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When Waste Reduction Means Waist Reduction Shrinking an eco-footprint isn't just good for the environment - it can be good for the body, too 
As much as Pennsylvania weather permits, Leah Ingram shuns the treadmill and instead leashes up her dogs for a 45-minute walking workout outdoors. "I see my exercise as being good for the earth," says Ingram, author of the "Lean Green Family" blog. "I'm not getting in a car, working out at a health club, driving home." With green the rage in most aspects of life, it was only a matter of time before it began coloring people's workout routines. Many exercise enthusiasts are finding that with a little effort, they're able to shrink their eco-footprint along with their waistline. Many people find being environmentally friendly is a natural lead in to physical activity. When Pablo Solomon isn't practicing the ancient Chinese martial art of kung fu, which he learned as a child, he's often preserving and improving his historic Lampasas, Texas, ranch with his wife, Beverly. "The majority of our 'workouts' are in harmony with our environment," says Solomon, an artist. "To maintain a property such as ours requires a lot of physical work." Besides typical ranch activities like fixing fences and tending cattle, the Solomon's workouts include removing invasive non-native plants, restoring old rock fences and collecting native grass seeds on long field walks. Their efforts have resulted in the restoration of a pasture into the grassland it was 150 years ago, and the return of rare and endangered species to the habitat. "Because of our active lifestyle centered around preserving the natural beauty that we are so thankful for, we are in great shape both mentally and physically," Solomon says. Adam Boesel opened The Green Microgym in Portland, Ore., for people like him, who are unwilling to give up the gym because they enjoy working out in front of a game on a Saturday morning or the social network a gym provides. Although the Green Microgym uses solar panels for heat, its main energy-saving measure is that "we turn everything off when we're not using them," Boesel says. Members must turn on the lights in the rooms they enter as well as television sets, and even plug in machines before they use them, he notes. To test the facility's savings, the gym recently had an "all-on day" for 24 hours, which was just like it sounds. Not only did members prefer things "all-off," Boesel says the gym used 50 percent more electricity that day. "It might not be the greenest thing in the world to have a fitness facility," he says. "I'm comfortable with the trade-off I'm making." The Green Microgym is exploring ways to harness the energy that members create on machines. In the meantime, Boesel recommends eco-conscious gym members stay away from the treadmill, which use a lot of electricity to keep its belt moving, and opt instead for machines that are self-generating, like elliptical trainers, stationary bicycles and stair machines. Or practice yoga, says Felice Rhiannon, yoga therapist. "The first principle of yoga is ahimsa, or non-harming," she says. "This includes not harming yourself, anyone else or the earth." Appreciation of the interconnectedness of all things deepens with yoga practice, Rhiannon says. "I wouldn't be able to breathe without trees and plants. So Tree Pose reminds me directly of that interdependence." This connection is also deepened through meditation. Rhiannon personally found that once she experienced a connection to all things through yoga and meditation, she was no longer able to be mindless about her use of resources. "As I become more aware, the realization of waste becomes almost overwhelming," she says. "Mindful awareness creates the process of mindful decision-making. So, I've answered, 'Paper or plastic?' with, 'Neither; I have my own canvas bag,' for decades." "Eco-organizer" Candita Clayton, Providence, R.I., encourages clients to evaluate their daily routines and see where greener adjustments can be made. She finds exercise can almost always be "greened up" with a little planning, like seeking out tennis and basketball courts within walking distance. An added bonus: Green exercise often results in more green in your pocketbook. "A positive impact on your 'bottom line' can be a great motivator for making change," says Clayton, author of "Clean Your Home Healthy" (Morgan James Publishing, 2008). For example, she points out that riding a bike to work can help shed five pounds, tone thighs and save $20 a week in gas - while spending less time and money on and in the gym. Clayton also finds her clients' green fitness changes frequently spills over into their overall lifestyle and everyday choices, like using stainless steel water bottles or bringing bags to the grocery store. "Feeling good about doing better for yourself and the environment can be addictive," she says. Registered dietician Jill Nussinow, Santa Rosa, Calif., agrees, and says that while exercising green won't always lead to a green diet, it usually leads to a greater consciousness of what that person puts in his or her mouth. "Hopefully that leads to more ecological choices, in whatever way you see it," she says. "It may be reducing meat consumption or buying local or supporting organic, or eventually all of them." |
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