Good Workouts Posts
Thursday, July 15th, 2010
By Bobby DeMuro
Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to begin to train for the USMC Mud Run Challenge; with a great friend of mine, Jason Yarborough. For those of you who don’t know, Jason is (among other things) on the Board for NoFizz Charlotte – our sister non-profit organization. He’s a great guy, and somebody I look to for focus and perspective when I feel stressed or overwhelmed.
It's official - we're registered. There's no turning back now!
But enough with the love-fest. Recently, Jason and I decided to take on the Mud Run Challenge, and start training seriously for the race (which goes down on September 25th). It didn’t seem real to us, though, until a few days ago, when mother-daughter duo Amy Crane (the owner of Bella Ropa Boutique in nearby Birkdale Village) and Dee Decker pledged to join us, without really knowing what they were getting into with the event!
You need four people for a full team – and as soon as Amy and Dee jumped in to register with us, it was on! So, yesterday morning as dawn broke, Jason and I met at Freedom Park for the first workout. (Yes – it’s true – Amy and Dee slept through it. But it’s ok; the boys are going to be carrying this team!).
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Jason pulls up bright and early at 6:43 am - and we're ready to get started with Day One!
The Workout
Jason and I started with a good-paced 25 minute jog around south Charlotte. We left the park and went down East Boulevard into the heart of Dilworth, made a few loops, and jumped back into the park to finish at the amphitheater area.
At that point, we started running hill sprints up the amphitheater’s grass awning where, at the top of the hill, we’d drop and start doing sets of push-ups. After that, it was back down to the bottom of the hill for more sprints, and then more push-ups. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
Ten rounds later, we jogged over to the playground, where we complete four sets of (super-set) kettle bell swings and max-rep pull-ups on the monkey bars. Feel the burn!!
The Future
So what’s in store with Team MuddyConFusion? We’ll update you on as many workouts as we can – for example, we’re headed out again Friday morning and Sunday afternoon to train. In the meantime, you can follow all of us on Twitter: Jason, Bobby, Amy and Dee. We are going to Tweet our Mud Run experience throughout the summer, and of course, before and after on the day of the event – with pictures included!
Posted in Good Workouts | 3 Comments »
Sunday, June 20th, 2010
Hopefully, you are fresh off the Week 1 Fitness Challenge, in which you successfully completed your outdoor requirement and got some exposure to sunlight (in a safe way, of course). Today begins the second week of fitness challenges for Charlotte. Hit the ground running!
Hit the trail running this week!
This week, we are going to take advantage of the great summer weather with a jogging challenge! Based on your ability, health, and background, there will be a few different levels available to you this week. Check it out:
Fitness Challenge: Week 2
Dates: June 21-27, 2010
Location: Anywhere!
The Challenge: Based on your ability level, we challenge you to get outside (or on a treadmill) and jog this week!
Beginners, we challenge you to jog 30 minutes (4-5 minutes per day) over the next seven days.
Intermediate runners, jog 70 minutes (10 minutes per day, on average) over the next seven days.
Advanced runners, jog 140 minutes (20 minutes per day, on average) over the next seven days.
You may complete the number of minutes in any segmentation (i.e., 10 minutes on Monday, 20 minutes on Tuesday, off day on Wednesday, etc.) so long as you reach your goal by the end of the night on Sunday, June 27th! Check out our YouTube video explaining the challenge too!
Find a trail and be active this week!
Reminders: Some of you may be unable to participate in this challenge – know your body and consult your physician if there is any question as to whether or not you should be jogging. For those of you who are participating – remember to stretch, hydrate, and eat properly all week. Don’t go running on a completely empty (or completely full) stomach, and don’t go running without being fully hydrated – especially in the heat of summertime.
Disclaimer: All information contained within our site is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem – nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician. Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health or on any opinions expressed within this website.
The reader is responsible for consulting their health professional on any matters raised within. Health information changes rapidly. Therefore, some information within this website may be out of date or possibly inaccurate. We do not assume any liability for the information contained within this website, be it direct, indirect, consequential, special, exemplary, or other. The statements made within this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Good luck, be safe, and let us know how the challenge is going during the week, via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, or even YouTube!
