Take The Lead To Exercise In A More Sustainable Lifestyle

Nearly 64 percent of American adults believe that protecting the environment should be a top priority for the government. At the same time, many adults are doing more on their own to lead a more sustainable life. For many, this bleeds into their fitness routine. Luckily, you don’t have to go to extremes to make a difference. Much like creating a sustainable exercise routine, leading a sustainable life is all about the little things you do consistently that can create lasting change.  It might feel good to do something huge, like reducing your trash to zero or making meals entirely from locally sourced and organic food. However, if you only do this once, then you won’t see any noticeable results. That’s why it’s important to start with small acts that you can stick with.

One great place to start is with your fitness routine and lifestyle. Again, the trick is to start with small acts that, when followed consistently, leads to a positive environmental impact. So if you’re looking for some ways to combine sustainability with a more active lifestyle, then the following tips can help you on your journey.

Exercise Outdoors

It might sound obvious, but one of the simplest ways you can make your workouts more eco-friendly is by stepping outside the gym and/or your home and exercising out in nature. Take advantage of the nature around you and walk, jog, hike, play sports, or kayak if your area provides these natural amenities. If there’s open green space, you can even do some bodyweight training in the great outdoors. Even if you don’t have a park near you, you can still do some light jogging or biking along your streets to get in some cardio.

For those who live in a pedestrian-friendly area, try to walk as much as possible when running errands instead of taking the car. Not only does this reduce your overall carbon footprint, it’s also a great way to get in some light exercise. If you can, try to get the whole family involved in running errands on foot or bike as it will make the activity more fun and you’ll be instilling healthy habits in your children. 

When exercising outside, make sure to protect your skin with sunscreen. Make the extra effort and find sunscreen that is in recyclable or compostable containers. While most plastic is recyclable, more often than not plastic containers end up in landfills. In fact, a whopping 91 percent of plastic doesn’t get recycled. The 9 percent that does get recycled actually gets downcycled, which means it gets less useful every time.

BPA-Free Water Bottle

It might be tempting to pick up a bottle of water or sports drink after a particularly intense workout, but not only are you spending unnecessary money, you’re also harming the environment. The US alone uses 198 pounds of plastic bottles per second. Many of these plastic bottles contain BPA. BPA plastic was invented nearly 120 years ago and is currently used in enormous quantities to create hard plastic water bottles and epoxy linings of food cans. Unfortunately, studies since 2008 have found that BPA can pose risks to human development and can also increase risk of heart disease, diabetes, and liver toxicity. More importantly, BPA also leaches into water, which can pose a serious problem for towns and cities around major landfills as, again, around 91 percent of plastic is just thrown into a landfill.

To save yourself some money, invest in a good BPA-free water bottle. There are now dozens to choose from depending on your needs and they come in a wide variety of materials from glass to metal. If you get tired of just drinking water and want a sports drink, invest in electrolyte powder instead. You get around 60 bottles’ worth of sports drink in a container in one canister and you can adjust the amount of powder you want to make it stretch for longer. It’s good for the environment and your wallet. 

Sustainable Shoes

Wearing good shoes while working out is important for your physical well-being, especially if you plan on running. Proper shoes can help protect you against common injuries and can cushion your foot from heavy landings. Depending on the kind of exercise you’re doing, there are also specific shoes that can help improve your performance. Unfortunately, many shoes on the market are not made with sustainability in mind whether in the actual manufacturing process or the materials. Considering most companies suggest you replace your shoes every 8-12 months, the shoes you choose can have a big impact on the environment.

So is there such a thing as sustainable shoes? Luckily, more companies are popping up that practice sustainable manufacturing methods and use sustainable materials. Many companies are now using a combination of recycled and reused materials to help reduce their overall footprint. Others are focusing on creating plant-based shoes made primarily from eucalyptus, natural rubber, and castor beans. Still others are focused on the entire process and focusing on creating safe working environments for their artisans, reducing the amount of water needed for production, and decreasing their overall carbon emissions. 

Shop Local

Nowadays, you can get any type of food you want, any time of year. While this has helped the global food supply chain, it also means that out-of-season fruits and vegetables have to travel a long way to reach your plate. This, in turn, leads to greater fuel usage and increased greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, around 21-37 percent of global emissions come from the food systems.

Whether you live in the countryside or in a large city, chances are there are local farms and farmers at least 50-60 miles from your location. Many of these local farms sell CSA boxes that are stuffed to the brim with in-season fruits and vegetables. Since the food doesn’t have to travel as far as those found in the grocery store, you will end up getting fresher produce that is chock full of nutrients and flavor. If you’re lucky, the local farm might even have heirloom or ‘antique’ varieties of certain fruits and vegetables. Switching to a diet of foods produced locally is the carbon equivalent of not driving for an entire month. Plus, eating locally sustains your hometown economy.

