Green Your Workout Routine

How about taking an environmental initiative and giving your health and the environment a clean start by greening your exercise routine?

You may not think that a few simple actions can help you lose weight and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time, but if you follow these tips you’ll be well on your way to a green exercise routine:

1. Try a reusable water bottle.
Staying hydrated is important when you exercise so instead of buying a pack of bottled water and creating more plastic waste how about using a stainless steel or recycled water bottle that you can wash and reuse again.

2. Eat organic.
Get your energy boost with organic cereal and granola bars, or try a homemade smoothie by mixing organic yogurt, orange juice and fruit together in a blender.

3. Walk, run, or ride a bike.
You don’t need an exercise machine that uses electricity to help you burn calories, if the weather’s good. You can always get your green exercise by walking, running, or riding a bike around a park or neighborhood. You can even take along biodegradable bags and pick up trash and recyclable aluminum cans along the way to help clean up your surroundings.

4. Dress the part.
Whether you need a sports bra, running shorts, or workout sneakers you can always find clothing and accessories made from organic cotton, recycled fabric, bamboo, and other natural ingredients. You should also donate your old workout clothes to thrift stores.

5. Plant a garden.
If you have a backyard with available space or know someone who does then you can get a weekly workout by planting a garden this spring. All the digging, planting, watering, and weeding will give you a great workout every time you visit the garden, plus you can eat your organic fruits and vegetables as a healthy meal! To be extra eco friendly you can reuse rainwater caught in a barrel to water the plants.

6. Save water: Wash your towels less.
Most likely you are going to take a shower after a heavy workout. If you use a towel to wipe away sweat, you don’t have to wash it after its first use. Reuse the towel a few times more since you’re going to take a shower anyways. This will help conserve water because you’ll be using the washing machine less.

7. Try natural deodorants.
Many deodorants contain harmful ingredients such as aluminum and formaldehyde, so freshen up after your hard workout by using deodorants made from all natural plant-based ingredients or make your own. Also, make sure that the product is certified “cruelty-free” to prove that it has not been tested on animals.

8. Encourage your gym to go green.
Some gyms are starting to install green cardio equipment, which usually uses energy from your pedaling or running to generate electricity, which is then used to power the gym.

Make these tips a part of your daily eco lifestyle routine. You’ll not only get in shape but help out the environment.

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Bambi Blue is a freelance writer, editor, and codemonkey living in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She moonlights as a jazz musician, a social butterfly, and most apparently a weisenheimer. Loves to cook, hates to clean, and can easily be found on Twitter.