New Study Finds Tokyo is the Greenest City for Fitness

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A study recently conducted by Reebok found that Tokyo, Japan is the greenest city for fitness, naming it the “most eco-friendly city to workout.” The study took into account metrics such as bicycle usage, the number of hiking trails, and the number of sunlight hours. 

Tokyo fit in roughly average for most metrics, but had a high search volume of eco-friendly exercises in the period of March 2020 to April 2021, second only to London, England. The high volume of searches indicates that people are eager to find ways to exercise that aren’t harmful to the environment. 

The study also highlighted Tokyo’s low crime rate, which encourages people to get outdoors and enjoy the city’s 1,524 running routes and 169 hiking trails. 

The next two cities identified to be the most eco-friendly for working out were Sydney and London. Sydney topped the list for the number of hiking trails, 323, more than double the average of 106.4 among the top ten cities. 

Simple Dumbbells and the Eco-friendly Fashion Factor

The study also looked into how major fashion capitals stack up when it comes to eco-friendly fashion. It considered factors such as the volume textile waste and the percentage of fashion waste going to landfill. Copenhagen, Denmark, was determined to be the city best for sustainable fashion, with 0% of its fashion waste going to landfill. 

Quoted in the study was fashion artist Akvilė Les, who stressed the importance of staying informed: “There’s a lot of greenwashing – a term recently coined by the press – when companies throw the words like ‘green’ and ‘sustainable’ left and right but fail to provide the data backing those claims up.” 

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For those inspired to begin their green-exercise journey, the study has also identified the most sustainable exercise equipment. In first place was a DIY dumbbell, followed by exercise yoga balls, yoga mats, exercise gloves, and boxing gloves. 

An unique and environmentally-friendly exercise option spotlighted in the study is “plogging.” The term combines the words “jogging” and “plocka upp,” the Swedish word for “pick up”. It involves jogging while picking up trash one comes across on the way.

When asked what Reebok’s response would be to the findings of this study, a spokesperson pointed to their sustainable products, including a shoe made entirely with plant-based materials. 




Author: JAPAN Forward