Across the pond, the University of Brighton, in Brighton, England, is the first gym to use their own equipment to supply their facility with power.

Ringmer-based Eco Gym converts human energy to utility-grade electricity while clients exercise. About 74 percent of the energy produced is fed back into the grid!

Eco Gym is among the first enterprises to benefit from grants from the university's Green Growth Platform. This initiative supports businesses in the "green-sector."

A spokesman for Eco Gym has said, "We are taking the Eco Gym concept across the country. LoCASE and the Green Growth Platform have helped us get really helpful specialist advice on developing our business model and protecting our intellectual property."

The platform is part of the European Regional Development Fund's Low Carbon Across the South East (Locase) business grant program. The program provides grants and business support to both small and medium-sized business committed to low carbon output. This is to help them grow and develop new products and services. It also provides grants and free environmental audits to help any of these types of businesses improve their environmental performance.

With a second location in Lancing, in West Sussex, England, they make sure that every decision made contributes to making a positive difference to the planet. The gym uses energy-saving lighting and low water consumption showers. They do not advocate single use plastics on site and have a stock of reusable cups for water should you forget your water bottle. They also don't have trash cans, asking members and staff to take their garbage with them, and recycle where necessary.

They also ask that anybody with ideas on how they can evolve their green efforts or who would like to work with them to feel free to contact them directly. They can be reached at 01273-625577 in Brighton, 01903-533141 in Lancing, or emailed at [email protected].

"It just seems right that as advocates of a healthy lifestyle that we should take the same care with the environment as we do with our own bodies."