Workouts for a cause: Volunteering can burn up a few extra calories

Posted February 22, 2009 10:00 pm

By Teresa Schmedding

Now that all the presidential campaigning is over and you've voted, does it feel a little like the day after prom? Is your Barack Obama buzz starting to wane?

Think back to Martin Luther King Jr. Day when Obama called on all of us to volunteer, to make sacrifices and help each other: "It's not just a day to reflect, it's a day to act."

So even though Obama's firmly in the White House now and focused on an economic bailout package, his message of service is still out there, inspiring people to volunteer.

And while volunteering is all about giving to others, there's nothing wrong with getting a little in return for yourself, like a good workout. From playing ball with kids to giving tours and gardening, there are plenty of opportunities to give to others, while breaking a bit of a sweat for yourself.

Did that altruistic gene skip you and you have no interest in helping others? That's OK, most groups don't care why you help, as long as you do, and volunteering is a great way to get into some recreational events for free, learn new skills and get a decent workout without paying a personal trainer or a gym fee.

A good place to start looking is at your local park district. Most rely on volunteers to help with recreational activities, special events, teen activities and gardening. You can also check out food pantries and homeless shelters. If you think serving up lunch to a couple of hundred people isn't a decent workout, you haven't ladled gravy for two hours straight.

The Salvation Army (salvation army.org) runs a volunteer match Web site where you can enter your ZIP code and find a wide variety of opportunities near you. It's a nice Web site that pulls together a lot of volunteer needs from different private and public organizations.

Did you know the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla in St. Charles is looking for volunteers for its safety patrol crew? And the Lake County Forest Preserve is looking for canoe/kayak aides (and they'll train you!) while the Leaning Tower YMCA in Niles is looking for volunteer swim instructors?

The Arlington Heights Park District's Senior Center uses volunteers for daily aerobic classes, as well as yoga, Tai Chi and ballroom, line and square dancing. Be awed at the fact that all of the participants are senior citizens and all of the instructors are volunteers.

Your local forest preserves are good places to find volunteer opportunities that will help you burn a few calories. The DuPage County Forest Preserve has volunteer opportunities with the Danada Equestrian Center working with horses, plus several environmental projects, like working with a ranger for a day.

Citizens for Conservation (CitizensforConservation.org) gathers volunteers to help clear out conservation areas in the Barrington area. Volunteers are needed for brush cutting and clearing. Some volunteers work with smaller plants while others get to take down bigger buckthorn trees with chainsaws. Then, they get to dig out the stumps, which is very sweaty work. The group meets every Saturday at 9 a.m. at 459 West Highway 22 in Lake Barrington (the white farmhouse across from Good Shepherd Hospital) and then you can either walk or carpool to the site.

Chicago Cares (chicagocares.org) offers more than 200 volunteer projects every month, including a "Fun with Fitness" series for Children where you can play sports or participate in martial arts and yoga.

"We work with schools and social service agencies whose physical fitness programs have been cut," says Kristine Williams, marketing and community involvement manager. "In one neighborhood, they were seeing a lot of aggressiveness in the young men so we developed the Young Men in Martial Arts to show them alternative ways to let out aggression and we have the volunteers work along with the children."

There's even a program called Wii for Seniors. "The volunteers help the seniors do a low-impact fitness activity with Wii bowling," Williams says.

Check out Big Brothers/Big Sisters for other active volunteer opportunities, though this one is a more serious commitment (four hours a month). Kids can run you ragged so why not wear yourself out shooting hoops with a needy kid?

If you're not into the touchy-feely people thing or working with the land, you should check out some of your favorite bike and foot races. Volunteers get to run a race free as a pacesetter or ride free as a route safety monitor.

• Daily Herald correspondent Jennifer Rundell contributed to this story.

Want to volunteer?

Check out these sites:

Salvation Army: salvationarmy.org

Volunteer Center of Northwest Suburban Chicago: volunteerinfo.net

Chicago Cares: chicagocares.org

Big Brothers/Sisters: bbbs.org

Many volunteer opportunities also offer the chance to get a good workout. Daily Herald file photo

Calorie counter Average number of calories a 150-pound person burns in an hour during these activities: Gardening: 340 Basketball: 544 Horseback riding: 272 Ballroom dancing: 306 Playing with kids: 340 Kayaking: 340 Swimming: 242 Painting: 306

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