Green Gyms: Turning Sweat Into Watts

Imagine, instead of "minutes exercised" flashing across the readout on your stationary bike, you see the digital ticker pulse upwards toward 180 watts as you spun the wheels of the bike faster and harder, knowing you were producing power -- enough to turn the ceiling fan and run the flat-panel TV in front of you.

This is what the gym rats in Portland Oregon experience. At the Green Microgym you don't just work for your body, you work for your electricity; each calorie you burn becomes the wattage to power the building.

The green-conscious gym was founded on the principles of sustainability. The electricity-producing bikes are just one of the efforts the facilities utilize to be environmentally friendly.

The 3,000-square-foot gym also boasts solar panels, recycled toilet paper, renewable-source flooring and lots of reminders to turn off TVs, lights and fans.

In the already very "green" area of the Alberta district, the gym provides not only an eco-friendly building, but also a staff which is supportive and encouraging of a healthier lifestyle.

"If you have somebody who knows you, who knows your name, they will keep you moving. I know for sure I will cheat right and left on my workout without that," gym member Martha Jones told the Associated Press.

The futuristic concept of the gym may not prove to be monetarily conscious in the long run though, with returns on investments in electricity-generating exercise equipment less than promising.

But Green Microgym founder Adam Boesel does not care about the payback period. Instead, Boesel feels stronger in educating and helping people achieve not only physical health but environmental health.

Visit HuffPost Health to read more about the Green Microgym.