The Green Room

Sarah Kmiech writes:

I was reading your newsletter regarding what’s hot and what’s not in 2009. It was said that "Free Exercise" was hot and "Gym & Studio Memberships" were not.  Being a person who goes to, and enjoys the gym (and also a person who cares for the environment), I was wondering what it was about gyms that make them not an environmental choice?

Gail from The Green Room replies:

Having a gym membership isn’t "not environmental," per se.

A lot of people believe that it takes a lot of money to protect nature – buying organic, owning a hybrid vehicle, etc. With the economy teetering, we want people to stay mindful of the environment and do the best they can to make green choices.

The point is that there are lot of things people can do to lighten their footprints that are free and/or inexpensive. And, that if a person chooses certain options – like repairing clothes instead of buying new ones, or running outside instead of joining a gym – that frees up funds to choose things he or she might care passionately about that seem beyond reach (like buying organic, etc). It’s about finding balance in life.

And, of course, people who spend time outdoors and feel a connection to nature care about protecting it, so we encourage people to get their exercise outdoors, where possible.

We did not mean that belonging to a gym isn’t "green." In fact, until you (and one other person) mentioned it, it never occurred to me that someone might read it that way! Thanks for bringing that to my attention. I’ve belonged to a yoga studio for years and cherish that community. And I know Dr. Suzuki works out in gyms all the time, wherever he is in the world.