Live Everyday Like It’s Earth Day: 5 Tips For A Greener Workout

HAPPY BELATED EARTH DAY!

Monday April 22^nd was Earth Day! Woohoo! Who doesn’t love the Earth?!

I think we should strive to live every day like it’s Earth Day. And one way we can do that is to workout greener!

In this post, I’ll share 5 tips that'll help you get your sweat on in a way that creates less waste and uses less fossil fuels! We workout to live longer, happier lives – let’s do our part to help the Earth live longer and happier, too! Every bit counts!

1. Get Outside!

What workout space has the smallest Carbon Footprint? The great outdoors! When the weather permits, grab your equipment and go outside. Working out by the light and warmth from the sun is more eco-friendly than using indoor, fossil fuel-powered lighting and heating!

Indoor gyms – especially commercial ones that are open 24/7 – expend a lot of energy powering lights, machines, TVs, and heating/cooling infrastructure. Even when things like workout equipment or vending machines are not actively being used by gym members, the standby state of these devices still use up valuable electricity. And when being used, a treadmill

burns the equivalent of fifteen 75-Watt light bulbs! You’d never turn on 15 light bulbs to run in place otherwise – why do an equivalent action because you’re on a treadmill?

Of course, this Greener Solution is weather permitting. But you know what makes it even more enticing to brave the elements & get after those gains? You’ll gain more physical and mental benefits from outdoor exercise, too! Better for the Earth, better for you: that’s a win-win, baby!

Having compact and portable equipment makes it easy to take your workout outside (*ahem* sounds like a lot of what we offer at Synergee, if ya ask me!).

Throw your gymnastics rings over a tree branch. Use a park bench for step ups. Throw some mini bands in your backpack and do a resistance workout at sunset. Your body – and the earth – will thank you!

2. Stay Home!

You can control if the lights or heat stays on – you’ve got the powa! Especially if you are working out during the day and in a space with windows and natural light, opt to keep the lights off, let your furnace rest, & let your movements keep you warm!

Most home workout equipment requires human power more than electrical – for example, every movement that uses barbells, resistance bands, sliders, core mats are completely powered by you! The Earth says THANKS!

3. Do more with less!

Using multipurpose equipment = doing more with less = less waste. Find ways to use less equipment to get the job done.

Even if you buy the best workout equipment money can buy and it lasts for years and years, it will eventually break down and most likely end up in the garbage when it expires. So, consider spending your money and the Earth’s precious resources on high-quality equipment that is multi-faceted and

can equip you for numerous workouts (Psst, I know a guy... I can hook you up with some of this gear...)!

Get equipment you will use and that will last a long time. And rather than buying many pieces of specialized gear, go for equipment that allows you to buy/own less and do way more.

For example, think of all the things you can do with a barbell – squats, presses, deadlifts, cleans, mobility work, bicep curls, tricep curls… the list goes on! Now, try to list more than one thing you can do with a Hip Adbduction Machine.

Um… uh… nope. I’m drawing a blank. I also recommend not buying these dumb and wasteful workout accessories, which are destined to end up in a landfill without ever resulting in a single Gain.

In terms of equipment, simpler is better. Move with or around objects and fine tune yourself as a lean, mean, lifting machine. This method will be way more effective for your workout than letting a machine do most of the work for you so only one teeny tiny muscle gets isolated and worked out. Pair barbell, band, or slider movements with bodyweight/no-equipment-needed exercises and it’ll be like your giving the Earth an extra hug!

Turning to simple and compact equipment for your workouts will also save you money and space! It’ll be easy on your budget, your square footage, and the environment!

4. Sharing (equipment) is caring

Another aspect of exercising that can expand your Carbon Footprint is having a lot of equipment all to yourself. Especially if you are buying high quality equipment that is meant to go through the ringer and maintain its integrity (*cough* a subtle insinuation towards the quality of our Synergee products!), it can probably handle being used twice a day (i.e. by two people) instead of just once (i.e. by you, only)!

Again, when it comes to the environment, less is more. Consider buying equipment with a roommate, friend, family member, neighbor, or someone else that you can either workout with or share an exercising space with. Remember, sharing is caring!

Two lovely outcomes that can also occur as a result is a) you may adopt a workout buddy or accountability partner and

become more motivated in the process of sharing; and b) you will save money! Especially if the financial cost of a new bar and bumper plates has been holding you back, find a way to co-own equipment and split the cost with another athlete. This message has been approved by Mother Nature!

5. DIY Bike blender

Is your post workout snack a smoothie? Ditch the blender and replace it with a BIKE BLENDER!

Ok, this tip is more of a pipe dream of mine than a “YOU SHOULD DO THIS!”. But, I mean, powering a blender using your strong legs and mental determination to drink a delicious smoothie is pretty darn cool. You can LITERALLY ENJOY THE FRUITS OF YOUR LABOUR!

And that's all, folks! Have fun adding some of these tips to your training routine. And if you DO end up making that Bike Blender, I'd love to hear about it!