Have you ever wondered about the impact of running on a treadmill versus running outside, or have you considered taking your HIIT workout class outside on the patio rather than working out in your basement? It turns out that the outdoor options can boost the health benefits of your workout.
It sounds a bit fantastical, but it’s true: Performing a workout outside yields benefits beyond what you would experience by completing that same workout indoors.
You likely know that regular exercise provides countless health benefits, including the prevention and management of hypertension, obesity, Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, not to mention the stress relief and mental health benefits that moving regularly can provide. Adding some outdoor movement to your routine will enhance those benefits and provide a few new ones.
Outdoor exercise doesn’t have to be complicated or of a long duration to yield benefits. Yes, taking part in a boot camp in a local park or enjoying a long hike or bike ride on a Saturday morning is great for your mind and body, but having an exercise habit like taking a quick walk around the block during your lunch break or kicking a soccer ball around with your kids after dinner is enough to elicit some important benefits.
[Read: Tips to Restart Your Exercise Routine.]
Benefits of Exercising Outdoors
Consider the following six reasons to choose outdoor exercise:
— Increased happiness
— Challenge for your body and mind
— Free and easy access
— Social support and accountability
— Greater enjoyment
— Reasonable time commitment
Increased happiness
The first, and perhaps most important, benefit is that being in nature boosts feelings of well-being and life satisfaction. In fact, simply being outside and breathing fresh air has been shown to reduce stress and enhance relaxation. Research shows that being in nature, also called forest bathing, reduces stress and enhances relaxation. In addition, outdoor exercise has been shown to improve both self-esteem and mood, with the presence of water eliciting even greater benefits.
Exercising, particularly outdoors, drives tremendous mental health benefits, ranging from reducing depression and anxiety to enhancing self-esteem and mood. Combine that with the physiological benefits of exercise, and you’ll see greater levels of joy in your life.
Finally, exercising outdoors increases your exposure to sunlight, enhancing vitamin D production, which has not only been linked to improving mood but also to promoting bone health, boosting immune system function and reducing inflammation.
[Read: Stress-Relieving Exercises to Help You Feel More Relaxed and Empowered]
Challenge for your body and mind
Being physically active in an environment with changing terrain forces your body to work hard to sustain the movement and your mind to stay focused to constantly adapt and avoid injury.
For example, think about walking on your treadmill at home or in the gym compared to hiking on a trail with rocks and roots to traverse and constant changes in elevation to push your cardiovascular system. Adding that type of variety to your routine is important for a variety of reasons, including improved balance for older adults. The changes in terrain and environment can also simply be a lot of fun.
Free and easy access
There are many benefits of working with an exercise professional in a gym or fitness facility, but adding outdoor exercise to your regimen is a great way to save money while introducing cross training, which entails doing different types of workouts on a regular basis to drive a range of benefits. For example, you can rotate between activities such as biking, jogging, hiking and playing tennis.
Two commonly cited barriers to exercise are cost and lack of time. Being able to simply step out your front door and get moving removes both of those obstacles. And don’t forget, physical activity doesn’t have to be structured or planned to have benefit. Gardening, yard work and biking with your kids can help you reach your physical activity goals as well.
[READ: How to Make Physical Activity a Family Affair]
Social support and accountability
Whether you’ve promised your spouse or children that you’ll join them at the park for some family fun, joined a recreational sports league or have a standing date to meet some friends at a local trailhead every Saturday, you’ve added two vital elements to your exercise program: social support and accountability. Both of these are vital to long-term participation.
Greater enjoyment
Believe it or not, enjoying your workouts, especially if you’re somewhat new to regular exercise, is an essential element of success.
If you can find physical activities that you can have fun doing while burning calories and getting stronger, you’ve hit the jackpot in terms of exercise adherence. Experts often say that “the best type of exercise is the one you’ll do most often.” So, get outside and try something new. You might just find that your favorite workout has been hiding right outside your front door.
Reasonable time commitment
It’s important to note that the benefits of outdoor exercise start accruing at 120 minutes per week, and you don’t have to be chugging up and down hills at top speed to see results. You can reach that goal with a 25-minute walk every workday at lunchtime or a single two-hour hike on the weekend. More time spent exercising outside beyond those 120 minutes will yield more benefits, but two hours is a great initial exercise goal for most people.
Bottom Line
One of the greatest benefits of outdoor exercise lies in the opportunity to connect with nature and the people and places in your community.
Finish your bike ride at a local coffee shop, wave hello to your neighbors as you jog past or set up a weekly walking group with friends and neighbors. Exercising outdoors can help you feel grounded, deepen your connection to your environment and enhance your appreciation for the beauty around you. And what could be healthier than that?
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6 Benefits of Outdoor Exercise originally appeared on usnews.com
