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Exercise your body and power your home

David Butcher not only spends energy during his workouts, he creates it.

"I am a very eco-conscious person," explains Butcher, a client service director in San Jose, California. "I put a pedal generator together more than 30 years ago-back in the 1970s."

A pedal generator is a device that produces modest amounts of electricity from pedaling (or hand-cranking) a stationary bike. They were invented in the 1970s, when interest in home-grown energy alternatives first surfaced.
Butcher rode his home-built pedal generator consistently for a few years, but eventually got out of the habit And while it never broke down or wore out, several job-related moves forced him to dismantle the unit.

"By 2006, I was 185 pounds. It was time for a change. I assembled a new pedal generator and committed myself to a regular workout schedule again. Since then, my daily workouts have dropped me down to 150 pounds-my high school weight."

Prevention power

Like his concern for the environment, Butcher applies a preservationist philosophy toward his health. "I take the health maintenance concept very seriously," he says.
"Along with riding my generator again, I started riding my actual bicycle more, too. And I dramatically changed my diet," Butcher says. "It's been four years and I haven't been sick since."

The green benefit

"At the pace that I work out, I generate about 100 watts of energy per hour-sometimes more like 110," Butcher explains. "Today my morning workout powered my laptop, my razor, two cell phones, and a cordless phone."
Butcher notes that he also saves a lot of energy (and gas money) by avoiding having to drive to the gym for his workouts.

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