Eco Friendly Workouts
Reducing your environmental impact can have a long-term impact on future generations, and you can start with the simplest of steps: developing your own eco-friendly exercise routine. You may improve your health and the environment at the same time by doing the simplest exercises such as breathing fresh air, riding a mountain bike, or strengthening your triceps in your dining room chair.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), everyone is at danger as climate change threatens human health and well-being, particularly those with limited financial resources and those who live in certain areas throughout the world. But you can do your part to help alleviate the environmental crisis.
The 11 eco-friendly workouts listed below require less electricity. Hence, lessen your carbon footprint, and at the same time, provide valuable health benefits to both your body and mind.
1. Hiking
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Hiking routes offer varying sceneries, allowing you to soak in vast landscape views while also working out your quads and hamstrings. Hiking, according to the National Park Service (NPS), is a total-body workout that strengthens muscles and bones, improves cardiovascular health, reduces the risk of respiratory diseases, and improves balance as trails often include both inclines and declines.
Hiking also has the potential to improve your mental health. According to a 2015 Stanford University study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, people who walk in nature rather than a heavily trafficked urban setting have shown decreased activity in a brain region linked to depression.
One group of participants walked for 90 minutes on a grassland area with trees and shrubs, while the other group walked along a four-lane road with significant traffic. Researchers took participants' heart and respiration rates, performed brain scans before and after the workout, and had them fill out questionnaires. They discovered that those who strolled in nature vs an urban setting had significant, positive changes in brain activity.
2. Walking or Running
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Running and walking are both environmentally friendly exercises that can be done just outside your front door and do not require you to travel long distances. Furthermore, because the terrain and natural elements change frequently, spending time outside rather than on a treadmill might work out different leg muscles.
According to a 2015 study published in Biology of Sport, running outside improves running economy (the amount of energy used at an aerobic intensity). Runners were put through an exercise test on a running track versus a treadmill with a 1% slope. They discovered that runners on the track had much better running efficiency than those on the treadmill.
3. Using Workout Gear You Find at Home
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To have a great, whole-body workout, you don't always have to take your car to an expensive gym. You can make use of furnishings and items that you already have in your home. You could, for example, do the following:
Tricep dips should be done in a sturdy chair. Your legs are stretched out away from the chair, your knees are bent to 90 degrees, and your hands are placed on the front of the chair. Slowly drop down, keeping your feet hip-width apart, until your elbows bend to about 90 degrees, then press back up.
Water bottles or milk gallons filled with water can be used as free weights. (To avoid wasting water, put them in the refrigerator once you are done.) Small used free weights can also be found in a used sports goods store or online. Bicep curls, arm curls, wrist curls, overhead arm raises, and front row arm raises can all be done with these free weights.According to the National Institute on Aging (NIH), you should exercise with free weights twice a week.
With a simple tennis ball, work on developing your hand grip. You may also use a stress ball or any other pliable ball that you have on hand.
You can do wall push-ups against the wall. Stretch out your arms and position your hands slightly wider than your shoulders, and a few feet away from the wall. Lower yourself with your body weight and then push yourself back up.
Squats and lunges don't require any equipment other than your own body.
4. Yoga
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Yoga classes are also becoming increasingly popular. According to a poll of over 18,000 Americans conducted by the Physical Activity Council (PAC), 67 percent of the U.S. population participated in group fitness and other gym-based activities in 2019, with over 18 percent of respondents engaging in moderate calorie-burning exercises such as yoga.
Yoga does not involve the use of machinery and only requires minimal equipment (a mat, yoga blocks, and a strap) and can be done at home or at a gym, making it an environmentally friendly option. For those who are unfamiliar with yoga, you can view free yoga videos on YouTube or enroll in a beginner-level group program.
5. Spin Class
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If you prefer to go to the gym than work out at home, you may get your cardio by attending a spinning class followed by some weight training. According to TIME, while many boutique spin classes use a lot of electricity, some gyms have started to employ "people-powered" spin sessions to power electricity in their facilities. According to NPR, a steady speed on a bike can generate up to 100 watts of electricity.
Because they do not consume electricity and are made with fewer materials than nautilus weights, free weights are a great method to get some post-cardio strength training and conditioning workout in.