Sick of your workouts in the gym? Let’s be honest, the gym can be a little boring, intimidating, or even a little gross sometimes. Here are a few reasons you should start working out outside and a few tips to start doing it.
Summer is right around the corner. With these beautiful, sunny days, why wouldn’t you want to be outside? It’s easy to replicate your gym workouts in the outdoors especially if you live near a park. With the new fad of outdoor fitness courses, there are no excuses! Get outside and start experiencing these benefits.
1. Boost Your Mental Health
Several studies have shown that exercising outdoors can have greater mental health benefits than doing the same exercises inside! This study found that “compared with exercising indoors, exercising in natural environments was associated with greater feelings of revitalization and positive engagement, decreases in tension, confusion, anger, and depression, and increased energy.”
In addition, the participants reported they were more satisfied after an indoor workout! The study was incredibly promising, however, it did state that further research was needed. Other studies have found that just five minutes of exercise in a green space can boost your mood and that people who exercised in natural environments were at a lower risk of poor mental health.
2. Increase Family Time
There is nothing wrong with dropping the kids off at the gym’s daycare so you can get a class or some lifting in. However, when you exercise with them, you’re teaching them how to live a healthy lifestyle! You’re showing by example that exercise can be fun.
There are so many ways to be active together outside. Ride bikes around the neighborhood, go for hike, run around the playground together, or teach them how to play your favorite sport! The options are endless, plus you’ll be getting in some quality time together and building memories– something that doesn’t really happen at the gym.
3. Save Money
Who would say no to this?! Those gym membership fees can get costly over the years, and it’s especially wasteful if you’re not going as often as you should (we’ve all been there). The great thing about taking your exercise outdoors is that it’s completely free, and it can still be a great workout. Not to mention you’ll be getting some fresh air, some vitamin D, and a glowing tan if you’re lucky.
Take it Outside
There are so many options for outdoor exercise. You could always do a bodyweight workout at the park and also utilize the playground for exercise like step ups and pull ups. If you’re looking for a more fitness oriented playground, the website Calisthenics Parks can help you easily find a fitness course near you!
You can also grab a ball and play a sport like basketball, soccer, or baseball, or head to the beach for a little volleyball. Use the All Trails website to find a hike near you, with plenty of options for length and difficult.
The options are endless! A couple of things to remember though:
- Be careful when exercising in extreme temperatures
- Drink plenty of water
- Wear sunscreen
Now get outside and start enjoying your new fitness journey!
