Top Eco-Friendly Sports

If you are a nature lover and environmentally conscious individual who likes staying active, there are top eco-friendly sports you can do and enjoy. 

Not all sports are equal. Some of them can cause damage and are offensive to the environment. Fortunately, you don’t have to give up all sports just yet. There are still activities that are in harmony with nature.

If you want to continue to stay active while enjoying sports but also reduce your carbon footprint, here are ten of the top eco-friendly sports you can do and enjoy.

#1. Running

If there is one most beneficial sport that is also the greenest of them all, it would be running. It is one of the top eco-friendly sports that are good for your body, but it is great for the environment too. Running outdoors doesn’t require any equipment, and you can do it anywhere, whether on the beach or your neighborhood. 

And if you want to minimize your carbon footprint further while running, you can also choose green running shoes.

#2. Climbing

Another one of the top eco-friendly sports is climbing if you do it right and sustainably. There are climb projects that promote and support no-trace climbing. You can be an environmentally friendly climber by sticking to the trails. Using the heavily used trails may take a couple of minutes of climbing, but it eliminates further disruption of the home of the local wildlife caused by seeking shortcuts.

You can also use more eco-friendly climbing equipment, especially when it comes to shoes. Always aim to get synthetic climbing shoes over leather ones. Picking up trash along the way, whether it’s yours or not, will help make climbing more eco-friendly sports as well.

#3. Surfing

Some sports don’t cause pollution to the environment or cause a disturbance in the marine life. With that, one of the top eco-friendly sports is surfing. Riding the most beautiful waves in the world helps you get immersed with the natural wonders of the environment without damaging any part of it.

Since surfing is a green sport, your carbon footprint when wave riding depends on the gear you are using. Fortunately, various surfing companies have taken the initiative when it comes to their impact on the environment. Some of them already produce surfboards made of wood or other biological and recycled materials. You can also find surfing clothing that is using rubber materials that are free from chlorine to avoid any damage in marine life.

#4. Cycling

Another one of the top eco-friendly sports is cycling. It is a great activity that can help boost your entire body. Cycling is also a low-impact sport, which most even those with joint pains and aches can do it. It has little to no impact on the environment as well, which is a plus if you love nature.

All you need is your bike, and you can hit the road and start cycling wherever you are. You can cycle in the city, or you can also go off-road.

If you want to make your cycling activity even greener, you can buy eco-friendly bikes as well.

#5. Windsurfing

Although windsurfing is very dependent on nature and the various environmental conditions, it is among the top eco-friendly sports. Windsurfing doesn’t use any fuel or cause any noise. It’s one of the best activities that doesn’t affect the environment, except for the production of the equipment, and finding the best windsurfing board is crucial. 

Fortunately, there are options when you buy windsurfing gears. Some companies are becoming more conscious of their impacts on the environment. They are redesigning their paddles and boards to use recyclable and natural materials or recycled ones.

If you choose your gears properly, windsurfing can be as eco-friendly as you want.

#6. Skiing

Skiing, in general, is not the most eco-friendly sport. However, many ski resorts are changing their ways and minimizing their impacts on the environment. If you choose your ski resort well, you can find some that already switched to reusable energy. There are also brands of skiing gears that are trying to reduce the carbon footprint of their products.

#7. Swimming

Another excellent sport that is both good for your body and the environment is swimming. While chlorine in pools can be damaging in the environment, there are natural swimming pools that are 100% chemical-free. This type of pool doesn’t harm the soil or organisms living in the water.

If you swim in the ocean, that is a very eco-friendly activity as well. There are also tons of swimwear brands that produce eco-friendly products, and they are great for minimizing your carbon footprint even further.

#8. Base Jumping

Being conscious of how your activities can impact nature doesn’t mean you forgo all thrill-seeking activities that you love. If you want intense adventures, base jumping is one of the top eco-friendly sports that you can still do.

Compared to skydiving, base jumping doesn’t require riding planes to get to your jump point, which means no refueling needed. Base jumping will only need you to climb to the highest peak, which is a workout in itself. Plus, it can give you the same thrill that you can get from sky diving, only in a much greener way.

#9. Kayaking

There’s no need to forgo your favorite activity of exploring the waters to minimize your carbon footprint. If you love boating, you could ditch speedboats that cause pollution, and embrace kayaking instead.

It’s a great exercise for your arms as well as your core and legs. Plus, kayaking is a much greener way to explore the beautiful rivers and seaside near you.

#10. Amateur Soccer

Professional soccer may not be the most eco-friendly sport, but throwing and kicking a ball in the local park or your neighborhood is very eco-friendly. Amateur soccer is a fun game with little to no equipment needed aside from a ball.

Plus, you can also buy soccer balls from companies who are making them green, which means they are not using any PVC materials and are stitching the balls by hand. Playing soccer in the local ballpark doesn’t require millions-worth of field maintenance, unlike those in pro soccer clubs and stadiums.

Enjoying sports doesn’t mean it has to be at the expense of nature. Even in sporting gears and accessories, you can choose those that got manufactured without polluting the environment. These are only ten of the top eco-friendly sports you can still do while protecting the Earth.