Love to work out and help the environment? Good news! You can combine both your loves by heading these eco-friendly fitness tips.
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Invest in a reusable water bottle or a few. Only a small percentage of plastic bottles are actually recycled, and since there so many fun options out there now, you can easily find one to meet your eneds. There are even some made from recycled products. Switch over and help to reduce the waste in your local landfill.
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Toss your old, used sneakers. Take gently used sneakers to Goodwill or a shelter in your area. You can also send them to an organization that will find needy feet to fill them. Soles4Soles is “saving the world – one pair at a time.” Organize a shoe drive and mail the collected pairs to one of their warehouses. Have sneakers that are beyond “gently used?” Send them to the Nike Reuse-A-Shoe program to turn your sneakers into a recycled product called Nike Grind. This is used to make tracks, indoor basketball courts, fields and playgrounds.
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Walk or ride your bike to work and reduce your carbon footprint. You will get the extra benefit of being in the fresh air, which will invigorate you and get your blood pumping and ready for the work day. If this is not an option, try to rely on public transportation or carpooling.
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Reduce your electricity use. Replace an old treadmill or bike with a newer version that converts your energy from the workout into electricity to power the display panel. Check around your community to see if you have a recycling center that will take your old machine and can find a use for its parts. Donate less bulky, gently used equipment to local charities like Boys and Girls Clubs. There are also organizations that take your unwanted gear and send it to children in need, such as Sports Gift and Fitness 4 Charity.
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Buy Eco-friendly fitness products. Many companies make products from recycled materials to produce clothes, shoes, yoga mats and more. Patagonia, Moving Comfort, Gaiam and Athleta are just a few. All have eco-friendly items made from recycled fabrics (polyester, spandex), organic fabrics (cotton, nylon, spandex) or everyday recyclables (plastic bottles, coffee grinds). After picking up new eco-friendly clothing, donate your old gear to a local shelter or charity.
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Plant a vegetable garden or spice garden. It is fun to learn how to plant and grow items for your own use. You will learn to eat new vegetables and create exciting new recipes based on the different seasons. Plus, you will always have the right items on hand, ready to use, without having to run out to the store.
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Donate your time and get fit. There are many charities that are based around helping people be fit and active which, in turn, helps them gain confidence and have the tools to accomplish their goals. Volunteer with Back on My Feet or Girls on the Run to help promote the impact that living an active, healthy life can provide to one’s life.
Katie Kozloff-Banks, Wyomissing, is the owner of Taffy Activewear and Katie K Active. Her closets are full of fun activewear! Her favorite activewear lines, besides her own, include Puma and Reebok. Check out her collection at katiekactive.com