Tags: challenge, charlotte, exercise, fat, fat loss, fit, FItness, health, lake norman, NC, nofizzclt, north carolina, Nutrition, weight, weight loss, wellness
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Sunday, June 13th, 2010
Last week, a great idea was proposed to us by a few of our Twitter followers. Since NoFizzCLT did so well in the city of Charlotte, why not give smaller challenges to our fans and followers that mimic it without having the month-long commitment? Great stuff!
So here we are, beginning weekly challenges. Some will be fitness-related, others health-related. Some will deal with hydration, some with sleep, some with running, some with weight training – basically, we are going to challenge you to live a better all-around life every single week!
Every Sunday, we’ll post the challenge, along with its rules, on our blog. Check it out, commit to it for seven days, work hard at it, and you’re done by the next Saturday!
For legal purposes, we do need to start the challenge off with this: All information contained within our site is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem – nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician. Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health or on any opinions expressed within this website.
The reader is responsible for consulting their health professional on any matters raised within. Health information changes rapidly. Therefore, some information within this website may be out of date or even possibly inaccurate. We do not assume any liability for the information contained within this website, be it direct, indirect, consequential, special, exemplary, or other damages.
Any product names referenced within this website are copyright and trademark of their respective owners. None of these owners have sponsored, authorized, endorsed, or approved this website. The statements made within this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
NoFizzCLT Challenge: Week 1
Dates: June 14 – June 20, 2010
Location: Anywhere!
The Challenge: We challenge Charlotte to go outside, and do something active for at least 30 minutes every single day this week.
For half an hour, every single day this week, we want you outside! You can run, jog, walk, play a sport, ride your bike, walk the dog, swim – whatever. Get outside for an hour each day, or, 3.5 total hours for the week’s challenge!
Americans are more Vitamin D-deficient than ever, even though there are many benefits associated with the vitamin. There is no better way to get vitamin D than to soak up some sun, and why not be active and get healthy while you’re out there? Notice how much better you feel with a little outdoor fun every day this week; try a new sport, do something fun with your family, run around the park with your dog — it all works!
We’d love to hear your feedback on this (and our subsequent) challenges. Got a good story? Facebook us, or Tweet us. If you’ve got questions or concerns, e-mail us. If you do really well with the challenges, write a story for our blog – we love guest authors! In short, we’d love to hear from you!
Tags: challenge, charlotte, exercise, FItness, health, nofizzclt, Nutrition, soda, Week 1, wellness
Posted in Good Workouts | 1 Comment »
Friday, March 26th, 2010
As daunting as it may seem, it is not incredibly difficult to learn how to prepare for a triathlon in just a few easy steps. There are three key factors to prepare for: swimming, biking, running. How can you be sure you’ve trained adequately in each concentration? Check out today’s tips to help you train for your next triathlon. Be Well!
The first thing you need to do to prepare for a triathlon is to determine the length of the triathlon in which you’ll be competing. This is going to determine how you’ll train. If you’ve never participated in a triathlon before, it’s a good idea to start out with a sprint triathlon, which is generally a 750 meter swim, a 20 kilometer bike ride and a 5 kilometer run. For first-timers or those who may not be in top physical condition, completion is a worthy goal for your triathlon. You’ll gain exposure to the rigors of the triathlon as well as the intricacies, such as transitioning between events, which can make a major difference in your performance.
Now, it’s time to design a plan. Your base should depend on your current fitness level. If you’re not a regular runner, swimmer or biker, you should start slowly with a modest distance. Doing too much too quickly can cause serious injury. At a minimum, it will probably lead to sore knees, which can hamper or even halt your training. Never increase your distances of any training event by more than 10% per week.
You may choose to train either by distance or by time. For example, the average run length in a sprint triathlon is 5 kilometers (3.1 miles). So, you can either work yourself up to that distance (and preferably a bit farther), or you can train your body to be able to run 30 to 45 minutes straight (or in a perfect world, even longer).
Start by training for just one leg of the triathlon per day — in other words, training for each once or twice per week. Each week you should have a minimum of one complete rest day, where you do nothing and allow your body a significant amount of time to begin a necessary recovery process.
As your training progresses, combine workouts. Swim and then bike. Bike and then run. If you’re feeling particularly energetic, aim to do all three in one day. Combining the sports can help you practice your transitions; the transition, of course, is the point at which you come out of the water and get yourself ready to bike and get off the bike and prepare to run.
