11 Ways to Keep Exercise in Proper (Greener) Perspective

Is exercise green? That depends. It can be, but it requires some perspective.

Modern health clubs typically require us to navigate our way past enough computers to make Judy Jetson blush. However, humans beings stayed in shape for centuries before anyone thought to charge exorbitant amounts of money for the right to push around inanimate hunks of iron beneath the soothing glow of a neon light. Even Ah-nold admits: "One hundred years ago we had to do everything with our bodies. We worked to get lumber and stones for building a house. We had to work with our hands, we had to run, we had to crawl under things, we had to swim. The efforts of everyday living kept the body in shape. But now, because almost everything is done with machines, people have become lazy."

The Governator has unexpectedly segued into the intersection of green and fit. Industrial civilization has altered human culture in devastating ways. Keeping ourselves and our landbase healthy is no longer a simple task. Fitness--both mental and physical--is a crucial component for any serious subversive. If you think smashing capitalism is tough, try doing it with clogged arteries or carpal tunnel syndrome. But, the green movement has been built on a foundation of choosing simplicity, of recognizing that less is usually more, of everyone doing their part. Your health and the planet's health are intricately interwoven, but if your day is built around your time in the gym, you might be missing the point. So, in the name of keeping "health" in "health club," here are...

11 Ways to Keep Exercise in Proper (Greener) Perspective

1. Set a Time Limit

Where is it written that you have to spend two hours in the gym? If you allocate, say, one hour for a training session, you've already taken a giant step toward keeping your regimen sane and safe--and leaving plenty of time for green activism. The gym isn't going anywhere and all those dumbbells and treadmills will be there tomorrow. Speaking of which...

2. There's Always Tomorrow

It may feel like changes--major changes, both good and bad--can occur overnight...but any experienced greenie knows better than that. This is not about granting permission for anyone or everyone to take days off from exercise on a whim, but there is much to gain from remembering that staying fit and healthy is a marathon, not a sprint.

3. Don't Compete Against Others

In every gym, there is bound to be someone that makes you green...with envy, that is. Whether it's the size of their biceps, the weight being benched, or the curve of those glutes...the muscles are always firmer on the other side. But is that really why you're in the gym every day at six in the morning? Competition can be healthy but, again, unless you are planning to challenge your nemesis to a posedown, your real competition is yourself. Besides, rivals are rarely what they are cracked up to be anyway.

4. All May Not Be What it Appears to Be

Muscle magazines have inspired millions and helped teach exercise fundamentals to millions more...but those artificially-tanned, oiled-from-head-to-toe bodybuilders smiling at you from the pages of your favorite magazine have the power to wield considerable influence. "This is what a real man looks like," they seem to be saying. But how many of those bodies were built on a foundation of steroids and thus will keep us forever unhappy with our results if we stay natural? Models not indulging in chemical enhancement get a little help from their friends...in the art department...thanks to a little thing called Photoshop. Cellulite vanishes, calves magically grow, and hairlines head back south...leaving us powerless to live up to such standards. Let's stop holding up chemically- or technically-embellished models as heroes and take stock in what we have going for us, reality.

5. You're Lucky to Have the Time

Most Americans are working longer hours for less money. The demands of job, family, and other responsibilities were not lessened by myriad high-tech inventions. Elsewhere on the planet, "free time" is a concept enjoyed only by a select few. So, the next time you walk into your gym and feel a little short on time, thank your lucky stars you can enjoy the luxury to keep yourself healthy.

6. You're Lucky to Have the Money

More than a billion people on planet earth live on the equivalent of one U.S. dollar a day or less. Meanwhile, many of us are able to plunk down tidy sums to join a gym, health club, or other fitness facility. When you walk into your gym and wish you could work less and train more, imagine how many humans out there would trade places with you in a millisecond.

7. You're Lucky to Have the Ability

It's important to set goals...but let's not get carried away. If you have full use of your body and are able to challenge yourself to improve and advance, you are several steps ahead of many millions for whom just getting out of bed or putting on a shirt is a major challenge. As with the previous two entries, it comes down to each of us appreciating what we have instead of fixating on what we think we need.

8. Diet is More Important

Gyms everywhere are filled with individuals who never miss a workout...yet never seem to lose weight. Thus, a powerful method to avoid gym obsession is to accept the crucial role our eating habits play in the way we look and feel. If you want to maintain perspective on the significance of your gym time, never forget that what you put in your mouth is more important than exercise.

9. Hunger/Diet Ratio

Number 8 is not an open invitation to switch from gym obsession to diet obsession. Eating healthy is essential...and helps not only you but also the planet itself. Still, in a world where a human starves to death every two seconds, there are thousands of diet books in circulation in America. When your healthy fitness regimen turns into maddening fixation, reflect on that fact. There's more to life than body fat percentage.

10. Train Green

There's a gym in Portland, Oregon that has incorporated an environmental ethic to inspire us all. The Green Microgym generates "as much as 40 percent of its own electricity from solar panels and exercise machines like stationary bikes." In addition, something called the Human Dynamo (four spin bikes attached to a small generator) can "produce 200 watts to 600 watts of energy an hour, depending on whether all four bikes are in use." The Green Microgym is green in fifteen ways.

11. Train Simply

Check out the local public swimming pool. Use the local park for running, calisthenics, biking, and team sports. Look for free trial memberships and complimentary work-outs offered at gyms, dance schools, dojos, and exercise studios. If all else fails, get yourself a part-time gig in a gym and enjoy free use of the facilities. And remember, it doesn't cost anything extra to eat properly or try these park workouts.