“Knowledge doesn’t do you any good if it just sits in your brain.”

Life is about learning. We are constantly learning new things every day. Some days it might only be a lesson like “Don’t drive so fast on that country road—you’ll get a ticket.” Other days, it might be something more profound, like “That banana slicer really can change my life.”

Learning is simply part of being human.

So is applying what you learn. Knowledge doesn’t do you any good if it just sits in your brain.

Below are some bits of wisdom everyone has been taught; however, they’re not applied very often. All of them can benefit your life, giving you the chance to become a healthier you.

1. Your feet are meant for walking!

This seems like a no-brainer, right? Well, I know I’m not the only one who reaches for the car keys when I’m merely going a few streets over. My neighborhood is perfectly safe and well-lit, my feet perfectly capable of getting me to my destination. But my car is faster, so I use it instead.

I see people do this all the time. You have a shopping trip to go on: All of the stores are in the same general area, but you drive to each store—sometimes only going across the street or to the other side of the parking lot. Unless you’re buying 10 different bags of items in five different stores, you can park in a more central location, then walk to all the stores.

When you’re on a quick store-run in your car, park farther away from the store entrance. You’ll spend about as much time walking across the parking lot to the store as you would driving around looking for a spot up close, but you’ll burn more calories by walking.

2. Plants clean the air!

You learned this in grade school, but did you ever really think about it? Plants clean the air! That’s why being outdoors is so much more invigorating than being locked up inside: there is more oxygen outside. Plants are out there, cleaning the air constantly, creating an oxygen surplus for you to stay healthy.

Last year, when my sister and her husband brought their second child home from the hospital, he had trouble breathing in his nursery. The doctor suggested a few possible remedies, but my sister was worried about her little newborn. She did some research of her own, ended up buying a plant, and put it in his nursery. The plant ensured he got enough oxygen during his sleep, which cleared up his breathing problem.

My sister is now converted to plants. She has them all over her home, with at least one in every room. They stand in corners, sit on counters, and hang from the ceiling. They’re everywhere. And the air in her home is so clean that I feel like I’m outside.

3. Fruits and veggies are good for your body!

We’re taught about the importance of fruits and veggies in all kinds of nutrition education programs, in grade school with the food pyramid (now the food plate) and in college health and wellness classes. Fruits and veggies are important! But how many of us eat the recommended amount? I know I don’t; I try to, and some days I even succeed. Most days, I fail—sometimes miserably—but I shouldn’t.

Fruits and veggies are some of the best foods you can put in your body. They’re high in vitamins and antioxidants, so they help you look healthier. But that also means they can fight different diseases; some, like spinach and tomatoes, can even fight different types of cancer. Clearly, I should be eating far more fruits and vegetables than I currently do.

You know what areas of your life need work and the kind of person you’d like to become.

You can become that person. All you need to do is apply all of that wisdom and knowledge you already have in your head.

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Asst Ed.: Moira Madden/Ed: Sara Crolick