Go Meatless

The meat industry creates around 14.5 percent of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions due to the amount of fuel and energy it takes to grow the necessary feed for the animals and the gases the animals naturally release into the air (namely methane). While beef is the biggest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, pork and chicken account for a large percentage of emissions especially as their global demand increases.

Luckily, you don’t have to become a vegan to reap the benefits of going meatless. In fact, it may take as little as one day without meat to help lower your carbon footprint. If everyone on Earth switched one meat meal per week for a meatless one, the carbon footprint impact would be the same as taking 273 million cards off the road. That’s quite an impact and the main reason why Meatless Mondays have started to gain traction since its inception in 2003.

The campaign seems to have worked as 23 percent of Americans have reported eating less meat in 2020 than 2019. Going meatless doesn’t mean you can only eat salad. There are plenty of meatless alternatives that provide protein and flavor. Sure, tofu remains one of the more popular alternatives due to its ability to soak up the flavor of whatever sauces and spices you use, but there are now great ‘meat’ substitutes such as the Impossible and Beyond Burger. Both of these mimic both the flavor, texture, and even ‘blood’ of meat but it’s entirely plant-based so you can still have a juicy burger while reducing your carbon footprint.

Get More Mobile (walking)

The average adult sits for around 6.5 hours a day. Sitting for long amounts of time has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and other health issues. Unfortunately, so much of today’s world revolves around computers whether that’s studying in school or working in the office.  

While you might not be able to do a proper workout during the work day, you can use the time outside of work to get more mobile by walking more. If you live in a pedestrian-friendly area, give your car a break and walk to the grocery store or even to your local library. It might be difficult at first, especially if you’re used to driving everywhere, but once you get in the habit, you’ll start enjoying your strolls. Plus, walking is a great way to burn calories. In fact, you can burn around 100 calories per mile that you walk.

Recycle Old Gear

Thanks to smartwatches and fitness trackers, you can log your mileage, track your recovery levels, and even monitor your metabolism all of which can help improve your overall performance. However, if you’re a gear head, you may have noticed that your drawers are getting cluttered with old tech. You’re not the only one! 50 million tons of old electronics are tossed out every year including phones, TVs, and, of course, fitness watches. Unlike other items in the landfill like clothes or plastic bottles, electronics contain rare and precious metals and other materials (like lithium) that can be harmful to the environment.

Instead of just dumping your old gear in the trash, find ways to recycle them. If your smartwatch or fitness tracker still works, consider gifting it to a friend or family member who has expressed interest in buying one but can’t afford it. If you don’t have anyone who wants to take it, you can donate it to your local goodwill store. If it no longer works, you can go to your local electronics store and see if they offer recycling. If not, you can search the EPA website to find a place near you that will properly recycle your gear.

Use DIY Yoga Mat Cleaner

Yoga is a great activity that can help clear your mind and center your body. However, after you’re done, do you carry that same sense of connection to your gear? Yoga mats are notorious for being perfect germ factories whether you bring your own mat or use one that the studio provides. In order to practice yoga properly, you need to have a clean mat.

For many people, cleaning a mat entails using harsh chemicals or even disposable wipes to clean off all the bacteria and viruses. However, there’s a more natural way of cleaning your mat. A combination of vinegar, tea tree oil, and peppermint oil can clean your mats and give it a wonderful minty scent. If you notice that your studio uses disposable wipes, suggest this concoction. Even if they don’t agree to use it, you can bring your own spray bottle and hopefully your other classmates will pick up the habit.

Make The Effort To A Sustainable Fitness To Benefit The Entire World

Incorporating sustainability to your workouts doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, it shouldn’t require too much effort on your part. Making any of the small changes listed above in your fitness lifestyle can greatly reduce your overall carbon footprint. It might not seem like much, at least at first, but these small changes can have a huge impact down the line, especially if you manage to spread the word to your workout buddies.

Once you have incorporated these steps into your life, you can start taking on other goals such as reducing your food waste by meal planning and composting, purchasing sustainable clothes, and more. Living an active lifestyle doesn’t mean you’re stuck in an unsustainable lifestyle. In fact, by focusing on sustainability, you could be even healthier as you will be less sedentary, eating local foods, and more.

Shana Thompson is a full time professional writer and editor. Shana has worked extensively in the fields of content marketing, on-page and off-page SEO (guest posts, backlink acquisition), and creative writing. As an experienced pro content writer, Shana has worked on several magazines, publishing companies and marketing agencies. Many recent projects have included everything from nutrition and health services, where a lot of research and citations were needed, to writing about health, sustainable, eco-friendly products.

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