Green Fall Fitness

Just because summer is over, swimsuits and tank tops packed away, doesn’t mean we need get to cover up and forget about our health.In fact, it’s quite the opposite! With fall and the upcoming holiday season, there is no more important time to be and keep fit in order to keep higher calorie consumption in check! Colder weather means richer foods as does holiday sweets and treats. And just as you green other aspects of your life, despite the green turning to brown and orange, you can keep your workout regimen green all year round!

• Home Workouts – There’s a reason for tons of exercise video infomercials taking over late night airwaves: working out at home is easy and convenient. Plenty of routines–like weight training, yoga, or Pilates–require nothing more than a mat and some room to lunge or squat, so it’s possible to put together a cardio and strength training combination using an indoor bicycle trainer, rowers, dumbbells and other similar fitness gear, that you can do while watching Friends before dinner. Figure out what floats your boat from dance to yoga, weight training or tai chi. There are tons of great workout videos that can be done easily in the comfort of your own home, it’s just a matter of finding the right one for you and your time frame.
• The great outdoors – More intense cardio-like running, biking, or jumping rope-works better with a little more space, but why waste the energy required to run a treadmill or stationery bike when the whole world is waiting for you? Lacing up a pair of running shoes and going for a jog is the simplest do-anywhere workout; all you need are the shoes. If you’re not a runner, you still have options: hit your local hiking trails, take your two-wheeler out for a spin, or just add a daily walk to your lunch hour or after dinner with your honey!
• Double duty – Don’t let all your hard work on the stationery bike go to waste; hook it up to a generator or battery and save it to power household appliances from iPods totelevisions and laptops–as Ed does to make toast in the morning on Living with Ed. These kits are simple to install and give you an extra motivational push to make sure you don’t skip your daily workout.
• Conscious gym rat – Gyms use a lot of power, water, energy, and resources to give you an experience that you can get on your own for less. But we know that sometimes there are factors that make it nearly impossible to start your own program–winter blizzards, cramped apartments, and late hours all make working out at home much trickier than hitting the gym on your lunch hour. And we’ll admit, using the machines already manufactured at the gym is better than buying your own (especially if you’re the type to drift away from a workout routine after just a few months). But try to green your gym experience as much as you can: don’t use two towels when one (or zero!) will do, bring a reusable water bottle, and set the treadmill to a higher incline so it uses less energy.
• The buddy system – Working out with other people is one of the most effective ways to stick with your plan; keeping each other accountable helps you both get fit faster. Finding a jogging partner or a tennis opponent makes it easier to schedule your workouts (and harder to skip them); even better, sign up for a group race or join a larger team to play soccer, softball, volleyball, or any other sport you love. Bonus: The team will likely have a lot of the equipment already, so you can skip buying your own or share.
• Fuel efficiency – Feed your body with fresh, organic food, and skip the processed aisles at the store. Go for organic energy bars that don’t include ingredients like sugar or artificial colors and flavors, and that are made from fruit, nuts, fiber, protein, and natural (not trans) fats. Before you exercise, fuel yourself with a snack that’s high in carbs and low in fat–like pretzels–and drink lots of water. After your session, snack on a combination of carbs and protein to replenish your energy supplies.
• Flexibility and variety – Finding the time to fit in a dedicated exercise session every day isn’t always easy, but replacing sedentary parts of your daily life with activity lets you cross both to-dos off your list at once. Try walking or riding your bike to work (even in the winter) or walking to the supermarket or post office and you’ll save gas while getting a workout.
• Eco gear – If you’re going to make working out a regular part of your life, you might need some gear–even go-anywhere workouts (like yoga) are easier with a mat, and a biking routine is impossible without a bike. But you don’t have to buy all new products: Check the web or your local sporting goods store (or your closet) for deals on used bikes, weights, and other equipment. Eco-friendly yoga mats, which are made of non-PVC materials, are easy to find, and you might be surprised at how good your workout can be two water-filled jugs, a dining room chair, and an old crate.
• Eco threads – Serious athletes wear all those fancy fabrics for a reason: They help sweat evaporate before it sets on your skin, they keep you cool, and the shoes are cushioned according to your sport. But there are eco-alternatives, too: sneakers made with recycled rubber soles (just be sure to recycle them when you’re done), tops and pants that combine soy and organic cotton blends, and coconut shells transformed into breathable fabrics. Look for companies with sustainable business practices, like Patagonia, REI, and Nau, and hit the Planet Green Shop when it’s time to gear up.
• Eco cheerleader – If you’ve decided that joining the gym is the best way to go (at least for the winter) you can still encourage your local health club to make some green changes: restrict the use of towels, invest in energy-efficient machines, offer recycling bins for water bottles (or, even better, stop selling them altogether), set up the televisions to shut off when the machines aren’t in use. Some gyms are even harnessing human power to supply energy and reduce bills. Every little bit helps. Then talk to your workout partner about switching indoor workouts for weekend hikes or bike rides; you’ll be able to switch up your routine and get a better workout while making everyone a little greener.