the SK in motion Office

The top 8 reason I bike to work: 

 I hope they encourage you to try it for yourself or motivate you to continue. After all it is National Bike Month ( I love the biker “groups” in this blog “a hipster on a fixie”), and in Regina May 10-15 is the 2^nd annual Bike 2 Work Week Regina!

1. The Physical Activity Opportunity - 5 days a week I get up and go to work, but recently I made a change. Instead of driving to work I bike. It does take longer to get here, but only by about 15 minutes, which isn’t much out of the day. It works out to about a half hour each way. That’s 60 out of my 60-90 minutes a day. Since it’s just part of my routine I don’t even think about it as “getting my physical activity”, now it’s just part of my day; one of my favorite parts.        
2. The Eco Friendly and Sustainable Choice- Around the “basecamp” office, sometimes I’m referred to as the Green Goblin (ok, it was a self imposed nickname haha). It had to be intimidating because I’m (also a self imposed position) the green police around here. Sustainability and environmental conservation are 2 of my other passions so finding an alternative means of transportation that fit with my work and my personal passions was like icing on the cake!
3. Enjoying the Outdoors- I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying “stop and smell the roses”. There is something truly awesome about starting and wrapping the day spending a good chunk of time outside. Breathing some fresh air, enjoying the visuals, and the other people you meet along the way (if you want to be social).
4. The Money I Save on Gas- Self explanatory; I used to drive a truck, which I loved. We had some great times..but buying my bike cost me what would have been about 7 tanks of gas. Now it’s all me, no gas required.
5. A Sense of Accomplishment- You have to experience it to know the feeling, or maybe you already have. You wake up knowing you have to get somewhere and then you physically move yourself there. Even on the days it isn’t fun during the ride, once you make it you feel confident and empowered. It’s a guaranteed accomplishment every day you do it!
6. Avoiding Traffic- Patience is not one of my best virtues (I’ll admit it). So waiting in a line of cars to get to virtually the same place as everyone else is irritating! Bike paths, trails and bike lanes are an amazing solution to this problem. It’s especially fun when traffic is at a standstill and I ride by everyone, I win! (haha, have I mentioned I’m competitive.)
7. Belonging-As sappy as it sounds even if you don’t directly communicate with the other people you see biking, you know you’re all part of a little club. Take a look at the trailer for the documentary ”VEER” to see what I mean.
8. The Great Parking Spaces- I work downtown and parking a vehicle is one of the most evil things ever. Fortunately most places provide space for us active commuters, and if not a sturdy post usually isn’t too far away (I wouldn’t personally recommend using trees to lock your bike up, it can damage them, not cool).

Check out these great links from David’s Cycling Blog for tips and how to celebrate Bike 2 Work week:

http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bikemonth/pdf/50_things_for_bike_month.pdf

http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bikemonth/pdf/BTWW_Booklet.pdf

What motivates you to use active transportation? Does your community arrange a Bike 2 Work week?

Kenji

Dated, but still relevant my Earth Day blog contribution (oh technology…what a love hate relationship we have).

Ps. Imagine it’s Earth Day while your read! haha

It’s Earth Day today, which is awesome. Any opportunity to turn the world’s attention to the intensifying situation on our planet is good. Although as the cliché goes: “shouldn’t every day be earth day?” – I personally think yes, but that is beside the point.

The Breakdown

• The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970.
• Roughly 500 million people participate in 180 countries around the world.
• About 6 million Canadians take part in Earth Day.

The Issues

• Advocacy
• Climate Change
• Conservation & Biodiversity
• Education
• Energy
• Food & Agriculture
• Green Economy
• Green Schools
• Recycling & Waste Reduction
• Sustainable Development
• Water

The Physical Activity

I personally see being an “environmentalist” and physically active as two intertwined things. In one of my recent blogs [Road Warrior – Ditching Fuel for Physical] I talk about selling my truck and buying my bike. I love it! Its hard work but I know that it’s good for me and for the planet, so it’s worth it. I’m definitely not saying you shouldn’t ever drive or have a vehicle, but why not try the road less traveled from time to time?

There are a ton of different ways to transport yourself from point A to point B.  You’ve got your “minimalist” methods if you will: walking and jogging/running. There’s your classic “active wheel” methods: biking and rollerblading (I’ve even seen a unicycle dude in Regina). Then there are the stereotypically more youthful and “smaller wheeled active” methods: various shapes and sizes of skateboards (I’m sure you can tell I made up those categories, there’s nothing official about them, but they work for me).

