Work Out With Your Mother (Earth)

I have this theory that anything that’s good for the planet is good for your health as well.  You’ve heard it all before:  ditching the car, eating organic greens, and drinking tap water are all great ways to maintain your well-being.  But did you know that adding a little green to your workout routine can actually bump it its effectiveness and your subsequent sexiness?  Read on, my friend…

Treadmill vs. Trail: Treadmills use a lottt of energy – about 6 hours of lights on a Christmas tree-worth in only 30 minutes (obscure analogy, I know).  Running outside, however, requires no additional energy except for that needed to manufacture your workout clothes.  I don’t expect you to run outside just for the environment’s sake, but what if I told you that running outside can up your calorie burn and save your joints from strain and impact?  Not only are trails more likely to have inclines that torch calories like a wildfire, they also have a bumpier terrain which causes your muscles to make tiny corrective movements. All in all, this can increase your calorie burn by up to 10%!  Run on sand, and burn 1.6 times more calories!  Plus, dirt trails, wet and dry sand, and even asphalt (never run on the concrete sidewalk!) are softer than the surface of treadmills and will better protect your knees and ankles from impact and future joint pain.  Trust me, running in nature sure beats trotting alongside that 50 year old man sweating like a pig in his 1976 gym shorts.

StairMaster vs. Real Stairs: Like treadmills, StairMasters use a lot of energy to simulate the effect of…stairs.  I don’t know where you live, but where I’m from, stairs are not exactly a rare site.   Spare yourself the pricey gym membership and the unbecoming fluorescent lighting and hit your nearest sport stadium.  Depending on your weight, running stairs for 30 minutes can burn around 500 calories while 30 minutes of the StairMaster burns a measly 300 (hey, that’s an extra scoop of ice cream right there!).  You can also use the stairs as a forum for strength exercises, like this one from Women’s Health.  Plus, there’s always the added benefit of “accidentally” running the stairs at the exact same time as the football team…

Free Weights vs. Resistance Bands: Of course, both free weights and resistance bands take energy to manufacture and distribute.  However, think about the difference between buying an entire set of dumbbells and buying one or two resistance bands.  Not only is it better for the environment, but it is also a lot cheaper for us poor college students.  Unlike free weights, resistance bands challenge your muscles on both the flex and the release, increasing your muscle stability and strengthening tiny muscles that you didn’t even know existed.  You can use them in various exercises and you can control how hard the exercise is based on your form and the positioning of the band.

If you find that your band is too easy for you, just run on over to your local sporting goods store and buy one with higher resistance for about 15 bucks.  Plus, they’re super portable so that you can take them with you on that binge drink-a-thon spring break you have planned.  Don’t know how to get started?  Head to Fitness Magazine’s website and check out their plethora of resistance band workouts.

Of course there are so many other green exercises you can do!  Using your body as resistance instead of using weight machines, biking or walking to class instead of driving, and taking fitness classes instead of using the machines are all great examples.  Let me know what you do to keep the planet cool and your body hot!