Fitness

Anita's Eco-Guide to Getting Fit Outside

by Anita Pressman

Photos by Steven James May

I am Anita Pressman, Envi-image's personal trainer. I am here to green your workouts! Yes green...and I am not just talking grass and leaves. I am talking lifestyle. Going "green" with your workout means getting your body in-sync with your environment. Say good-bye to using that treadmill. If you stayed off the treadmill for a whole year you'd save over 160- Kilowatt hours of energy. Think of the energy consumption used by air conditioners and fans, and other gym equipment (like the elliptical or stair climbers). Get your butt outside and get some fresh air! The oxygen is good for your brain, as is nature for your soul. What's not more motivating than thinking about how you're going to spend the money you'll save on gas by not driving to the gym? Bring your own refillable stainless steel bottle and you will save $200 a year and 14 pounds of plastic. Do you know that plastic is made of petrolatum? You are actually increasing the price of gas by choosing plastic. And one more thing to complete you green your workout...save your worn out sneakers from a land fill burial! Use a shoe recycling program like Nike Reuse A Shoe to recycle your old sneakers.

Tree Hugger Step One.

Tree Hugger Step two.

Here is an example of how you can tone up and get in touch with nature at the same time.

The Tree-hugger: A. Find a tree and give it a hug...literally you hug a tree with a resistance band in one hand, wrap your arms around the tree, and grab the ends of the band and take a big step back. You want to feel resistance! With your arms extended straight out at chest level. B. Feet should be shoulder width apart. Keep arms parallel to the ground with your palms facing down. Now slowly pull your elbows back bringing your wrists close to sides of your torso, and then slowly release. Remember; keep that core tight by drawing your belly button in. DO 12-15 repetitions and repeat for a total of 3 sets. You'll have sexier shoulders in no time!

Andre Riley Fitness Expert from Bravo TV's Workout

An Alternative to Green...maybe blue? One of the best ways to make your workout green is to turn it blue! Jump into a clear blue pool (preferably saltwater), If you don't have access to a pool, head for the beach or why don't you just go jump into a lake (LOL)? Seriously, working out in the water is fun! The buoyancy of water takes the pressure off your joints. It is very good for people who have back and hip pain and don't want to hit the gym. By doing water aerobics you use every muscle and joint in the body with very little impact. The water supports your joints and ligaments. Take note here expectant mothers: Swimming and water aerobics is great for pregnancy. It allows women to feel weightless despite added weight due to pregnancy. Swimming increases muscle tone and strength. It improves circulation and will help you to build up your endurance. Grab a noodle and some water weights and go jump in the water and have a splash!

A Green Workout Wardrobe When choosing your workout wear, look for clothes made of natural fibers, like hemp, bamboo, or organic cotton. These textiles are breathable, temperature regulating, and non-toxic. Of course they are biodegradable and use far less energy and pesticides than conventional workout wear. Align your eco wear and your eco workout...your body and the planet will thank you!

By bringing you own refillable stainless steel bottle, you could save $200 a year and 14 pounds of plastic. Do you know that plastic is made of petroleum? You are actually increasing the price of gas by choosing plastic. One more thing to complete you green your workout....save your worn out sneakers from a land fill burial! Use a shoe recycling program nikereuseashoe.com or RunThePlanet to recycle your old sneakers.

Going Organic Why do so many people think "organic" is weird? The only thing that's different about organic food is that it's grown with out pesticides. I think it's weird to want chemicals on your food (or booze)! Thankfully, the green movement is here and people's attitudes are changing. In case you haven't noticed...the way we live is changing. We as a species are evolving. We are learning a better way to live, and living for our bodies and our planet, in harmony. We're recycling, reusing, conserving energy and watching our water consumption. We even have a holiday Earth Day (which by the way has been around since 1970). Now that were taking care of the exterior, where there is always room for improvement- let's talk about the interior. That is, what we are putting into our bodies. Let's talk Organic Foods. Organic Foods contain no artificial chemicals, pesticides and fertilizers. Who wants all that stuff spayed on our foods anyway? Plus organic fruits and veggies have significantly higher levels of cancer fighting antioxidants according to a 2003 study in the Journal of Agriculture of and Food Chemistry. Organic foods taste more flavorful. And no land is being destroyed growing foods organically. A bug can't live on a healthy plant...but we can't grow healthy plants because all the pesticides have destroyed our soil! That is why it takes three years of growing crops in without pesticides to get certified organic. For extra eco-points...buy your produce locally and seasonally. This saves energy transporting the produce. It's really fun purchasing at the local farmer markets because they are always giving free samples of their tasty fruits, and usually there is live entertainment and interesting exhibits for the whole family.

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