If working out and the environment are both important to you, there is no reason why the two cannot be put together. There are plenty of ways of staying fit and healthy while being friendly to the environment.

Alternate Ways of Transportation

If your gym, work, school or friend's house is nearby, walk or ride your bike there instead of driving your car. You'll burn more calories and help keep the air cleaner. Keep a bag of your toiletries with you to help make your commute easier.

Eco-Friendly Gyms

Gyms and other workout facilities are becoming more environmentally conscious. If your gym is not green and friendly to the environment you can make suggestions and encourage the staff to become green. Here are a few suggestions that workout facilities can easily implement:

- Recycling system
- Encourage patrons to bring their own, reusable water bottles
- Cut down on electricity use
- Switch to energy-saving light bulbs
- Install water-saving shower heads
- Have natural cleaning products and soaps
- Encourage the use of organic workout clothes with natural cotton and fibers
- Create programs that help give back to the environment, such as community service activities

The Great Outdoors

Instead of constantly working out at your local gym or home, exercise outside. You can take a jog throughout your neighborhood or park. If there are hiking trails near your home, take a friend and get your workout in by hiking for an afternoon. For one, it saves on electricity and also gives you a chance to connect better with your community and environment.

Get Family and Friends Involved

A wonderful way to get people involved is organizing activities that can help others stay in shape and give back to their community and environment. Many people like to have workout buddies, so why not have a group workout together and give back? Here are a few suggestions on how to help the environment while staying fit
- Organize a hike at a local park instead of a day at the gym
- Join or organize a community garden
- Plant trees along a highway
- Pick up trash alongside the road
- Join an environmental group and participate in its activities
- Promote alternate ways of traveling by organizing a group to walk or bike

Be Green and Eat Healthy

Before and after a hard workout, your body needs fuel to reenergize and stay healthy. Fresh juices and fruits are excellent ways of getting those needed nutrients before or even during your workouts. The fruit and juice won't be too heavy or unsettling to your stomach. Organic energy bars can help both your body and the environment. You can make your own energy bars and not buy the already-packaged products as well. Those wrappers and boxes can pile up quickly. The ingredients in an energy bar can easily be found at your local grocery store.

There are numerous ways to help the environment, your health and the health of your friends and family. Businesses and other organizations are finding ways to become green, and there is no reason why people can't be healthy and fit while helping the environment.