If a commitment to active transportation isn’t for you what about reducing your screen time? You could try taking yourself outside to experience what everyone is so worried about a little more often. 

Some people love the gym and I’m not opposed to it but doing active things outside can be easier, cheaper and more fun. (Almost like you wouldn’t even realize it’s physical activity!) whyn ot try:

• Playing sports in the park with friends
• Swimming at the lake
• Hiking
• Going for a run
• Doing yoga/Tai Chi
• Cutting the grass/gardening
• Walking your dog
• Geocaching
• Mountain biking/rolling hill biking (it’s Saskatchewan)
• Skate/long boarding

And the list goes on. . .Check out Saskatchewan in motion’s 100 Easy Ways to Get Active.

So on Earth Day when the focus is so vast and overwhelming, and you’re just looking for some way to participate on a smaller scale here is an idea for you.

Cheesy as it may sound, reconnect with nature. Go outside, move around, take a look around and hopefully without even realizing it get in your physical activity for the day. It won’t hurt you, just the opposite actually (provided you don’t attempt anything crazy).

Let me know how it goes!

Happy Earth Day!

Kenji

Here’s the deal; I decided to buy a bike and adopt it as my main means of transportation. If you’re thinking whoa that’s a pretty big thing to take on.. you’re right!

About 2 years ago I bought myself a beautiful truck that I love to this day. Unfortunately, trying to save for an extended stay in another country and paying for a truck is difficult. Acknowledging this fact was the first step to my decision.

The next thing was pretty obvious; my passion for living sustainably and being eco friendly grew as my knowledge of the subject did. So, how can I drive a truck around every day and expect anyone to take me seriously about my environmental concerns?

Then there is my work at Saskatchewan in motion. My understanding of the importance of daily physical activity tells me to do what I can, to be as active as I can.  Not just for looking good, but for feeling good and living a healthy life.

Taking all of my passions into account the most realistic thing I could think to do was hitting the street on my bike.

Today was day 1!

The benefits of choosing active transportation are clear:

• I will save money I would have spent on gas
• I will be able to save significantly more money for my trip (my bike was a one-time payment, unlike my truck)
• I will virtually eliminate my personal fuel emissions impact on the environment
• I will increase the amount of physical activity I get drastically!
• I am already more organized and efficient because I have to plan where I need to go, and when (more time and more effort to get where I’m going, means I can’t afford to be unorganized)
• Physically and “emotionally”(or whatever you wanna call it) I feel great about what I accomplished.

This morning was a huge test for my mental and physical toughness. Not only did I have to get up an hour earlier than I usually do (as I’m sure you’re aware, biking takes a lot longer than driving haha). I also hadn’t been on a bike in a long time. I’ve been working out fairly consistently doing other things so I knew I could handle it, but it wasn’t easy.

To be clear I live a significant distance away from work, I’m not whining over 4 blocks or anything

I made it though, huffing and puffing with burning legs and a sore gluteus maximus. None of that mattered once I succeeded in getting to work this am. I’m not gunna lie, I’m proud.

It feels deadly knowing I conquered something not everyone thought I would follow through with. Ya it’s only day one, but I’m in it for the long haul. (Plus, I have the long weekend to forget how hard the ride was.. haha)

What do you do for physical activity that you’re proud of?

Kenji

Severn Cullis-Suzuki is known throughout the world for her work in the environmental movement. Why then would Saskatchewan in motion invite her to be the guest speaker at out provincial gathering?

There are a few different reasons we choose to team up with Severn. At Sask in motion we are trying to build a provincial movement. We’re trying to promote lifestyle change. An epic goal like that requires leadership on many levels!

Laying the Groundwork

 Severn knows what it means to take a leadership role. She’s been doing environmental and social justice work since kindergarten. By the time she was in grade 5 Severn and a couple friends formed ECO (the Environmental Children’s Organization). Together they raised enough money to go to the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. At just 12 years old Severn took the stage at a plenary session to deliver ECO’s message. During Severn’s address the room of adults was silenced by young girls powerful words of caution.

Severn was awarded the UN environmental Program’s 500 Award the following year. Ever since, Severn has spoken around the world about social and ecological issues, climate change and intergenerational injustice.

Wait!..don’t be intimidated! Severn may take a leadership role on an international scale, but that doesn’t mean you have to. Severn has said that global change starts at the community level.

