Making Better Choices: Activewear, Fitness Equipment + The Environment

This is a big one. Something that occupies my brainspace... perhaps a little too much: how the fitness industry is impacting the environment. Yes, I’m talking about yoga pants + PVC mats. I’m talking about what we wear + what equipment we use when we down dog, plank + plough.


With big chain stores selling $10 fitness mats + $5 activewear tees, it’s hard for ethical, sustainable brands to compete. Very hard. I’ll admit that even though I know there are a handful of local labels doing some amazing (& amazingly difficult!) things in terms of reducing their ecological footprint, I have, on occasion, succumbed to the irresistible price tag of fast fashion. 


So! Rather than beat myself up about it, I decided to write a blog post, to share the reasons WHY we need to do better when it comes to our wardrobe + fitness toys + HOW we can make better choices. Next time I’m tempted to dive into the bargain bin, I’ll re-read my words + make sure I take my own advice!


Plastic. It’s bloody everywhere. Yoga/pilates mats, foam rollers, fitness balls...they’re all full of it. And once we’ve finished flexing + flowing with our toys, we throw them away + buy brand new ones. Let’s use the example of a yoga mat; many are made from PVC (polyviynl chloride) making them durable, spongy, easy to clean, flame resistant + cheap. PVC is non-recyclable + when you dispose of it heavy metals + hazardous industrial chemicals, such as phthalates (used to make plastics soft) + organotins (used to make plastics stable) can leach into groundwater, eventually ending up in our water supply.


It’s not just the disposal of plastics that’s the problem, it’s the production process + how we use the products in between... in other words, the whole lifecycle of the material. Take our favourite, stretchy, buttery-soft - but petroleum-based - yoga pants. They’re made from synthetic materials + coated in a chemical finish to improve wicking performance, repel stains or do whatever else it is they’re marketed to do. Let’s take a closer look at some of these chemical nasties:


  • PFCs (poly- + per-flourinated chemicals): compounds used to make fabrics resistant to stains, grease + water. The Environmental Working Group reports that exposure to PFCs has been linked to kidney + testicular cancer, high cholesterol, abnormal thyroid hormone levels + obesity. <1>


  • Dimethylformamide (DMF): an organic solvent used in the production of acrylic fibre spinning. It can also be present in textile dyes + pigments. DMF is a potent liver toxin + may cause abdominal pain, constipation, nausea + vomiting, headaches, weakness, dizziness + skin problems. <2>


  • Nanoparticle silver: used in anti-odour + antimicrobial activewear. Studies have shown that nanosilver leaches out of textiles when they are laundered. <3> There is also evidence to suggest that nanosilver is toxic to humans <4> + aquatic + marine animals. <5>


  • Triclosan: a coating in antibacterial + antimicrobial textiles. A known endocrine disrupter (it interferes with important hormone functions) + suspected carcinogen. <6>


Activewear sits against + interacts with our skin. When we workout, we move + we sweat; this high-friction, high-heat + high-moisture environment can promote a rapid absorption of these chemicals into our bodies. Sure, maybe these chemicals are non-toxic in small doses, but if you’re moving in your favourite yoga pants all day, every day, who knows how much is being absorbed into your skin over time + what this means for your health. There are no studies (at least that I could find) into the longterm effects of these chemicals in the human body + - as you’d expect - the industry as a whole has been reluctant to move (pun intended) on this. It is therefore up to us as consumers to consider the risks + impact of our wardrobe on our health + the health of the planet. 


Another point to consider in regard to the environmental impact of synthetic textiles is microfibre pollution. When we wash our favourite yoga pants, they shred tiny plastic fibres. Wastewater treatment plants are not effective at filtering out the fibres, so tiny pieces of plastic end up flowing into our rivers + oceans. I think you see where this is going... fish eat the plastic + then we eat the fish... microplastics enter the food chain + - ultimately - our bodies. Fortunately, there is a product on the market designed to prevent micro fibre pollution; laundry bags that collect micro fibres released from textiles during washing. While I don’t claim to know the efficacy of these products - + it seems to me like a bandaid to a broader issue, anyway - the popularity of synthetic materials suggest that they’re not going anywhere soon. In order to reduce the enviromental impact of your clothes, you could simply wash them less often, but maybe you’re just delaying the inevitable...


So! What can you do to make better choices about what you wear + what you workout with/on? 


Buy less + buy better! 


Keep in mind that sustainble materials may require a little more TLC to keep them in tip top shape. Cold/delicate/hand wash + line dry garment requirements may mean you spend a little longer doing your laundry each week... but! You could use this time to practice mindfulness. Taking care of your clothes + your brain space in the one hit? Now that’s a great two-for-one deal!


It’s also worth considering that your better-choice activewear textiles aren’t going to have the same properties + performance as their trademarked technical fabric counterparts, so you may need to shift your expectations a little. I’d love to find a pair of tight-fit organic cotton leggings that I’d feel confident leading a class in, however, it’s just not going to happen. What is going to happen is a VPL + possibly students seeing a little more skin than they bargained for. A loose-fit, thick organic cotton pant may be more appropriate for my needs. Oh, to have my sartorial style compromised in the name of sustainability!  :-)


I was going to make a final point about the different price points of sustainable vs conventional fashion, however I don’t think this is a big issue. Take this Lululemon sports bra priced at $65 vs. a Bhumi equivalent which will set you back $59. Obviously, if you compare either of these items to fast fashion, there IS a notable price difference (don’t forget that you can find high quality, affordable natural fibre threads at your local op shop!) I would also argue that if you invest more in something - researching your options, saving your pennies to make your purchase + then spending time + effort looking after your prized possession - you will value it more. With a more conscious mindset, perhaps you’ll even end up buying less. A few pairs of carefully selected + cared for yoga pants trumps a drawer stuffed full of cheap, poorly made impulse buys. 


While I don’t think there is one, definite way to be an eco mover - even if you’re buying the most ethically-produced product, you’re still using resources - I DO feel that by becoming aware of your consumer footprint, you’ll tend to make better choices.


 Ultimately, you can’t live + NOT make an impact on your environment. So why not make yours a little lighter + a little greener, for your health, the health of others + the health of the planet? You got this!



  1. Environmental Working Group. “EWG’S Guide to Avoiding PFCs: A Family of Chemicals You Don’t Want Near Your Family.” http://static.ewg.org/reports/2015/poisoned_legacy/EWG_Guide_to_PFCs.pdf

  2. National Institute for Occupational Safety + Health. “Preventing Adverse Health Effects from Exposure to: Dimethylformamide (DMF) https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/90-105/default.html

  3. ACS Nano 2014, “Presence of Nanoparticles in Wash Water from Conventional Silver + Nano-silver Textiles” https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/nn502228w

  4. Clinica Chimica Acta, 2010, “Silver Nanoparticle Applications + Human Health” https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cca.2010.08.016

  5. Environmental Polution, 2014, “Impacts of Metal + Metal Oxide Nanoparticles on Marine Organisms” https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2013.11.014

  6. American Society of Agronomy, 2016, “Common Antibacterial Triclosan Found in Most Freshwater Streams.” ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/05/160525121602.htm


Julia Potter#fitness, #move