If you’re participating in a sprint triathlon, you have several options for the transition. You can do the whole triathlon in your swimsuit, putting running sneakers on to compete in the bike and running portion of the race (provided your race doesn’t require you pin your number to a shirt). Or you can change clothes, wear shoes designed specifically for your bike and then change into running sneakers for the last leg. Whatever you decide to do, you should be comfortable with the transition before the triathlon, because you can lose a lot of time there.
Ultimately, choose a program that is feasible considering your ability and goals — and stick with it. Keep in mind when determining how to prepare for a triathlon, the more fun your training is, the more likely you are to complete your training. Enjoy the journey, train hard for the event, and good things will happen!
Tags: bike, exercise, fat, fat loss, fit, FItness, Nutrition, run, sprint, swim, training, triathlon, wellness
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Thursday, March 11th, 2010
If you’ve worked out for a considerable amount of time, you know that eventually your results will plateau. No need to worry — this happens to everyone. And when it does, there are a few things you can do to get over that plateau!
The reason why most people level out with results — and sometimes re-gain weight — is because they are using the same type of training repeatedly. By changing up your workouts, you will give yourself the best chance to really optimize the results you get.
If you are using strictly dumbbell training to produce results, change it up to body weight training, resistance exercises, circuit training, and an emphasis on cardiovascular fitness. Change the time that you workout, the duration — maybe even the location!
How does this look for muscle confusion?!
There are a lot of things you can do to make sure your workouts don’t collect dust. If you are fresh out of ideas on what kind of workouts you can or should do, ask us! A high-quality fitness professional will have countless ideas for ways to mix up your workout routine in a safe, challenging way!
Get your mind off of the normal 3 sets, 10 repetitions workout routine. Try going heavier and do 10 sets of 5 reps with little rest in between. Or go lighter and do 1 set with 50 reps. Anything you can do that will push your body away from your normal workout routine will give you better results in the long run. By confusing your muscles, you accelerate the re-building process of connective tissues — and see better results in the long run!
One other thing to add if you are looking for new ideas — try training with a partner or trade workout routines and ideas with that partner. Write each other’s workouts out for a week — let them dictate the exercises you do at the gym, and vice versa. You’d be surprised how the point of view of a different person can affect (positively!) your workout routine for the week!
Look for other workouts online, try a new sport, or just get out and run. Doing simple, new, and different things to change the pace, tempo, and feel of your workouts will do wonders in the long run — for both your attitude, and your results! Hope these quick tips help you avoid that next exercise plateau; Be Well!
Tags: exercise, FItness, health, muscle confusion, Nutrition, outdoors, plateau, sports, wellness, workout, workouts
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Tuesday, February 16th, 2010
Maybe you’ve heard that a difficult undertaking is “like eating an elephant.” We’ve worked with many different people from many different walks of life, with all kinds of different fitness goals. There is a common sentiment when we begin working together, and it goes like this:
There’s just too much! I need to make sure I am taken care of. I need to eat perfectly. I need to get enough sleep. I need to make sure my work responsibilities are still a priority. I need to spend time with my family. And somehow—in the midst of all that—I have to perform a small miracle to exercise consistently, even when I don’t feel like it. How can I possibly do all that? I don’t have time to sit down and develop this plan. It would take me a solid six weeks of work just to get my mind organized!!
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When exercise is beginning to feel like an uphill climb...
Does that sound familiar? Can you hear some of yourself in that tirade? You’re not alone. You will probably never find the time to do it all, if all you’re focused on is how to do it. Why? Because your focus is off. It doesn’t matter how many times you release your arrow of good intentions, you’ll never hit the target if you’re not aiming at it. Oh sure, you may get lucky every now and then, and hit the target out of sheer luck. It happens. But you’ll never achieve consistent, predictable results if you don’t take careful aim each time.
You Can’t Hit a Target if You’re Aiming at the Sky
It’s not about how. It’s about what. The problem is not how to eat the elephant. It’s identifying the elephant in the first place. Once you’ve identified the elephant, then you can focus on having a system to prioritize where you’re going to start.
You need a vision of what you will look like when “the elephant has been eaten.” Without the vision, nothing you do will make much of a difference. You may make some small changes, and you may even see some good results of those changes. But without the vision, you will never truly become great. You have to stop focusing on the work, and start focusing on the goals.
Focus on the Results, Not on the Work
What is your vision of your body? What do you want it to look like? One of your most important jobs is the development of your vision. That’s it. Your job, your most important role, is defining what you will look like when your regimen is finished, and effectively putting that plan into place.
