Bonzer Words!: Join The Green Gym!
"Get fit, get social and help save the planet with Conservation Volunteers Australia!,'' Elizabeth Cowan suggests.
Climate change and the obesity epidemic are two significant challenges currently faced by Australian society. These two issues are linked in many ways as the structures that allow us to lead inactive life-styles (car and air travel, home entertainment, office work, etc.) also have destructive environmental impacts. Even gyms which encourage people to improve their health through exercise require massive amounts of power to run, which is largely generated by burning coal.
With support from the Department of Health and Ageing, Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) has introduced the Green Gym, a programme which marries healthy living with environmental conservation. The Green Gym was developed in the UK by British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) and based on its UK success the programme is now being run in New South Wales and Victoria.
In Australian society the Green Gym concept just makes sense. Almost 60 per cent of Australians are overweight and vast areas of indigenous Australian bushland have been devastated. Regular volunteer involvement in practical conservation projects requires participants to use many of the same muscles and functions that would be exercised in a conventional gym. This equals positive health impacts for participants and the environment!
Australian Green Gym volunteers are already enjoying improvements to their health and lifestyles as a result of their involvement in the programme. In addition to weight loss and increased fitness levels many Green Gym participants have become more socially active, learnt new skills and gained a better understanding and increased concern for the Australian environment.
Green Gym volunteers are involved in various conservation activities which include removing introduced species from conservation sites, propagating native seeds, cultivating organic community farms and tree planting. The ecological benefits of planting trees are enormous and include reducing soil salinity, providing habitat for native wildlife, reducing the effects of erosion, sequestering carbon and generally making our communities nicer places to live.
The Green Gym is great for people who are less comfortable in formal 'gym' cultures and is perfect for retirees, people returning to exercise and those who enjoy exercising outdoors. The Green Gym is totally free to join and sessions run for four hours per day, two days per week for twelve weeks. No experience or prior fitness is required.
The Green Gym is currently being run in various locations in Victoria and New South. Visit the Conservation Volunteers Australia website. http://www.conservationvolunteers.com.au/
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Also visit www.bonzer.org.au
