GOLETA, Calif. -

Two local gyms are doing their part to reduce energy use and one facility caught the eye of a national magazine.

From pedal power, to weights, gyms are a place for people to get in shape, drop a few pounds and now generate electricity while building up a sweat.

University of California Santa Barbara's recreation center has five stationary bikes that actually pump energy back into the grid.

"I think it's a great idea. It's eco-friendly. If they could do this to more of the machines it could supply energy to the whole establishment," said student Greyson Schultz.

Other machines at the recreation center are powered only by the people on them and do not plug into an outlet.

"I know all the students who come in, kind of a new generation, that's their focus," said Bruce Hansen, the recreation center general manager.

AC4 Fitness owner Tony Calhoun has been in the gym business for three decades. He said a lot has changed, and he is glad to be on the cutting edge.

"Technology is becoming more and more available across the nation, if not the world," said Cahoun.

The AC4 Fitness gyms in both Goleta and Santa Barbara use ReRev on all the ellipticals. It converts workouts into useable energy.

Read more here:

Local Eco-Friendly Gym Gets National Recognition