Thinking Green
Go green, save green and get in shape
- Article Written by Michael Tortorich
I went to a university populated by more
than 30,000 students. It was often
referred to as a "walking campus"
because driving around and parking were
no easy tasks. The powers that be
mandated walking.Hitting the books
and working part-time left little time
for exercise, but it didn't really
matter much since I was getting in an
ample amount of walking just changing
classes. Living in dorms and nearby
apartments, I didn't really need a car.
It would typically sit in the parking
lot the entire week.
I never made a concentrated effort to
do this. It really came naturally due to
the circumstances. I wasn't going to
battle the commuter traffic on a daily
basis, so I just picked up my things and
walked everywhere I needed to go, just
as most everyone did out of necessity.
Coincidentally, that was the last
time I was at my ideal weight.
Why? Well, the circumstances changed
and I wasn't paying close attention to
the lack of exercise I was getting. I
started working jobs that required me to
branch out and drive sometimes as far as
50 miles a day. Walking or biking didn't
seem feasible anymore, and I was
spending a lot of time exercising my
right foot on the accelerator.
With the change in lifestyle came the
inevitable change in weight and health.
I started to figure that exercise was
something that I had to carve out time
in my schedule to get done.
I'm all in favor of doing things
efficiently, though. If I can "kill two
birds with one stone," I will. In
essence, I was getting in an adequate
amount of exercise at the same time I
was walking to and from classes. Once I
started working full-time and driving
everywhere, I was in a sense "killing
one bird with one stone."
So to put it simply, we all would do
well to figure out how to incorporate
multiple things into one. That's where
going green comes in. Why can't we
combine helping the environment with
staying healthy and going about our
daily routines? And it doesn't hurt
saving money in the process. With a
little creativity it can be done.
The great thing about Vinnie's advice
is that he understands the reality of a
person's situation. He knows that
will-power can kill even the strongest
desire to diet. And he knows that
setting unrealistic fitness goals are
doomed to fail in the long run. It's all
about designing the ultimate plan for
yourself. Each of us has a unique
situation.
These plans can start off with minor
changes, and eventually expand. We can't
save the world in one day, and the body
can only lose so much weight at a time.
It all takes time and patience.
Simple things like walking and
bicycling are affordable ways to address
your health, save money and go green.
That's like killing three birds with one
stone.
When embarking on walking and
bicycling, make sure that safety is a
top priority. Try a few test runs and
get an idea of the typical amount of
traffic on any routes you are interested
in using.
Keep in mind that motorists have a
harder time spotting pedestrians and
cyclists. Remedy this by wearing more
visible apparel and using reflectors. If
you plan on going out at night, use
lights. Also educate yourself on any
laws in your area.
Simple lifestyle changes can put
anyone on the path to being more
healthy. Walking and cycling provide
great workouts and they put more money
in your hands, all while cutting vehicle
usage.
Michael Tortorich is a journalist and
freelance writer and photographer based
in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He has a
degree in journalism from Louisiana
State University.
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