You Can Too

That philosophy is a huge part of how Sask in motion operates. We try to provide individuals with skills, knowledge, tools, resources, and connections so they can take action and contribute to a making changes that affect our physical activity!

You can take on a leadership role for yourself, and for your family and friends. With every action, this lays a foundation for more efforts in schools, communities, our country and even prhaps on an international scale. You can decide what your actions and goals will be based on what you are comfortable with. The most important thing to remember is that anyone is cable of identifying something they believe in and advocating for that cause on whatever level.

So to recap-> to raise awareness, build a movement and ultimately influence behavior change. We need people to be leaders!

Linkage

One of the other important reasons we wanted to work with Severn is because of the connection between the environment and physical activity.

The connection is there on so many levels, that it only makes sense to team up. At Sask in motion we aim to increase physical activity levels for improved health, social, enviornmental and economic benefits. Severn advocates for the health of the environment which ultimately affects the health of people.

Active Transportation

So many of the ways we can help ourselves go hand in hand with the ways we can decrease or impact out the environment. Active transportation is one of the most obvious examples of this. We provide the power rather than burning fossil fuels, and the reward is green living and acquiring recommended daily physical activity!

Connections Run Deep

By choosing to engage in a more physically active lifestyle people often discover or rediscover nature. By being outside and experiencing the natural world you may develop a deeper concern for conservation and sustainability.

The Greater Good

In the long run choosing to be both physically active and environmentally conscious are (in my opinion) “good” things to do. Being physically active has health, social, economic and environmental benefits. Plus, the environment, in simple terms supports our existence. So it makes sense to make sure we act in a sustainable manner…Don’t ya think?

So that’s the short version of why Saskatchewan in motion and Severn Cullis-Suzuki teaming up make sense.

The Event!

If you are interested in being a part of our Inspiring Action-Jump in 2010! event you can find details at saskatchewaninmotion.ca

The event is going out live through the LIVE Satellite Network and over the Internet. Which means we’re going interactive here people!

As Severn speaks tomorrow I’ll be plugged into the social media world connecting with the world outside the Queensbury in Regina and bringing it back to the event. Meaning - even if you’re not physically at the event you can tune in, and/or follow the discussion, send in your questions for Severn and see what people around the province (or the world) are feeling about the event.

Where To Connect:

Facebook- Event Page: Inspiring Action-Jump in 2010! (confirm your attending the event to comment)

Twitter- Direct message @Kenji22 or use the hash tag #jumpin

E-mail kenji@saskinmotion.ca

Txt- 306-550-9646

(Remember to keep it clean)

If you won’t be able to participate tomorrow post your questions below, I’ll check here too!

This is an opportunity to be heard.. will you take it?

Kenji

Don’t ask me to explain the names of the tricks or the scoring system. All I know is when they fly over that lip and force their bodies to do those crazy rotations it’s amazing!

What’s not that amazing, because it was a bit of a given, is that Shaun White of the US won his second straight gold medal. The amplitude and ease of his runs..those were amazing! The dude didn’t even have to do his final run to win, but threw it down anyway and topped his score!

As you can imagine I don’t know the guy; but I get the feeling that part of the reason his runs are so sick is because he has so much fun!

I’m positive to be on his level you’d have to put in some serious work, but boarding for anyone is such a total body workout. The good thing is you may not even notice it cuz you’re having too much fun..until the next day anyway. Then you might encounter some sore muscles, maybe even some bruises depending how often and how bad you whipped haha.  What’s a bruise compared to gliding down a mountain or flying along the lip of a pipe?!

Probably the coolest thing about White’s win, is how stoked he was to win. The Olympic organizers pretty much could have mailed him the gold medal before the games even started. Still when he won he couldn’t believe it. There was fist pumping like nobody’s business at the end of his second/celebratory run. It’s just inspiring to see a guy who has won gold before, and is consistently number one get that amped about a victory. It’s obviously because he loves what he does.

The way I see it he loves getting outside and moving. He just gets a little (by a little I mean a lot) more height and rotation than most when he does.

Have you ever hit the half pipe to see if you’re the next Shaun White?

Kenji

In honor of the blizzard Saskatchewan just had, I thought I’d whip up a little something about the shoveling we’re all going to have to do.

I live in a condo with my mom so our “yard” area is small at best… Well that small area took me about 20 minutes to shovel!  The snow build up was approaching the halfway mark on our front door. We were quite literally snowed in!

 I had just finished my workout for the day when I decided to tackle the snow pile. By the time I was done clearing a path out to the world, the shoveling had been a more intense work out than the weights I had done.