...Eat the elephant strategically (and before it eats you!).
Approach that Elephant Strategically
To determine what “bite” you need to take first, you need a strategy. With a defined strategy, you can choose where to start. What is your system for prioritizing? Without that system, you’ll get stuck in reactive mode. You’ll develop whatever system seems most important right at that moment. You’ll deal only with your biggest frustration that minute.
And while you’re putting together a system to deal with that frustration, five more problems will show up, each seemingly more important, more vital to the survival of your health regimen than the one you’ve started working on. You need a system to prioritize. You have to pick and choose your battles.
Which center needs the most attention in your body or life this week? Focus there. Spend an hour thinking about all the methods of implementation you will need to correct that specific problem, and write them down. Rate them on a scale of 1-10: which is more important than another? Sort your list by the most important ones, and select just one system to develop right now. Repeat this process regularly, starting each time with the question: “Which center needs the most attention in my health this week?”
Take small bites out of your elephant. Take the right bites. But most importantly, determine what your elephant will look like when you’ve eaten the whole thing this will help keep you focused on the results, not the work. Be Well!
Tags: cardio, elephant, exercise, exercising, fat, fat loss, fit, FItness, goals, health, Nutrition, persistence, priorities, prioritization, strength, weight, weight loss, wellness, workout
Posted in Fitness Tips, FusionSouth Information, General Fitness, Good Workouts, Travel Health Tips | No Comments »
Monday, February 15th, 2010
Sometimes it can be a daunting task to motivate yourself to set aside that extra hour each day to burn calories and develop the trim, toned body you want. Furthermore, it can be difficult to schedule that time into your already-busy day, and make a consistent effort to exercise every day. That’s where the expertise, assistance, and accountability of a mobile personal trainer can be invaluable.
There are so many notable advantages to using the services of a mobile personal trainer. Let FusionSouth take you through them, and remember - if you’re in the Charlotte/Lake Norman area and in need of a personal trainer, contact us today!
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1. You may feel more comfortable exercising in your own home with a good mobile personal trainer.
If you’re seriously out of shape, you may not feel comfortable exercising in a public place, with other people watching you. An in-home personal trainer comes to your home and gives you one-on-one private instruction. This may allow you to feel less self- conscious. Still other people are intimidated by the gym atmosphere, and would rather exercise privately with professional instruction in their homes.
2. A good mobile personal trainer will teach you how to perform exercises correctly, and how to properly plan meals for weight loss success.
It can be difficult to achieve proper form when you exercise if you don’t have feedback from a highly-trained professional. A personal trainer can watch you perform each movement and give you tips on how to do it more effectively, as well as introducing you to new movements, exercises, and ideas. This can be invaluable since you don’t want to waste your precious time doing repetitions that aren’t going to yield results.
A mobile personal trainer will also be able to safely monitor your form and well-being, to ensure your safety during workouts. For clients new to exercise, or dealing with injuries or other health issues, a personal trainer is an ideal way to introduce you safe, effective exercises and workouts.
3. A good mobile personal trainer will design a workout that best meets your specific needs.
Not every workout you see in an exercise book is going to be right for you. A personal trainer has the knowledge and ability to design a custom workout to meet you needs. This can help you see results more quickly, while allowing you to avoid exercises that could potentially injure or harm you in any way.
Let FusionSouth bring the gym to your house!
4. An good mobile personal trainer will be a strong motivator.
If you select your personal fitness trainer well, he or she can be an excellent source of motivation, inspiration, and knowledge, cheering you on and giving you helpful feedback throughout your fitness routine. Their enthusiasm for fitness can be contagious, and you will find that you begin to enjoy exercise much more than you probably did in the past!
5. A good mobile personal trainer will help you push yourself harder to meet your goals.
If you have a personal trainer to which you must be held accountable, it can help you push yourself harder to achieve all of your fitness goals. When someone is watching your performance, and challenges you in a positive, rewarding way, you naturally tend to push yourself harder which can make all the difference in terms of your fitness gains.
6. A good mobile personal trainer will help you exercise in a time-efficient way!
No more time wasted in rush hour before or after work driving to the gym, finding a parking space, dealing with often crowded gym locker rooms, or waiting in lines for cardio machines once you finally are ready to begin your workout. Let a mobile personal trainer meet you — at your home, office, local park, or any other area of your choosing — on your schedule and focused solely on your workout, to help you maximize results with your exercise regimen.
