Tips from the Pros: Top 4 Surfing Exercises

Stay in shape with training tips from the experts. Earlier this week, we covered paddling, climbing, and hiking. Today, we'll show you how to rule the waves.

Four Exercises for Surfers

Brian Keaulana knows a thing or two about big-time surfing on big-time stages. Son of legendary Hawaiian surfer "Buffalo" Keaulana, Brian is consistently one of the most sought-after figures in the surfing world. The Makaha coastline promoted him to lifeguard captain in 1993 after he braved the dangerous Oahuan "Moi Hole" to save a tourist. He's since become one of the top surf-rescue experts around. Professional tours? Film stunt work? Keaulana does it all. When he's not competing, the 52-year-old has a very brave toe in nearly all waters of the professional surfing industry.   

Keaulana recently shared a few of his favorite exercises with us. 

1. Underwater Breath-Holding

Woah, woah, hold on. We thought these were exercises related to surfing?

Keaulana argues that they are.

"A lot of what I do is cross-training," he says. "A lot of people think about the physicality of being strong. But you need mental strength, too, because the waves are so unpredictable. You need to be able to react to unexpected situations, like when you get thrown from your board. You can't panic. At the end of the day, surfing is the easiest thing to do — surviving is hard. If you can survive, surfing is a cakewalk."

Ask Mr. Green: How to Hypermile a Hybrid

Hey Mr. Green,

I just bought a hybrid car. Is there a way to adjust my driving style to make the most of this vehicle’s fuel-saving potential?  

—Ramona in Crownsville, Maryland

Let your Prius (or Volt or Fusion) be your nag: Watch the miles-per-gallon numbers on the dashboard and experiment to get ’em higher.

Otherwise, hybrid drivers can save gas by practicing the same sensible driving habits as everyone else. Here are the main tenets every driver should follow, as set forth by the EPA experts at fueleconomy.­gov:

1. Chill out: Avoid rapid acceleration and road rage, which can lower your fuel efficiency by up to 33%.

2. Slow down: Increasing your speed from 70 to 80 miles per hour can reduce fuel efficiency by 5 miles per gallon.

3. Maintain: Keep your engine tuned up and tires inflated to recommended levels.

4. Shed weight: Every extra 100 pounds knocks up to 2% off gas mileage.

5. Don’t idle: Idling in line at fast-food joints alone wastes 50 million gallons of gas each year.

The Obama administration has mandated a dramatic increase in fuel economy for new cars: 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. But bonehead driving and lousy maintenance could wipe away nearly half that gain.

Google “hypermiling” for more tips (not all of which seem legal). And to avoid being driven to dangerous distraction, try just a few at a time. —Bob Schildgen

Got an eco-question? Ask Mr. Green!

Tips From the Pros: Top 4 Hiking Exercises

Whether your sport of choice is paddling, climbing, hiking, or surfing, we'll help you improve your outdoor experience with training tips from the pros.

Four Exercises for Hikers 

Mark Westman knows what it takes to reach the summit. A Denali National Park ranger who has climbed throughout the Alaskan Range for 20 seasons, Westman conducts high-altitude patrols when a hiker — or nature — takes an unexpected turn. Searching for some exercises to rescue your hiking-related goals? This search-and-rescue expert has your answer.

1. Stairmaster / Stationary Bicycle

In addition to a proper warm-up, Westman says that a staple for every hiker and technical climber is a solid foundation of aerobic fitness. No mountain? No problem — you're doing a few of the next best moves to hiking itself when you hop on the StairMaster or a bike. An even easier way? Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Plus, all of these exercises put less stress on your knees and joints than running. Go for an amount of time (Westman advises longer, moderately-intense durations) that mimics the distance of a true climb.

2. Backpack Training

Tips From the Pros: Top 4 Climbing Exercises

This week's tips from professional athletes and trainers will help you make this summer's workouts your best ever.

Four Exercises for Climbers

We asked trainer Dawn Miller of Berkeley Ironworks Climbing and Fitness to help us take our rock climbing skills to the next level.

A certified strength and conditioning coach with NSCA for over a decade, Miller has battled some of the toughest peaks in the United States. She joined Ironworks in 2000 and set a priority to conquer peaks like Yosemite's El Cap and Half Dome. She even met her husband through rock-climbing at Ironworks, which is recognized as part of the largest indoor climbing company in the world. Was it a match made to be? With Miller's top four exercises, climbers can take their rock romance to the next level.

