When we think of going green we don’t always think about sport in the same context. But we can actually help reduce our carbon footprint and cut back on the effect we have on the environment when we get our exercise too.

Consider the following ideas so that you can go green while getting fit too!

Get Into Nature

Even if you live in the city you are sure to have a park nearby or if you’re lucky, a lake, mountains or beach. Get out there and explore them. Get back to nature and appreciate the great outdoors. You’ll also encourage more people to go out and explore, and to gain a greater appreciation of the environment and why we need to save it. Plus, you’ll be getting in plenty of exercise too!

Think Before You Travel

If you’re driving to the gym and then home again, or racking up air miles to see the world, try and work out how you can counteract this. Wherever possible, walk or cycle, and while traveling, try to move between places in the most ecologically friendly way. The more you move about on your own steam, the more exercise you’ll get and the happier the planet will be too!

Stick To Earth Friendly Sports

There are a lot of sports that are far kinder to the environment than others. Wherever possible, avoid using jet skis, petrol or diesel powered motorboats, dirt bikes or quad bikes or any other equipment that pumps gases into the air. You can have just as much fun surfing, cycling or skateboarding, and its far kinder to your surroundings. Even horse racing, or horse betting is a better, greener activity than most!

Support Others

If you’ve got a passion for a specific sport or are thrilled to see others embrace a greener active lifestyle, encourage them! Both moral and financial support can count hugely and can ensure that even more people become aware of how much better some forms of exercise are for the earth than others.

Ditch The Single Use Water Bottle

Single use water bottles are major pollutants; so when you work out either inside or out, make sure that you don’t contribute to the problem. There are some great stainless steel water bottles on the market that can be used repeatedly, and they keep your water cool too.

If you do have to use a single use water bottle at any stage, ensure that you put it in a recycling bin so that at least it ends up somewhere other than an already over-full landfill.

Leave No Trace

While we are on the topic, remember that when you are out in nature you should leave nothing but footprints and take nothing but photographs! If you have an energy bar, keep the wrapper until you can bin it, and if you drink anything, don’t throw the bottle away. Your rubbish is not part of the scenery and littering is unnecessary and unattractive, plus it’s detrimental to the environment.