The first time I witnessed the Boston Marathon was pretty incredible – Boston embraces Marathon Monday like some cities celebrate a Superbowl win or national holiday…and it’s all for a good cause! The city shuts down, school is out and everyone lines up along the route to cheer and support the philanthropic effort. Especially if you’re like me, and the 5K you did that one time was enough racing for a lifetime, it’s incredible to see runners finish such an epic journey.  The amount of fundraising that is generated is unbelievable, but don’t worry – there are other ways to do good if you occasionally workout but, like me, you’re more prone to the kind of Marathons that involve Netflix. From clothing choices to where you decide to exercise, you can reduce your environmental footprint through your workout.

·For starters, you can make an impact when you purchase workout gear. Many articles of clothing are manufactured using thousands of synthetic chemicals. As an alternative, organic cottons and bamboo threads are great green fabrics. You can also look into start up brands like Janji which donates a portion of every sale to securing clean water in developing countries, or Atayne which makes clothing from organically sourced materials.

·Next, enjoy your workout in the beautiful outdoors whenever you can to reduce energy consumption from exercise machines. Take advantage of local hiking, walking and biking trails.

·Also, just say NO to one-time use plastic water bottles. It’s time to invest in a reusable bottle – or even a few! Keep one at work, at home, and in your car to make sure you don’t have to resort to buying wasteful plastic!

·Carpool to the gym with a friend or neighbor to reduce fuel emissions, and benefit from the added motivation of a gym buddy.

·Shoes: look for running shoes that have some biodegradable components, and when you need new ones, don’t throw them out! Donate them to organizations like Soles 4 Souls, which recycles them into athletic surfaces.