By Morgan Eads

news@kykernel.com

Want to reduce your carbon footprint? Then you had better hit the gym.

This is the case at the Johnson Center, anyway.

A new program has been created with the gym’s 16 specially equipped elliptical machines that produce usable energy.

The electricity goes directly back into the building and helps to power the Johnson Center.

The program has been created to increase fitness and to decrease the university’s carbon footprint.

Participants complete 18 workouts over six weeks at a resistance higher than nine.

The program is a great way for participants to get more out of the ellipticals than they might otherwise, said Adam Hancock, the project manager and an agricultural economy junior.

“A lot of people don’t put the resistance up as they should, so this helps them to get a better workout and burn more calories,” he said.

Anyone who completes the program will be rewarded with a free T-shirt.

Beyond free clothes and a more effective workout, the equipment also makes a significant dent in the electricity consumption of the Johnson Center.

Since being put in three years ago, the ellipticals have produced about 2,062 kilowatt hours, said Campus Recreation Director Ron Lee in an email to the Kernel.

To put that into perspective, 115.7 kilowatt hours, the amount of energy produced this semester to date, could power about three laptops for one month.

The goal for the program is for each participant to have the amount of energy output it would take to power a smartphone for a semester.

Forty-three people had signed up for the program as of Thursday.

The program helps to increase the electricity output of the machines and, therefore, quicken the pace toward having the machines pay for themselves.

The cost to equip each elliptical with this technology is about $10,000 and has not yet been made back with the energy produced, Lee said.

However, Lee seemed optimistic that the program would reach the goal of breaking even.

“I think Adam and his group have come up with a great program to increase awareness of the sustainability concept of the ellipticals, and yes, I do think we will see an increase in the energy output,” Lee said.

Students who were asked about their thoughts on the program and the ellipticals themselves had mixed views.

Some thought the idea would be better served if a different kind of exercise machine was used.

“I like the idea, but I don’t like the machine. If it were something other than an elliptical I would do it more often,” psychology junior Holly Hamilton said.

Others were curious as to whether or not the program will be successful.

“I think it’s a good idea, but it just depends on how much energy they produce in the end,” merchandising junior Maggie Camp said.

If successful, the machines and program have the potential to benefit not only the participants, but the university and the environment as well.

“Knowing that you are helping reduce the carbon footprint just helps you feel better about yourself,” Hancock said.­­