Safety First

I don’t think I’m nutty about working out but it makes me feel good, and I know it’s good for me. I’ve always done something active at any given time (ballet, gymnastics, b-ball, rowing). I hope to for as long as I’m kickin’ around. To make that happen I know I have to do things properly because it’s so easy to hurt yourself if you’re not conscious of what you’re doing.

Every year shoveling always used to sneak up and wreck my back for a couple weeks when we’d get a good snow. After a few years in a row of that I learned my lesson.  So here are my Snow Relocation Tips! (thanks to truestarhealth.com for their thorough information that I referenced to create my list of tips.)

Snow Relocation Tips

Stretch It Out

It might sound lame but Warm Up before you head outside. Take a few minutes to stretch out your whole body, especially your back, legs and shoulders.  And when you’re done stretch out one more time to help avoid that gross stiff feeling. Plus, stretching when your muscles are warm is the best time to increase flexibility.

It Really Works

You always hear people say Lift With Your Legs! Do it, lifting with your legs will save your back! You’ll prevent injury if you bend your knees when you’re lifting a full shovel, and avoid twisting with a full load. My arms are way weaker than my legs, so I try to leverage the weight on the leg I have forward by resting my lowest arm on it.

Don’t Be a Hero

I often have to remind myself shoveling is not a strong man completion. Don’t Overload  yourself. Don’t try to lift beyond your ability. That said just cuz you can doesn’t mean you should either. Take your time, so you don’t accidently put yourself out of commission.

Resistance

Then there is the temptation to see how far you can toss a shovel full without moving..Push the Pile. Rather than trying to make your body awkwardly throw a scoop full of snow. Use some of your strongest muscles, your legs to push the snow close to the pile then once again lift with the legs.

Play It Cool

Shoveling is a high intensity activity because it gets your heart pumping and requires muscle strength. Remember to breathe, take breaks if you need to and cool down by walking around inside for a few minutes when you’re done.

Check Out What I’ve Got…

For those who like a challenge and something to brag about. You can try building a quinzhee! You can find the directions in Back Yard and Beyond. Enjoy the snow, it’s fun!

Kenji!

Most people have family traditions around the holidays. My family is ginormous and has traditions that are a marathon of events and food. We (all 40+ of us) get together for a massive gift exchange. Between Secret Santa’s and gifts for our immediate family the tree disappears. The festivities last well into the night and after a goodnight sleep and a bit of time apart we reconvene for Christmas Day supper; where we all eat very well and laugh way too much into the night again.

So after indulging our stomachs for a couple days we get together again for our traditional Boxing Day merriment. Like I mentioned my family is pretty large. My dad has 7 brothers and sister who all have kids and in some cases grandkids. With someone of pretty much every age we have to have something for everyone to do. So we rent out this club house that has a decent sized hill for tobogganing, a field for some intense games of snow football, and even an ice oval out back! Some people even hit the club houses weight room for kicks.

Our outdoor adventures!

So typically when one hears tobogganing they think kids, and that’s partly true but with my family the adults go wild with it. The brother slide, the sister slide, how many can squash on the sled, how many people high can we go. Oh ya, it gets crazy!

Once we get our competitive juices going we take it up a notch from sledding to mostly.. touch snow football! Sports are a wee bit of a family legacy and football is a big one. So we play a few downs, mostly for fun..haha.. some take it more seriously than others lol.

For those not so thrilled about football or maybe feeling a little more refined there is the ice oval. The little ones tend to play football for a few downs and then want to skate.

Competitive togetherness!

All in all the day is about all of us being together! Running around and being active just enhances the fun we have together.

Do you have any active traditions around the holidays? We could always expand the competition so pass on your great ideas in the comments below.

Take it easy everyone..but not too easy!

Kenji

During the holiday season no matter how old you are we tend to give and receive gifts. This holiday season it’s a good idea to ask yourself, what am I saying with this present?

Gift giving is actually a fairly influential opportunity. It’s a little bit of a chance to be expressive and really say something without words. For example, this Christmas I symbolically adopted some animals on the WWF website for my lil cousins. Yes.. I am trying to turn them into mini tree huggers. The same goes for choosing and hoping for presents that help and encourage living an active lifestyle.

