If the planet’s well-being is important to you, chances are your own well-being is as well. Good diet and exercise contribute to quality of life and longevity more than anything else. Fortunately for the up-to-date eco-citizen, eco-friendly habits are usually also great for you.
Eating organic whole foods encourages sustainable farming practices, cuts down on burning fuel to transport goods, and saves energy otherwise used to create processed foods. Fortunately, eating these foods also protects your body from the onslaught of unwanted chemicals and pesticides that are known to cause cancer and whole foods are easier to digest, allowing nutrients to be readily available. Using a bike as your main transportation is another great way to minimize your environmental impact and will provide a way for you to stay in excellent shape as you go about your business. Furthermore, finding new eco-friendly ways to spend your leisure time opens doors to activities that bring you outside in the fresh air and keep you moving.
Harness this by challenging yourself to develop a workout plan with a minimal environmental impact. Don’t buy into the limiting belief which says you need a gym membership to get in shape. Most people who buy them never use them past the first month and keep paying the monthly fee because they feel too guilty to cancel. The truth is if you want to get in shape you have to find the motivation to do it. It doesn’t matter if you are running on a treadmill or running down the street, if you cannot get up in the morning and get started, your health will never improve.
Even if you do use your gym membership, think of the tremendous strain you are putting on the environment to improve yourself. Imagine how much fuel you burn going to and from the gym every morning (for that matter, imagine all the wasted time). Imagine the power used to keep all those treadmills running and those lights burning. It is a waste, and a prime example of the American habit of slamming our heads into the wall for no apparent reason.
We don’t need to drive to a gym and hop on a treadmill in an industrial looking warehouse full of workout equipment to lose weight. I remember as a child looking at a hamster on its wheel, running but never gaining ground, and feeling a strange sadness. The hamster has no choice but to be locked in its cage, and so it runs on its wheel. If he had a chance he would run outside and probably not come back. We have the choice, and more often than not we choose the wheel. That is madness.
I am all for making healthy lifestyle choices, but the gym phenomenon just keeps coming across as more and more pointless to me. It is much more time efficient and psychologically beneficial to get up in the morning, put on your jogging shoes, and go for a nice run in the fresh morning air. If you have bad knees, hop on a bike or just take a brisk walk. Get outside in the sunshine. Take in the scenery and see what is happening in the neighborhood. When one route gets old, change it up and try another. Imagine how much easier it will be to find motivation under these conditions. And it is cheaper too.
So challenge yourself to develop a workout program great for you and the environment. Challenge yourself to develop a plan you can implement at home, without forking out cash to some gym. Bring it back to the basics. There was nothing wrong with the exercises you did in gym class. There is a reason they have been around for so long; they are all you need to be strong and healthy.
Here are some great ideas to get you started:
1. Push-ups — Everyone knows the value of this exercise and I think it’s safe to say everyone knows how to do them. In fact, the military still uses these as one of their primary fitness building tools. The best part is they require no equipment and can be done anywhere. They build a powerful back, chest, shoulders, and midsection. Multiple variations exist if you need to make them more challenging. For best results, break them into sets as you would a weight-training exercise.
2. Sit-ups or Crunches — These are all you need to create a well-chiseled six pack. Just as with push-ups, break them into sets. A great way to maximize a crunch is to hold it at the top and squeeze for a count of five to ten seconds before allowing yourself to go back down. To make them more challenging, set up a bench or a plank at an angle.
3. Pull-ups — Buy a cheap pull-up bar at at fitness store or construct your own and save money. Pull-ups do wonders for your upper body strength. If you can only do one, just do one. Slowly work your way up until you can do two sets of ten each day. Then shoot for twenty. Alter the exercise by changing the direction your hands are facing or the distance between your grip. This is a great exercise for your back, shoulders, and chest. Combined with push-ups, it may be all you need to fully strengthen and tone your upper body.
4. Jogging — Going for a morning jog performs wonders for your cardiovascular system and is a great way to start your day. You can make it more intense by running faster or doing wind sprints. For a well-balanced cardio program, try interval training. Jog moderately for about three minutes, sprint for thirty seconds, and then jog again. Repeat this process for a half an hour or more. As well as working both your aerobic and anaerobic cardiovascular systems, this will make your workout more interesting.
5. Biking — The great thing about bicycling is it can be used as an effective mode of transportation. Incorporate it into your day just to get to work if you live within a reasonable distance and you will achieve instant results. If running on pavement is too hard on your knees, bicycling may provide a great alternative for your morning cardio. Plan bicycle trips on the weekends. When you are traveling, renting a bike is a great way to see a new city or local natural wonders.
6. Dumbbells — A good cheap set of dumbbell’s is a great complement to a home workout program. They can be stored just about anywhere and are great for a multitude of different exercises. The advantage they have over barbells is they are independently held in each hand, allowing a greater range of movement and training your muscle to balance as you lift, press, or curl. Here is a program (Related) with great exercises only using dumbbells.
7. Kettlebells (Related) – Long popular in Russia, these simple weights consist of a large iron ball with a rudimentary handle. They have long been a main tool in the arsenal of Russian strongmen. In recent years, they are gaining increasing popularity in America, especially in mixed martial arts. Kettlebells provide a lot of the benefits of dumbbells with an increased range of motion and build amazing grip strength.
8. Calisthenics And Aerobics– Bring back the old school with lunges and jumping jacks or invest in some more modern aerobic videos.
9. Stretching (Related) or Yoga (Related) – All you need for this are some good stretching positions and clear floor space. Stretching is a great way to keep your muscles supple and prevent injuries. Yoga, on the other hand, incorporates a mind/body awareness and has a spiritual basis. Yoga also holds stretches for longer periods of time than traditional stretches and may provide more balance and core strength.
10. Outdoor Excursions And Hobbies – Come up with ways to spend your free time which are easy on the environment and provide you with an active outlet. Take up surfing, kayaking, or rock-climbing. Learn a martial art. Join a softball league. Plan hiking trips. Become a weekend warrior. Cultivate an active lifestyle and you won’t need to spend time in a stuffy gym.
11. Meditation (Related) – Don’t forget to exercise your mind and spirit. Find a nice quiet place where you can sit and clear the clutter from your mind. Meditation has amazing personal benefits and is a great way to start or end your workout.
You don’t need all of these ideas to create an effective workout. Try using two or three of them and you will find they may be all you need to build strength and endurance. Just get out there and do something. Avoid the gyms. Don’t let anyone convince you to pay them so you can go inside a big empty building with everyone else and run on a machine. You can do it all for yourself at home for less money and in an environment conducive to well-being. If you need the social interaction, find a jogging buddy or use the extra time you’ve saved to join a club. There is no need to tax the environment so we can get in shape. The environment provides many ways to achieve all the health and well-being we need.
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