So, you’re well aware that we all need to be doing more to limit the environmental impact of our lifestyles: you take your reusable coffee cup everywhere, haven’t bought a new plastic bag in months, and try your best not to waste food. But, have you considered how you could adapt your exercise regime to make it greener?
Here, I’m going outline some of my top tips for making your workouts more eco-friendly.
Give single-use plastic water bottles a miss
More than 480 billion plastic drinking bottles were sold in 2016, and this number is expected to grow to over half a trillion by 2020, according to Metro. When you consider the fact that National Geographic estimates 91% of plastic isn’t recycled, it won’t be long before this starts causing some major environmental issues.
We can all do our bit to help prevent this from happening and, if you often buy bottles of water to workout with, switching to a re-usable bottle that you can fill yourself is a great place to start. Not only will this small change help to make your lifestyle much greener, but it will also save you money in the long run! Chilly bottles are my favourite – they keep your drink cool for 24 hours!
Spend more time exercising in groups……..(now this I like!) and use less electrical equipment
If you use equipment such as a treadmill, exercise bike, or cross trainer, this can use a lot of electricity. So, why not try exercising with us in one of our Pilates or Dancefit groups? Not only will this help to reduce your carbon footprint, but spending more time in a group setting can do a great deal of good for your physical and mental well being, plus you get all (and more) benefits of working with electrical equipment!
Whatever you decide to do, you can be happy in the knowledge that you’re doing your bit for the good of the planet.
Buy your active wear from ethical brands
Despite the fact that an increasing number of UK consumers are recycling their unwanted clothes, 300,000 tonnes still end up in landfills. Plus, fashion’s carbon footprint is still getting bigger thanks to low clothing prices and the growing population. So, when you next need to invest in some new workout clothing, it’s well worth buying from an ethical business that recognises the importance of sustainability – these are my favourite:
Adidas
Adidas works with the Fair Labour Association to audit the working practices in their factories and they have invested in training for factory owners and managers to improve conditions to comply with global standards. Adidas’s environmental strategy was produced with some input from Greenpeace. Their main pledges being: to minimise usage of water and energy, reduce the use of non-renewable materials, to reduce waste and importantly to eliminate the use of certain hazardous chemicals in their production processes.
With a wide range of specialised products I find Adidas will always have something to fit the bill. The gear looks exciting and colourful and is ‘fit for purpose’.
Under Armour
They meet much of their power demand through green energy and many of their clothes, shoes and hats are actually made out of recycled plastic! Under Armour’s manufacturing is subcontracted overseas but the company has regulations in place protecting workers rights and ensuring fair pay.
So these are just a few easy ways to become more eco friendly whilst keeping fit. On a non fitness point Silver Lane health food shop offer a great line of Ecover refills, everything from washing up liquid to soap to laundry wash – I can often be found in there topping up my empty kitchen cleaners! Such a glamorous life!