1. Pull-Ups / Lat Pull-Downs

While these might seem like the most obvious exercises, they also prove that you can sometimes have too much of a good thing; Miller warns against doing pull-ups or lat pull-downs so frequently that you over-fatigue your back muscles.

"If you do a lot of climbing, I wouldn't do a lot of pull-ups," Miller says. You're doing movements so similar to pull-ups anyway. I think it's okay to do them periodically — just not too much."

Can't do a single pull-up? Miller suggests heading to the lat pull-down machine at your local gym so you can slowly increase your resistance until you can pull your own body weight. Focus on proper technique by bringing the bar all they way down to your chest. A full range of movement will add both strength and flexibility to your upper body.

2. Planks / Hanging Leg Raises

Tips from the Pros: Top 4 Paddling Exercises

Want to improve your performance in your favorite outdoor sports? This week, we're asking professional athletes to tell us their secrets.

Four Exercises for Paddlers

Today, Olympic whitewater slalom canoeist Casey Eichfeld shares four of his favorite training exercises.

The 23-year-old is currently recognized as the top whitewater single canoe paddler in the United States. A two-time Olympian, Eichfeld was the youngest solo competitor in the U.S Whitewater Slalom Nationals as an eight-year-old, and he was named by Paddler Magazine in 2000 as a "Paddler of the Next Century." He's hoping that third time's the (Golden) charm as he prepares for the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro.

1. Pull-Ups

"I am particularly fond of the pull-up because it is a versatile exercise that doesn't necessarily require any equipment," Eichfeld writes via email. "If I can pull my body vertically through the air, then certainly I can pull it horizontally along the water."

No pull-up bar? An easy alternative is to drape a towel over a door to protect your hands and pull yourself up that way. The door's barrier will make it so you can't rock back and forth to swing yourself up, making it a killer for your biceps, your back, and your shoulders. Perform the movement in a controlled, steady motion. Eichfeld writes that you can challenge yourself by progressing to "L" pull-ups (simultaneously raising your legs parallel to the floor) as well as to weighted pull-ups.

2. Single-Leg Deadlifts

Up to Your Ears in E-Waste?

When you're recycling a newspaper or a water bottle, the process is straightforward — place the item in the appropriate bin. But when it comes to recycling electronic waste or "e-waste," it can feel like your brain is short circuiting.

Inspired by the documentary film Terra Blight, which follows the path of broken and outdated electronics, we researched safe ways to dispose of those unwanted gadgets.

1.) Donate or sell your used electronics.

If your devices still have some juice, consider donating or selling them.

Websites like Gazelle will quote a price for cell phones and Apple products, provide free shipping, and then pay you for the product. You can choose a check, an Amazon gift card, or to have the amount credited to a PayPal account.

For donations, check with local schools, the Salvation Army, and Goodwill. Doing so will also qualify you for tax deductions. 

Another donation option would be to look at organizations like the National Cristina Organization and the World Computer Exchange. These organizations repurpose old computers for youth, individuals with disabilities, or people who are struggling financially. 

2.) Find an electronics recycler near you.

Green Your Pick-Me-Up: 4 Energizing Scents

Curing that mid-afternoon grogginess doesn't always require you to sip or chew. For those of you looking for an alternative to coffee, tea, or energizing snacks, check out these energy-boosting scents. While working your olfactory sense, many of these natural oils strengthen your immune system, possessing anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties that will keep your mind and body productive.

Revitalizing Jasmine: Widely known for its relaxing qualities, this essential oil does more than calm your nerves. Jasmine's therapeutic properties are said to restore energy and produce feelings of confidence, euphoria and optimism. Try adding a few drops to an unscented lotion and keep it on your desk to cure that mid-day slump.

Stimulating Rosemary: Improve your focus and concentration with this all-natural solution. Traditionally referred to as the "herb of remembrance," rosemary is said to improve memory and increase cognitive performance. For a post-lunch pick-me-up, place a few drops of rosemary oil on two or three cotton balls and place them in a bag or container. When you're feeling drained, hold the bag to your nose and take a few deep breaths.

Invigorating Peppermint: According to researchers from the North American Journal of Psychology, peppermint stimulates the brain's reticular activating system, resulting in increased alertness and clear thinking. So if you are feeling a little foggy, regardless of the time of day, dab a few drops of peppermint oil on the nape of your neck and your temples (be sure the oil is diluted with another unscented oil before applying to skin). You can also place a few drops in a small cup of hot water and let the scent permeate the room.

