The Environmental Pillar and Fitness

1. Synthetic fragrances. These can be found in deodorant, laundry detergent, dryer sheets, perfume, body sprays, and air fresheners. Remember that working out is one of the few times when it’s socially acceptable to smell! Embrace it! These fragrances disrupt the endocrine system and create hormone imbalances in both men and women. When we are sweating, our pores are nice and open, but then we have chemicals on our clothes, yoga mat, or workout equipment that create an open environment for those toxins to pour into our bodies. We must avoid synthetic fragrances and chemicals on and around us, especially while exercising. 
2. Sports drinks. These are loaded with sugar, synthetic sugar, food dyes, chemicals, and synthetic vitamins and minerals. I say avoid these completely. We know that sugar and chemicals cause inflammation and can increase your risk for injury as well as lower your performance because your body is having to fight to process the sugar and chemicals. 
3. Equipment and yoga mat cleaners. Beware! Again, what we are touching and exposing ourselves to when we are sweating and opening our pores matters because we will absorb much more of it than usual. If you are spraying toxic chemicals to clean your equipment, you are inviting those chemicals into your body, and it will wreak havoc.

These are our top 3 offenders, but we don’t want to leave you with a list of things to avoid without giving you replacement options. 

Try these instead…

1. Here are recommendations for our replacements of products that commonly contain synthetic fragrances: 

• • Deodorant
  • Dryer sheets- wool dryer balls with Young Living essential oil dropped onto it 
  • Perfume/body spray – make your own from pure essential oils! We like Stress Away and Valor
  • Instead of air fresheners, get a high-quality diffuser and boost the whole mood of your atmosphere while benefitting your health. This one is our favorite