Tags: biking, charlotte, exercise, fat, fat loss, fit, FItness, health, in-home, in-home trainer, lake norman, mobile, mobile trainer, north carolina, Nutrition, personal trainer, running, trainer, weight, weight lifting, weight loss, wellness
Posted in Corporate Fitness, FusionSouth Information, General Fitness, Good Workouts | No Comments »
Saturday, February 13th, 2010
Here on Lake Norman, we only got a few inches of snow last night — but shoveling can still be a necessity to be able to move around! Many people suffer from muscle fatigue, low back strain, vertebral damage, and even spinal fractures during the winter season. Some of these injuries result from excessive stress to spinal structures and others by slip-and-fall accidents. Let FusionSouth help show you how to properly shovel snow to avoid disc injuries in your lower back! Be Well!
It's not quite this bad here on Lake Norman...
The Basics
- Snow shoveling is comparable to weight lifting, and in some cases, the aerobic aspect of this activity is similar to a workout on a treadmill!
- Be heart smart! Don’t smoke before shoveling snow. Avoid caffeinated beverages. These are stimulants and may increase heart rate and cause blood vessels to constrict.
- Pace yourself during shoveling activities. Take frequent breaks and drink plenty of water. Snow shoveling is strenuous work, and it is important to re-hydrate your body often.
Dress for Success!
- Dress in layers. Wear clothing that is easy to move in.
- Wear a hat. A great deal of body heat is lost through the head.
- Proper boots are essential for keeping feet warm and dry while appropriate soles provide traction. Good boots can help you maintain your balance!
- Choose gloves that will keep your hands warm, dry, and blister free—consider thicker gloves, which allow for a good grip on the shovel’s handle.
Select a Shovel That’s Right for You
- Choose a shovel that is ergonomically correct — a shovel with a curved handle. Many hardware stores and home centers stock ergonomically-designed snow shovels. These shovels help you to keep your back straighter reducing spinal stress.
- Use a shovel with a plastic blade instead of metal — plastic is lightweight — isn’t the snow heavy enough?
- Sometimes a smaller blade is better. You will not be able to shovel as much snow per shovel load, but the load will weigh less, which puts less strain on the spine.
- Get a shovel made to push snow. It is far easier to push snow than to lift it. There are shovels made expressly for pushing snow.
Technique, Technique, Technique
- Warm muscles work better. So take some time to stretch to prepare your body for activity.
- Don’t put your hand grip close to one another. Create some distance between the hands. This will give you more leverage and make it easier to lift snow.
- Address your task directly. Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart to maintain balance.
- Try to keep the shovel close to your body. Bend at the knees — not the waist or back. Tighten your stomach muscles as you lift the snow. Lift with your legs — not your back. Do not twist your body. Dump the snow in front of you. If you need to move the snow to the side, move your feet—do not twist!
Special Notes
- If you must lift the snow, lift it properly. Squat with your legs apart, knees bent and back straight. Lift with your legs. Do not bend at the waist. Scoop small amounts of snow into the shovel and walk to where you want to dump it. Holding a shovelful of snow with your arms outstretched puts too much weight on your spine. Shovel an inch or two; then take another inch off. Rest and repeat if necessary.
- Not everyone is able to shovel snow. Consider the disabled and some in our senior populations. Fortunately, many communities have organized volunteers to help people who need assistance during the winter season. Consider helping someone in your neighborhood who is less able with their shoveling needs!
Tags: back, back injury, disc, exercise, fat, fat loss, fit, FItness, health, muscle, Nutrition, shovel, shoveling, snow, snowing, snowstorm, spine, strength, vertebrae, weight, weight loss, wellness, winter
Posted in Cardiovascular Training, General Fitness, Good Workouts, Strength Training | No Comments »
Thursday, February 11th, 2010
Every year during the first few weeks of January, fitness centers have a huge draw of people. There are sign-up sheets to use the treadmills and stationary bikes. There is a sea of cars in the parking lot. It is louder and much more congested.
People want to knock out their resolutions to be more healthy, lose weight and get in shape – during the first week of January – and then move on to excuse making the rest of the year. Like clockwork, the same thing happens every year. What could be an annoying inconvenience with the large crowds of people chugging away on the equipment is decreased by the knowledge they will be gone in a month.
