Some options for green sports and recreation to reduce and minimise your environmental impact are list below.
While nearly every form of sport are recreation needs primary products and embodied energy for manufactured items, and often involves some car (or airplane) travel to get around, you can make choices to reduce your enviromental impact.
- Cycling – burn fat not oil! Cycling is easy on your body and a lot of fun. Options incluce cruising, bunch rides, racing, organised rides, long distance tours and mountain biking. You can make it a family sport by using a bike trailer, a tandem and “trailer bike” attachments.
- Kitesurfing – use the wind, a kite and a kiteboard to get your speed and adrenaline rush. Lot of fun, but make sure you take lessons to learn how to kitesurf safely. You can practice kite handling skills in a local park or at the beach with a trainer kite. Petrochemicals are used for the construction of kites, lines and other equipment, but they last a long time and can be recycled.
- Bushwalking is recreational walking through bush, mountain and wilderness areas, leaving only footprints and taking only photos.
- Canoeing – including sea kayaking, whitewater canoeing, flat water touring, endurance events/races, slalom competitions and canoe polo. There is a form of canoeing that nearly everyone can do and enjoy. You provide your own propulsion and get fit too.
- Surfing – including body surfing, boogie boards and wave skis. Enjoy the power of the waves and the sea.
- Running and walking – you can often do these locally, and both are great for keeping fit.
- Yoga – calms the mind and tunes the body. It is amazing how much flexibility you can lose as the years go by. Yoga gets it back.
- Bushwalking and camping – experience the outdoors first hand. Make sure you have minimal impact though. Take photos and leave only footprints.
- Cross country skiing – travelling through alpine environments on skis is a great experience and good exercise. You can go for a gentle ski along groomed trails, for an extended backcountry outing including snow camping, or to extreme skiing and ski mountaineering.
- Rock climbing – from beginner level to advanced, there is a climb that anyone can do. Climbing is both physically and mentally challenging. Indoor climbing gyms are also an option.
- Orienteering and Rogaining – learn and practice navigation and get fit in a bush or urban setting. Rogaines are tougher events conducted over 12 or 24 hours.
- Rollerblading – good exercise, fast and exciting. Wear protecting gear though.
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