These 3 simple money saving green solutions are some of my favorite. These eco-friendly changes are easy switches that will save you time and lots of money! I especially like Lu Lu Lemon’s new, recycled polyester workout wear—their men’s shorts are hot!

1. Buy recycled and/or natural fitness products.  Fitness product manufacturers such as www.GIAIM.com and www.NaturalFitnessInc.com, are beginning to manufacture products using recycled materials, especially rubber. 
   
   
2. Choose eco-friendly organic and/or recycled active wear.  Today, there seems to be an over abundance of green materials being made into clothing.  Time will tell what materials consumers like best due to price, performance, look, and feel.   www.LuLuLemon.com and www.Giaim.com offer organic cotton and soy fiber blend, seaweed blend, and recycled polyester active wear for men and women that is form flattering, comfortable, and long-lasting.  (I like LuLuLemon, because their clothes look and fit me best, and their retail stores are built eco-friendly too.)  Brooks Sports, www.BrooksRunning.com, makes a biodegradable athletic running shoe.  Another frugally green idea is to shop your local, upscale thrift shops.  The best days to find great clothes are Mondays and Tuesdays after folks have dropped off their clothing over the weekend.  Thrift shops are hit and miss—so you may need to visit them more than once.
   
   
3. Buy used workout DVDs, as it’s a great way to recycle and save money too.  You can find great quality, popular used home workout DVDs for less than half price at www.Amazon.com and www.EBay.com, and www.Half.com.  We found lots of current best-selling DVDs on all these sites for 1/3 to ½ the price of new DVDs.  Just be careful about how much the seller is asking for shipping and handling.  The Bottom line:  Don’t be afraid to negotiate or way away if it’s a bad deal—they’ll be plenty more good ones.

We all agree that we need to do a better job conserving our planet’s limited resources, but where do you begin?  Here are 3 simple solutions that will help you get green into your workout routine without much effort at all.  These eco-friendly switches will save you time and lots of money too.  How awesome and easy is that?

1. Curb your consumerism.  Buy less active wear, expensive running shoes, and/or fad, workout gizmos (that you know are NOT quick-fixes for proper exercise and diet).  You’ll leave a smaller carbon footprint and leave more money in your wallet too.
   
   
2. Recycle your water/sports bottles.  Buy a recyclable water bottle instead of plastic one-use water bottles.  Recyclable water bottles will save you big bucks in the long run, as most designer waters are very expensive.  Many individual 16-ounce designer waters that include minerals and vitamins are now over $2.00 a bottle.  These outrageously overpriced waters are unnecessary, as you can obtain all your vitamins and minerals by eating a sensible diet along with taking a daily multivitamin.  Did you know that according to the Container Recycling Institute only 23% of plastic bottles are recycled in the US?  38 billion plastic bottles go into landfills in the US each year.  Plastic bottles take up to 1000 years to biodegrade. I recommend these two recyclable water bottle companies:  Sigg, www.MySigg.com and Klean Kanteen, www.KleanKanteen.com.
   
   
3. Buy recycled and/or natural fitness products.  Fitness product manufacturers such as GAIAM www.GAiAM.com and Natural Fitness Inc. www.NaturalFitnessInc.com, are beginning to manufacture products such as yoga mats and blocks, stability balls, resistance tubing, soft, mini weighted exercise balls to name a few using recycled materials, especially rubber.

We all agree that we all need to do a better job conserving our planet’s limited resources, but where do you begin when it comes to making your workout green without busting your budget?  Here are 3 simple solutions that will easily help you get green into your workout routine without much effort at all.  These eco-friendly frugal changes are easy switches that will save you time and lots of money too! 

1. Join a neighborhood gym that’s within walking distance to where you work and/or live.  You’ll be supporting the local economy, saving car gas emissions, and costly parking fees.  Plus, you’ll burn more Calories walking to and from the gym.
   
   
2. If the weather is fine, walk outside—it’s free.  Did you know that out of all motorized pieces of fitness equipment, treadmills use the most energy?  Try holding up to 2 pound dumbbells, which will help tone and sculpt your shoulders while increasing your Calorie burn by approx. 33%.  According to www.treehugger.com, a treadmill uses around 1500 watts every hour or the equivalent of 15 of those old-fashioned light bulbs. And, over 1 hour, treadmills use the same amount of power to light up your Christmas tree for 12 hours.  Treadmills also pump out about 4 pounds of CO2 per hour.
   
   
3. Use organic cotton and/or bamboo, or reclaimed fabric towels.  Lots of discount retailers sell eco-friendly towels, such as organic cotton, bamboo, or organic cotton-bamboo blend.  For example Bed, Bath, and Beyond, www.BedBathandBeyond.com, a nationwide retail store, sells them for reasonable prices.  They routinely offer 20% coupon specials, which make the towels even more affordable.  And, bamboo towels are extremely soft, luxuriant, and surprisingly absorbent.