I care about our environment and feel very blessed every time I run outside in the forest or along the beach and get to enjoy the fresh air and beauty of my natural surroundings. However, finding the motivation to exercise alone or when it's cold and dark during winter, is not easy. It’s no wonder so many of us flock to the stuffy warmth of a gym; well, I do. Or I did, because recently I did some research on the internet about how environmentally friendly our gyms really are and just what impact they have on our carbon footprint? I was quite shocked.

According to an article published by Brian Palmer of the Washington Post this year, he says an average treadmill uses 600 to 700 watts of energy! That's the equivalent of watching three or four 46-inch LCD televisions or leaving 50 compact fluorescent light bulbs burning for the duration of your workout. If you did 2 1/2 hours per week of brisk walking on a treadmill, generating electricity for the machine would emit about 49.8951607 kilograms of carbon dioxide annually. (That's about 1 percent of the annual CO2 emissions of the average car.) This is only the tip of the iceberg. Consider all the TVs and lights that are left on all day, heating for the pool, air conditioning and water used in the showers?

It also made we wonder just how good gym was for our overall health and wellbeing. I counted how many times I’ve had to wait in long queues for equipment, classes, squash courts and swimming pools, not to mention toilets, showers and parking bays. Gyms are hot and stuffy and sometimes even more stressful than we realise. Exercise is meant to help eliminate stress and restore vitality not intensify it.

Reading this has given me extra motivation to exercise outdoors, no matter the weather. There is no better way to stay in shape and take care of the environment. In South Africa, we have a variable climate that allows us to continue with our daily activities right throughout winter and summer.

I also recently attended Adventure Boot Camp, an organisation that feels the same as I do, and not only about the environment. Adventure Boot Camp is a four-week fitness programme for women only that takes place entirely outdoors, using natural obstacles found in nature. Venues are usually on school fields, botanical gardens or at beaches, with undercover areas in case of rain. Camps take place nationwide and are open to women older than 15. There is nothing better than arriving at each camp with plenty of parking available, using your own equipment, and training with a personal trainer you know on a first name basis! This programme has complemented my own outdoor exercising programme perfectly.

The next time you walk into a gym, ask yourself this. Could you just as easily have done all the same exercises outdoors at a fraction of the cost to the environment?

About Adventure Boot Camp
Camps take place for one hour a day, three or five days per week. ABC makes use of the natural obstacles found nature to ensure a diverse, full-body workout and all routines are performed under the watchful eye of a qualified personal trainer who provides a stimulating variation every session to alleviate monotony. The regular workout rotation also serves to target and strengthen muscles that are often missed in a “regular gym” workout, as well as specific areas women want to improve most!

For more information, visit www.AdventureBootCamp.co.za or email franchise@adventurebootcamp.co.za or call the National head office on 021 447 2746/082 567 2267.

You can also find them on Facebook.