Green Your Pick-Me-Up: 5 Tea Tips

Earlier this week, we suggested some steps you can take toward a more eco-conscious cup of Joe. But we realize that coffee isn’t everyone’s go-to caffeinated beverage. In other words: we hear you, tea people, and today we’ll help you green your brew, too. 

Buy loose-leaf tea: Opt for loose leaf tea over disposable tea bags, which use carbon-intensive packaging materials. Many tea bags also contain polypropylene mesh, which can take several years to degrade. Additionally, bagged tea is often machine processed, producing a larger carbon footprint than loose leaf tea, which tends to be hand-picked. If you do purchase tea bags, make sure they’re biodegradable and unbleached. Avoid bags with staples, strings, or tags.

Minimize your water footprint: Only pour enough water to fill your cup to avoid wasting energy boiling what you won’t drink anyway. If it’s safe, use local tap water to brew your tea.

Cold-brew your iced tea: With summer just around the corner, cool off with some cold-brew iced tea. It not only tastes sweeter and smoother than traditional hot-brewed iced tea, but it spares the energy needed to boil your water, relying mainly on an already-running appliance—your refrigerator. 

To cold-brew your own iced tea, add about 1.5 times the amount of tea you'd normally use to a pitcher. Pour in cold water, add a lid, and let sit in the fridge for about 4-10 hours. White teas, green teas, and flat oolongs need less time to sit, while rolled oolongs require more time. Herbal infusions and black teas usually need to sit the full ten hours. Strain and enjoy.   

Green Your Pick-Me-Up: 5 Energy-Boosting Foods

Whether you call it the post-lunch slump, afternoon apathy syndrome, or the 4:00 p.m. crash, you know the feeling—an overwhelming grogginess that sends you crawling under your desk for a nap. 

You could chug some coffee, but if caffeine’s not your thing, an afternoon snack might deliver just the jolt you need. But rather than reaching for the candy bar stashed in your drawer, try noshing on these all-natural energy boosters. Look for seasonal, locally grown options for an eco-friendly pick-me-up. We suggest a few specific produce items below, but note that seasonality and availability will vary according to region. Check out Field to Plate's Seasonal Lookup Guide to check the availability of fresh produce where you live. 

1. Berries burst with energizing complex carbohydrates and filling fiber. These plump morsels also pack a punch of vitamin C and other antioxidants, which help protect cells against disease-causing free radicals. In a study published last April, Harvard University researchers found that over time, a high consumption of berries rich in the antioxidant flavonoid—such as strawberries and blueberries—can delay memory decline in older women by up to two and a half years.

For those seeking some food for thought, blueberry season just began and lasts until late summer. Strawberry season runs from January through November, but peak season falls between April and June. Cherry season just started and runs from early May to mid-August.

Green Your Pick-Me-Up: 7 Coffee Tips

Amid the workweek frenzy, lethargy is bound to slow even the most productive of us. As our energy dwindles, so can our efforts to live sustainably. This week on Green Life, we’ll offer pick-me-up tips as energizing as they are eco-friendly. First, we list some simple steps you can take toward a guilt-free cup of Joe. 

According to the National Coffee Association's 2013 online survey, about 83 percent of adults nationwide drink coffee. That averages to three cups a day per person, or 587 million cups, making the U.S. the world’s biggest coffee guzzler.

Most of us probably grab our morning Joe without thinking twice—even if we should. Reports of worker exploitation and habitat destruction in the coffee industry can make a humble latte both an environmentally and socially fraught purchase.   

Here’s how you can ensure your beans come from a farm that’s good for workers and the environment. 

Ditch the paper cup: Fifty-eight billion paper cups are thrown away each year, according to BetaCup. Although the cups’ plastic resin coating helps insulate our brew and prevent leaking, it also complicates recycling. Do your part to reduce paper waste, and opt for a reusable mug.  Bonus points if you choose a mug made of ceramic or stainless steel instead of plastic.

Forget paper filters: As long as you’re abandoning paper cups, why not forego paper filters, too? Instead of a traditional coffee pot, consider buying a French press, which doesn’t require a filter.  It’s also cheaper and makes more flavorful drinks. A reusable mesh filter is an option for those who already brew their Joe in a pot. Linda Green Homes offers an array of reusable filters for the gamut of coffee brewer brands.

Look for socially and environmentally responsible labeling: Next time you refill on coffee beans, make sure you choose bags bearing the following labels: