First, we at RadoVent Radon Mitigation would like to begin by saying that our deepest sympathies go out to those who are losing loved ones, jobs and businesses during this coronavirus / Covid-19 pandemic. ❤️

You slept 7-9 hours last night as recommended by the National Sleep Foundation. You brushed your teeth first thing as recommended by the ADA to help prevent gum disease and cavities. You rinsed your mouth and finished your first full glass of water which was one of the eight recommended glasses by the Mayo Clinic. You put on your pedometer, your favorite workout clothes and head to the treadmill to begin the first of your 10,000 step per day goal as recommended in the latest issue of your health magazine. You finish up, go to the kitchen and blend yourself a nourishing protein shake as recommended by your nutritionist.  The shake includes bananas for potassium, strawberries & blueberries for antioxidants, orange juice for vitamin c and some kale which seems to be recommended for everything else. You sit down with your shake log in to your tablet to play some brain games to sharpen your mental focus as recommended by your boss. While on your tablet, a small article pops up in your news feed talking about radon gas, the second leading cause of lung cancer. You read that radon levels in homes should be as low as possible as recommended by the United States EPA. Suddenly you remember the recommendation that you forgot about…. That time when you bought your house and the Realtor recommended that you do a radon test. The sweat starts pouring down your forehead but doesn’t make it to your eyes because you are still wearing that sweatband that your fitness coach recommended. You wonder how you will sleep tonight with the additional, unrecommended stress that's now upon you. Stop, take a deep breath (hopefully not including radon gas) because here are several radon recommendations to prevent any radon related sleep deprivations.

 I am not a big fan of the cold weather it reminds me of the winter days working outdoors, installing radon mitigation systems in Chicago years ago. I will never forget the infamous winter of “Chiberia.”  But also, as I now reside in Salt Lake City, I do love to see the beautiful sight of some fresh Utah ski powder, except for when it’s time to shovel the driveway. Luckily, this winter I scored a snowblower from my father. Now some people are connoisseurs of food, or fine wine; my father on the other hand, he is a connoisseur of snowblowers! At any given point in time, he may have 3-5 of these machines in his garage ready to battle the forces of nature in his suburban tundra.  In the heat of the summer, you may find him at your yard sale ready to purchase the next in his collection. Whether it’s a 2 stage, 3 stage, 4 stroke, or electric, my dad likes them all. When he generously gifted me one out of his collection the other night, he meticulously showed me how to close the choke, prime the bulb, and fire up the engine. He showed me how to engage the auger, and cut a perfectly straight line down the driveway. As I loaded it in my truck and was about to pull away, he reminded me not to forget how to mix the oil and gas for the two stroke engine.

I woke up this morning to a fresh blanket of snow. I got dressed and prepped the new toy to take care of the driveway. As I mixed the 50:1 ratio of oil and gas, I couldn't help but divert my attention again to another gas, like I always do, I start thinking about radon gas. I thought to myself; it’s time to write another article about how the cold weather has an impact on radon gas.

Do you exercise in your basement? I do. I have been using a video workout series for the past 90 days. I have to keep in top radon technician shape. While working out in my basement every morning, I can’t help but to think of radon gas while I breathe heavily. I wonder how many people who exercise in their basements are being counterproductive to their health by exposing themselves to dangerous levels of radon?

Many people tell me that they never have heard about radon until recently. “No one talked about this years ago,” they say. “My real estate agent never told me that it might be a problem when I purchased my house!” So where did radon come from? Why is it all of the sudden a problem?

This time of year, many of us are focused on resolutions:

With new years, come new goals, resolutions and changes. Many of us choose to improve our health during the new year. We may set challenging weight loss and fitness goals. We may change our diet by decreasing junk food and eating more fruits/vegetables. During the turn of the year, the population of your local gym may double for a few months. Some of us may jog on the treadmill for so many miles that our lungs just cant take it anymore! Speaking of lungs, and speaking of health, it's time that more people think about reducing radon exposure.