If you’re into video games go for a Wii and one of the many “fit” games that are available. Maybe you’re an outdoorsy person like I am and would prefer some gear to head outside. (Outer wear, snow shoes, cross county skis.) It could be that you are a hard core athlete and would be down with a heart rate monitor or pedometer. Fans of active transportation and the environment might be stoked on a long board or bike tune up (think bikes, rollerblades, skate boards, a good pair of shoes).  Maybe none of this is wild enough for you and we need to amp it up to “extreme sport” like snowboarding and ski gear. Now all of the above is fun and entertaining, but there are some active gifts that scream fun like a snow tubes! I know I’ve had some ridiculous tobogganing nights. Don’t forget that you can give warm weather gifts in the winter too!

All in all I’m trying to say why not take this gift giving and receiving opportunity as a chance for making being active a part of your life!

If you need some more ideas you can check out Saskatchewan in motion’s Active Toy Guide!

Kenji

Physical activity has basic requirements. Ultimately you need a reason to do it, a nourished and hydrated body, and finally a space to get er’ done.

When I ponder sports and being active, being outside comes to mind. Of course there are rock walls, stadiums, gyms, treadmills and indoor pools, but do they compare to the real thing? Imagine actually climbing a massive gritty mountain. Or an outdoor stadium where the elements tend to make the game interesting. The “gym” may have every gadget, but kettle balls & resistance in the park or on the beach is prettier and smells better!

I’m a fan of being outside, and think that protecting the environment is pretty much the bomb! So here’s where I make some linkages.

This week world leaders are meeting in Copenhagen to (hopefully) come to a global agreement to save the environment.

You’ve no doubt heard something about the trouble earth’s atmosphere, oceans, fresh water, jungles, farmland, animals, and we in turn, face. People try to separate territory, food, resources, responsibility, and even the global ecosystem – the key word being system.

Is climate change/global warming real?

Ya! It is.

How do I know?

There’s so much info out there. How do you know what to take seriously? I trust science and things that make sense to me.

Warning – warning, a bit of a personal rant here, but stay with me…

 Science tells me the ice caps, major glaciers, eternal Himalayan snow fall, and even permafrost is melting. Those same glaciers are historic records of our atmosphere; they tell us human life has never seen the carbon dioxide levels in the air we currently have. Average temps are up, centuries old weather patterns are altered, and the oceans are acidifying. The number of species at risk of extinction is accelerating. Access to drinking water dwindles, fisheries are at dangerously low levels worldwide. Coral reefs that supply the earth with a huge amount of oxygen are dying. Deforestation for paper pulp, lumber and to make way for industrial farming threatens species, soil erosion and traditional settlements.  And let’s not forget about our reliance on fossil fuels.

Why are we responsible?

Before, life on earth the planet was toxic and unlivable because the atmosphere was full of CO2. Eventually the successive generations of plants purified the atmosphere sucking the carbon, allowing life to exist. The carbon was stored underground as coal, gas and oil. Since the industrial revolution humanity has been burning/releasing CO2 back into the atmosphere at an alarming rate. 

The best way I’ve ever had the situations explained to me was in the documentary HOME.

“It’s all about carbon. In a few decades the carbon that made our atmosphere a furnace and that nature captured over millions of years, allowing life to develop, will have largely been pumped back out. The atmosphere is heating up.”

How much sense does that make! It was a total light bulb moment for me.

Why do I/should you care?

• This is the one and only (that we know of) planet that can support life!
• In one generation we (humanity) have upset the balance that’s been a constant for all of humanity’s existence!
• Everything on earth is connected, nothing is futile, every plant, animal, bacteria, person impacts something else.
• The earth is not ours to upset; we depend on it, not the other way around.

My climate change poem (it’s ok to giggle.. I know there is a cheese factor)

Because it’s too late to Deny
It’s not a Lie
We all truly know Why
It’s the elements we released into the Sky.

We need to be careful what we Buy
So that species don’t Die
So forests that are left don’t have to Cry.

It’s time to really Try
Or it’s evident we’ll have to say Goodbye.

A depressing thought?.. maybe. The truth?..yup. Is there Hope?.. Definitely!

There are so many things left and so much we can do. Things like active transportation are good for the environment and your body.

Mostly I want to help the environment because I want my chance to explore! Exploration is best done outside in nature. There are seemingly endless expanses to trek.  Snow or sand, there are so many different things to do that by the nature of nature encourage you to be active! Many sports and activities require the natural world – think of mountain, lake, ocean, trail and sky sports!

What is your favorite thing to do outside? What’s the connection between physical activity and the environment for you? Let me know in the comments below or share what you think about protecting the environment so we can be active in it!

Kenji