Working Out Green

Going green has become a huge thing in the past couple of years, and most likely it will gain even more interest in the coming years. There are sooo many websites that have tips on going green and are dedicated to this purpose. I thought I'd research about some things to consider as you plan your workouts.

First of all, GET OUTSIDE! This is the best way to make your workouts more green. When you run, bike, play sports, etc outside, you're not using up precious energy. What makes this more fun is getting a friend to workout with you outside, or joining a group. If you need to go to a gym because the weather in your area is not always great, try to find one with eco-friendly qualities. This eco-friendly gym will most likely be easier to find in a large city... I'm pretty sure gyms where I live don't think about these things yet, but to do your own eco-friendly thing at the gym, only use 1 towel (or none), bring a reusable water bottle, and set the treadmill to a higher incline to use less energy.

You can also stay at home and workout. There are great workouts you can do in your house including yoga, pilates, and weight training. Write down or memorize a great workout and do it while you're watching your favorite TV program at night, or better yet, do it in your backyard and enjoy the surroundings. If you need workout equipment, try to buy used and if you need workout clothing or accessories, buy from places like Patagonia, REI, and Gaim that have eco-friendly products.

Ok, I saved the coolest thing for last. There is this thing called Pedal-a-Watt that is an indoor bike stand that's hooked up to a generator so you can help give power to things in your house or even re-charge a battery. Talk about multi-tasking :). There are also some green gyms popping up around the country where a lot of the energy they use comes from people using the cardio equipment. At the one I linked to, members get $1 for every hour they're on the bikes that they can use at the gym... great idea. I can definitely see these types of things becoming more and more popular in the coming years, so you should get on board and see how you can make your workout more green :).

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