Your fitness regime requires you to push yourself. It demands that you keep pushing your body to its limits. Whether you’re improving your endurance, reaching new levels of flexibility or building outstanding cardiovascular fitness you know that “good enough” is never good enough. You’re committed to going above and beyond. You know how dangerous it can be to rest on your laurels. Your fitness regime gives you an opportunity to grow and learn more about yourself. But did you know that it can also help you to help the planet and do more for the environment?
Ecologically aware fitness enthusiasts should always keep pushing themselves to find greener and more ecologically aware ways to achieve their fitness goals. For instance…
Stop treating your gear as disposable
You spend a lot of money on your clothes- both the kind you work out in and the kind you wear out and about. But our addiction to fast fashion has caused us to view clothes as disposable. Sure, your workout gear might endure a little extra wear and stretching (especially if you’re dedicated to contorting). But that doesn’t mean that you can’t get more life out of your workout gear by learning how to take proper care of your clothes. And when they do give up the ghost, make sure you recycle them rather than throwing them into landfill waste.
Rethink your journey
You’re running late for your class or PT session. But don’t use that as an excuse to take the car. Using your bike or jogging might make you a little late, but you’ll arrive warmed up and limber. And you’ll save yourself the time and hassle of trying to find a parking space.
Invest in a good BPA free water bottle
Good hydration is essential to health and fitness. But don’t fall into the trap of buying bottled water every time you work out. Around 60 million plastic water bottles go into landfill and incinerators in the US alone. So make sure you invest in a good BPA free water bottle to keep you cool and hydrated while you work out.
Avoid burning the wrong kind of energy
It goes without saying that exercise requires us to burn caloric energy. But be wary of also burning other forms of energy while you’re at the gym. Treadmills and exercise bikes are powered by electricity and can thus add to your workout’s carbon footprint. Instead, opt for forms of cardio that are highly effective yet don’t require you to burn energy which in turn burns fossil fuels. Jumping rope or punching the heck out of a bag, for instance.
Enjoy a plant-based post-workout snack
Finally, great results aren’t just made in your classes or at the gym. They’re made in the kitchen, too. But if your post-workout meal involves a lot of meat and dairy, you could be contributing to one of the biggest drivers of pollution, species extinction and deforestation / habitat loss on the planet. Try instead opting for a plant-based post-workout meal. You’ll benefit from a nutritionally complete meal that carries a fraction of the carbon footprint.
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