People sometimes don’t realize just how much potential energy they possess. One great example concerns exercise, and the failure of gyms and health clubs to harness the energy of their patrons. As health club members use exercise machines such as stationary bikes, treadmills, and elliptical machines, they could be feeding energy into generators and providing a significant portion of the facility’s needed power.

This technology isn’t unheard of; in fact, California Fitness was the first organization to bring this concept to its gyms. This kinetic energy will hopefully spread to hundreds of other fitness centers around the world, and the numbers show why. According to California Fitness President Steve Clinefelter, spending an hour on one of the exercise machines can generate up to 18.2 kilowatts of electricity. This is equivalent to preventing the release of 4,380 liters of carbon dioxide per year.

More gyms and health clubs should know the potential gains of this technology, and just how much it can benefit the environment. Why waste the workouts of so many patrons when gyms could be using that energy to save money and energy?