How about you; how are your resolutions going? Are you continuing down your path? Or is your confidence fading? After two weeks doubt can start creeping into the thoughts; The first week was great! But this week I don’t feel so good. Like all great achievements, there is a weeding-out period. The weak must be separated from the strong.
What would it mean to you to be one of the few who makes it? What if the goal you have chosen is difficult, so difficult that most people quit after two weeks — but you keep going? What does that say about you? Doesn’t that mean you are stronger than most?
And what about the negative thoughts that weed their way in? Can’t they motivate you even more? You could choose instead to welcome all the negative thoughts into your head. The more the merrier. Yes, let them all in as long as you do one simple task…show up. Challenge those negative thoughts, invite them in, and then destroy them with unrelenting effort, desire, passion and work ethic. Plan your work, and work your plan.
Look at it this way. You might think that a goal is impossible — but if you simply show up and keep going, you will be doing the impossible. Again, what does that say about you? Show people that you chew up impossibilities and eat them for breakfast. The negative challenges are part of the process – just another part of your life story and eventual success.
What if there were no negative thoughts, no challenges? I’ll tell you…nobody would be interested in you! Nobody wants to read a book, for example, about how you climbed Mount Everest with the greatest of ease. It wasn’t even cold, you say. The air was fresh and clear..we even had a picnic on the top. Makes for a boring story, doesn’t it?
The challenges you inevitably face are part of your life stories. You can learn to appreciate them as being necessary to well-rounded success. So let the negativity come, and make a note of it as you continue down your path. What fun is success if you got it too easily? Embrace the negativity. Embrace the difficulties. And succeed in spite of them. Be Well!
Tags: exercise, fat, fat loss, fit, FItness, health, healthy, inspiration, negative, Nutrition, positive, weight loss, wellness
Posted in Fitness Tips, General Fitness, Good Workouts, Nutrition, Strength Training, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
In the past, people got their workouts the old-fashioned way: getting outside. Of course, they were harvesting crops and tending fields, but you too can take your routine outdoors – with a modern twist. Walk to the market, ride your bike to work, take up hiking or gardening – all of these ideas will have you fit and toned without the investment of a gym.
If you are a gym rat, look for one that has eco-friendly qualities. Do they recycle water bottles? Do they switch off televisions when machines are not in use? And when you’re looking at exercise equipment, choose from the plethora of green alternatives to traditional products. Enjoy these five tips from FusionSouth to go green in your workouts!
Get Out
Why use your energy to run on a treadmill or stationery bike when the whole world is in front of you? Lace up a pair of running shoes and go for a jog – it’s the simplest do-anywhere workout, and all you need are shoes. If you’re not a runner, hit the local hiking trails, take your two-wheeler out for a spin, or just add a daily walk to your lunch hour!
Capture Your Energy
Fuel your body with fresh, organic food, and skip the processed foods. Go for organic energy bars that don’t include sugar or artificial colors and flavors, and that are made from fruit, nuts, fiber, protein, and natural fats. Before you exercise, fuel yourself with a snack that’s high in carbohydrates and low in fat – like pretzels – and drink lots of water. After your workout, snack on both carbohydrates and protein to replenish your energy supplies.
Team Up
Working out with others is one of the most effective ways to stick with your plan; accountability will help you both get fit faster. Finding a jogging partner, or even a personal trainer, makes it easier to schedule your workouts; even better, sign up for a group race or join a team to play soccer, softball, or any other sport. Bonus: The team will likely have a lot of the equipment already, so you can skip buying your own!
Dress Appropriately
Serious athletes wear those nice fabrics for a reason: they are designed for optimal performance and recovery. But there are eco-alternatives, too: sneakers made with recycled rubber soles, 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 when you are in the market for some new workout gear!
Inspire Change In Others
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), and set up televisions to shut off when machines aren’t in use. Some gyms harness human power to reduce bills. Also, talk to your workout partner about switching indoor workouts for weekend hikes or bike rides; you’ll be able to get a great workout while making everyone more environmentally conscious!
Use these tips, and anything more, to go green when you exercise! Who knows – you might even find exercise a little more fun than before - and the environment will thank you! Be Well!
Tags: environment, environmental, exercise, fat, fat loss, fit, FItness, green, health, jogging, Nutrition, outdoors, running, weight loss, wellness
Posted in Cardiovascular Training, Corporate Fitness, Fitness Tips, General Fitness, Good Workouts, Nutrition, Strength Training | No Comments »
