Get Fit in 2013 with Eco-Friendly Gear

Lose weight and become more environmentally conscious: two common resolutions people make at the dawning of a new year. Why not make your resolution a little easier to fulfill by combining the two? Put your extra holiday money to good use and invest in some eco-friendly workout gear. So whether you’re hitting the gym or the pavement this year, we’ve got you covered from head to toe with innovative designs that are good for you and good for the planet.

Bobble Filtered Water Bottle

Having an eco-friendly workout can be as simple as toting you own water bottle to the gym (instead of reusing the plastic cups they provide for fountain water). We love Bobble’s water bottle, featuring a replaceable carbon filter that removes chlorine and organic contaminants from water. Bobble’s filters are available in six different colors and each bottle is BPA, Phthalate and PVC-free. ($9.99, waterbobble.com)

newSKY Sneakers by New Balance

Barefoot running might be the greenest way to hit the streets, but we know it’s not for everyone. So try these sleek and stylish New Balance’s minimalistic-style newSKY sneakers, which consist of fabric created from recycled plastic bottles–8 bottles create a pair of shoes! ($89.99, shopnewbalance.com)

eKO SuperLite Travel Mat from Manduka

Calling all yogies! If you’re looking for a light, inexpensive, and eco-friendly mat, then you’ll like the eKO SuperLite Travel Mat from Manduka. This mat is made from non- toxic, harvested, natural tree rubber that contains no PVC or toxic plasticizers. And, it only weighs 2 pounds, which makes it perfect for traveling! Can you say “ohmmm”? ($39, http://www.manduka.com)

The REI Balance Gym Bag

Now that you’ve got your green gear, you can’t carry it all in just any old bag. The REI Balance Gym Bag is as fashionable as it is eco-friendly (it’s actually sourced from old plastic bottles!). It’s large enough to house all of your gym gear, and they even have separate compartments for dirty shoes, your water bottle and clothes. ($59.50 at REI.com)

One last piece of advice: If you’re going to the gym, skip the car! If you live close enough to the gym, try riding your bike or jogging there instead of driving. Riding a bike decreases the amount of air pollution you are contributing to the atmosphere and thus less harm to the environment.

We hope buying some new fitness gear will give you the motivation to turn your resolutions into action!