I don’t know about you, but I often struggle to find the motivation to train in the morning – and no, I don’t feel any more motivated in the evening. But if there’s one thing that makes me a bit more excited about exercise, it’s the idea of making it sustainable and kinder to the planet – I mean, I do that for everything really, trying to switch things and find sustainable swaps. So that’s what I did with my exercise. I explored how to have a more sustainable exercise routine, and I’m sharing my best eco-friendly fitness tips with you!

Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that may earn me a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

Skip the club, or choose a green gym 

This is not something we necessarily think about when going to the gym – we’re going there to exercise, right! But the truth is: these facilities require and consume a lot of energy! From the multiple machines, the music, the lighting, the air conditioning and so forth. You get it: it’s a lot!

The best option is to skip the gym! If you exercise outdoors, you get to also connect with nature, and breath some fresh air – which, let’s be honest, doesn’t happen very often at the gym. I like to go to my local park, do my little routine, and enjoy a bit off greenery before heading back home.

In winter months, to make my fitness routine more sustainable, I simply stay home and get something done indoors, before starting my day.

The key is to get adventurous and see how you can save some energy, and I can guarantee you can get a good sweat without going to the gym.

Another option is to mix-and-match your activities; I struggle to get my daily 10,000 steps in, but when I do, I feel great! I also like going to my local pool and have a good swim at the end of a long day.

If you still want to go to the gym, I have something for you too: check if your city has a green gym that you can support. At least, you know that your workout is what keeps the lights on – literally.

So there are many options to build your sustainable exercise routine, at least when it comes to location. But what about the other things? Well, let’s see!

Choose Eco-Friendly Workout Equipment

Ok, so we got a sustainable and Earth-friendly location to train. But what about the equipment? That’s one area you should look at – and where you’ll be able to save a bit of cash too!

If you’re anything like me, the first thing you should try is to train using your own bodyweight. I don’t like having a million gadgets and carrying equipment around, so bodyweight workout is perfect. No equipment needed!

If you do targeted exercises, the right amount of reps, with the right tension, it’s enough to stay fit, while also making sure you have an excellent sustainable exercise routine.

Whether it’s yoga, body weights and reps, HIIT workout, or anything like that, more often than not, you need no equipment whatsoever. And that’s probably one of my favourite eco-friendly fitness tips, because it simply makes my life easier.

On the other hand, if you like accessories and want to get yourself a nice at-home gym, I’d suggest getting all your equipment second-hand, especially the specialised machines and weights! Many people have these at home and do nothing with it – I can think of at least four people right now, using their bicycle as a clothes hanger… So do a quick eBay search and see what second-hand sports equipment you can find, for half the price (and no new resources to produce it.

And finally, my number one choice when it comes to cardio, while also getting strength is a good jump rope! And honestly, I underestimated how serious that would be.

Gone are the days when I used to jump for ten minutes straight as a kid. It’s the single piece of equipment I own, and honestly, when associated with some bodyweight exercise and walking, it’s all I need.

Get yourself some sustainable mats

This one is relatively straight-forward, but I thought I would still mention it. Just in case you didn’t know, most yoga mats are made with PVC, a cheap and efficient material for manufacturers, which also happens to be a nightmare for the environment. And you don’t want your sustainable exercise routine to be entirely ruined by such a small detail.

So what can we do about this? Well, I decided to go for a cork and natural yoga mat from Supawell. But they are not the only brand to make unique natural mats! I like this one from Cork Yogis as well. Efficient, gorgeous and sustainable!

Embrace Sustainable Hydration

This is a staple for sustainability enthusiasts, but let’s say it anyway: we need to get rid of these countless plastic bottles. It’s still crazy to me to think that more than 1,000,000 are sold every minute. And we all know where they end up… In the ocean.

 The easy and obvious thing is to get a reusable water bottle. There are countless options for a stylish reusable water bottle. But don’t let yourself get overwhelmed and start collecting them – that would defeat the purpose of reducing overconsumption. That being said, even if you were to have ten reusable bottles, that would still be better than buying plastic bottles every time you train.

Rock some Sustainable Activewear 

There are so many incredible activewear brands out there! I don’t even know which ones to choose. And I have to say, as a fashion stylist myself, I sometimes struggle not to start collecting activewear pieces – for the sole reason that they are from a brand that I want to support.

A few of the brands I love are:

• Skimmed Milk and their joyful interchangeable pieces to mix and match
• BAM and their bamboo pieces (I mean, is there anybody here who doesn’t love some bamboo fashion)
• Nimble and their stylish activewear pieces
• GNGR Bees and their powerful and gorgeous designs.

And that’s it! I gave you my best eco-friendly fitness tips; and now you’re equipped to rock and build your very own sustainable exercise routine – and also have everything you need to develop a mini activewear capsule wardrobe. It’s time to make this new change trickle down into other areas of your life! Which one will it be? Sustainable lifestyle? Sustainable fashion? Either way, enjoy the journey!