You’ve probably replaced your iridescent bulbs with LEDs, filled your home with various recycle bins and even started looking into electric cars in order to reduce your impact on the environment. However, have you ever looked into your workouts and thought about just how polluting and wasteful they are? Well, if you want to be less wasteful this Christmas, here are some of the easiest ways you can green up your workouts. 

1. Reduce Carbon Emission 

So many of us regularly drive to the gym and back, leaving behind a huge carbon footprint. So, next time you’re getting ready for your session, you can walk, cycle or run for a green, cheap and healthy warm-up. Another great thing you can do is replace one gym session a week for a 100% natural workout outside. Hit your local park or trail and try some great cardio HIIT workouts or use your body weight to work on your strength. Outdoor workouts are always more fun and dynamic and they can do wonders for fending off boredom. 

2. Invest in Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Gear

If you go through your gear quickly, you don’t have to feel guilty anymore. Today, you can invest in amazing gear that will provide you with all the benefits and reduce your impact on the environment. For instance, next time you’re shopping, check the label of your gear and invest in something made with organic cotton, bamboo, soy, hemp or coconut shells. All of these options are comfortable and stylish and many of them are moisture-wicking and offer UV protection. You can additionally green up your workouts with a biodegradable yoga mat or choose sustainable sneakers made with recycled rubber or recycled ocean plastic.  

3. Bring Your Own Bottle

 

Did you know that we discard more than 60 million plastic bottles every day—that number is really outrageous. So, in order to help keep our landfills empty and our environment clean, you can resort to reusing your water bottle. You can buy a water bottle for your workouts that will be your faithful companion through many hardcore gym sessions and relaxing outdoor runs. Browse for the model that fits your needs the best (choose the size, shape, color) and you’ll never reach for another disposable water bottle again!  

4. Reduce Resource Waste

Those big gyms that stay open 24/7 are huge energy consumers. They are not only full of electricity-guzzling equipment but also have TVs, many showers and washing machines that almost never stop working. So, if you’re a member of such an establishment (green gyms are still hard to find) you can ask the staff to turn off the TVs that aren’t in use and start a petition to switch to low-flow showerheads and faucets and invest in energy-saving light bulbs. In order to reduce laundry, bring your own easy-dry towels. 

5. Ditch Certain Machines

You can also ditch the treadmill and have a brisk workout on a stationary bike. Treadmills waste a lot of electricity, while bikes can even be modified to collect the electricity you produce with your movements and fuel it back into the grid. And, you will still sweat your butt off just the same! Also, you can have one electricity-free day each week when you only use machines that don’t require any electricity to provide you with a workout (think free weights, jump ropes, resistance bands…)

6. Recover With Tasty Yet Healthy Snacks

Almost every gym has tasty snacks for you to buy before or after your workout. White tasty and filling, these snacks are not only full of additives but also contain a lot of wasteful packaging that will end up in the landfill. So, instead of buying overpriced snacks, fuel your workouts with homemade goods. You can find amazing vegan and gluten-free recipes online and whip them up in no time. 

You don’t have to waste a lot of gas, electricity and consume huge amounts of animal protein in order to stay fit. So make a resolution to have greener and healthier workouts that won’t pollute the planet and cost poor animals their lives.