The Sparkle Coach: Top tips on how to adopt Eco-Fitness

A carbon footprint is simply what negative impact our training or fitness may have on the environment. Whilst prevention is always better than cure some things may be challenging, so let’s be realistic and do our best to be eco-conscious.

People often mistakenly assume that green gyms are purely outdoor pursuits when in fact, a new wave of purpose-filled people are wanting to ensure that their training reflects their ethics and that the gyms and classes they attend make a conscious effort to reduce their impact on the environment.

So whether you’re training or working in the fitness industry, here are some top tips to help combat climate change:

1 Download charity apps such as Charity Miles for your training. "The app tracks your stance and donates money to your chosen charity for every mile you move. The Nature Conservancy, The National Park Foundation and WWF are among those you can pick,” explains the Evening Standard.

2 Use reuseable bottles for water refills, reusable coffee cups, make your own protein shakes/smoothies and use your own shaker and prep food for Tupperware rather than takeaways

3 Ethical gym wear clothing: Shop for ethical brands from vegan trainers to recycled fabrics

4 Reduce travel i.e. walk or jog to the gym rather than drive or catch a bus

5 Maybe swap your fitness or yoga retreat abroad for somewhere closer to home

6 Adjust your diet: Eat more plant-based can be great for your health and it needn’t cost the earth too. Buy groceries from surplus food projects or your local allotment for example.

7 Train outdoors more: From your garden to park or just going on a walk or jog is simple, easy and gives you chance to stretch outside or do some grounding

Obviously a lot of businesses are digital first nowadays and it can seem easier for solely digital businesses to track their footprints and reduce them too. But there are a number of ways all businesses can try and reduce their carbon footprint, such as, going paperless, walk to work initiatives, signing up to carbon neutral sites and making pledges to offset their footprint e.g. planting a tree.

Whilst the digital world can still be harmful to the environment it doesn’t equate to the save on the planet that ‘going digital’ offers.

So whether you’re start-up digital and service based enterprises like madeby.studio or physical entities like some of the Leeds City Region AD:Venture programme start-ups who factor in budget and cost to the planet, there are simple ways that help save the environment as ‘every little helps'.

For more, go to: https://Sparkleupnorth.com, https://mamamei.co.uk and thesparklecoach.com